Presenting our Weekly Wonders from May 17-19, 2019:
Jacob Rosner, 17, Nation’s Capital Swim Club (NCAP-PV): 400m free, 3:59.86 – In his second swim of the day and of his long course season, 17-year-old Jacob Rosner broke 4:00 for the first time in the long course 400 free. Rosner’s best time coming into 2019 was 4:01.34. In prelims at the 2019 Atlanta Classic, he went 4:01.49, and in finals, he was 3:59.86. He also went a best time in the 800 free (8:25.36), 100 fly (58.66), and 200 IM (2:10.87).
Sophie Sorenson, 18, Kentucky Aquatics (KYA-KY): 200m IM, 2:19.64 – In August 2017, then-17-year-old Sophie Sorenson went a best time of 2:25.50 in the 200 IM. A year later, she dropped to 2:20.68 at summer sectionals. Last weekend at the 2019 Pro Swim Series stop in Bloomington, Sorenson went 2:23.61 in prelims and 2:19.64 in finals, breaking 2:20 for the first time. She also went best times in the 100 free (57.93), 50 back (29.96) and 100 back (1:02.42).
Gus Rothrock, 16, Carmel Swim Club (CSC-IN): 100m fly, 57.17 – A then-15-year-old Gus Rothrock ended the 2018 long course season with a best time of 58.16 in the 100 fly. In his first long course race of 2019, he went 57.49, and then later in the day dropped it down even further, going 57.17. Rothrock has been on a tear over the past two months, hitting best times in the long course 50 free, 100 free, 100 back,
Ainsley Jones, 15, Dynamo Swim Club (DYNA-GA): 200m breast, 2:38.05 – Then-14-year-old Ainsley Jones wrapped up the 2018 long course season with a best time of 2:38.05 in the 200 breast, a two-plus second improvement on her 2017 best of 2:42.70. She wasted no getting off to a quick start this season, going 2:39.29 in her first long course 200 breast of the season, then going 2:38.05 in her second swim of the day.
Lindsay Flynn, 16, Aquatic Team of Mecklenburg (ATOM-NC): 50m free, 26.39 – As a 14-year-old, Lyndsay Flynn ended the 2017 season with a 28.17 in the 50 free. In two attempts in 2018, she did not improve on that time. But so far in 2019, Flynn has already dropped well over a second-and-a-half, going 26.75 and 26.70 in April. Last weekend, she continued to improve, going 26.39 taking out her 100 free at the 2019 RAYS Lynn Williams LC Invitational Meet.
Keaton Jones, 14, Swim Neptune (NEP-AZ): 100m back, 58.43 – Fourteen-year-old Keaton Jones entered 2019 will a best time of 1:01.26 in the 100 back, and that was already a massive improvement on his 2017 best of 1:08.57. In his first attempt this season, Jones broke 1:00 for the first time, going 58.43 and hitting a Winter Nationals cut. He also went lifetime bests in the 200 free (2:00.02), 200 back (2:06.35) and 200 IM (2:13.40) over the weekend.
Lily Willis, 12, TAC Titans (TAC-NC): 50m fly, 32.40 – As a 10-year-old in June 2017, Lily Willis went a then-best-time of 36.03 in the 50 fly. A year later, she went 34.47, and then last weekend, in her first attempt of the 2019 long course season, went 32.40. She also went best times in the 50, 100, and 200 free, as well as the 50 and 100 breast, and 200 IM.