Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 6/12/2019

Presenting out Weekly Wonders from June 7-9, 2019:

Rosie Murphy, 14, Sierra Marlins (SNST-SN): 200m IM, 2:23.71 – Fourteen-year-old Rosie Murphy had a best time of 2:32.13 in the long course 200 IM, which was nearly a six-second drop by her time at the beginning of the season. Last weekend at the 2019 Santa Clara International meet, she left that time in the dust in prelims, going 2:28.14. But it didn’t stop there. In finals, she dropped another four-and-a-half seconds, going 2:23.71 for a 2019 Futures cut. She was the second-fastest 14-year-old in the nation last weekend behind PASA’s Audrey J-Cheng. Murphy also went best times in the 50 free, 50 back, 100 back, 50 breast and 100 breast.

Blake Simpson, 17, Santa Maria Aquatic Club (SMSC-CA): 400m free, 4:02.30 – A then-15-year-old Blake Simpson ended the 2017 long course season with a 4:08.87 400 free, swim in July. He added time the following month. In 2018, he started the season with a couple swims in June that were off his best time, but then by August, was down to 4:03.46. In his first attempt of 2019, Simpson dropped over a second, going 4:02.30 at the 2019 Summer Sanders Long Course Meet.

Cora Dupre, 18, Mason Manta Rays (RAYS-OH): 200 free, 2:01.47 – Cora Dupre closed the 2017 long course season with a best time of 2:03.98 in the 200 free. Through five swims in 2018, she dropped that time to 2:02.97. But in just her first attempt of summer 2019, she dropped a second-and-a-half, going 2:01.47, nailing a 2020 Olympic Trials cut, of which she now owns four. She also nabbed Trials cuts last weekend in the 200 IM and 50 free after getting the 100 free cut in May.

Brendan Kerns, 15, Bainbridge Island Swim Club (BISC-PN): 100 breast, 1:08.67 – Brendan Kerns dropped over four seconds in the 100 breast throughout the 2018 long course season, going from 1:14.35 to 1:01.06 by August. He got the 2019 season started fairly early, in late April, when he went a best time of 1:09.59. In his second attempt of the season, he shaved off nearly another second, going 1:08.67 at the 2019 MET Cannonball Classic last weekend. Kerns also went a best time in the 50 back and 200 breast.

Ethan Nus, 12, Long Island Aquatic Club (LIAC-MR): 200 fly, 2:24.42 – A then-11-year-old Ethan Nus swam the first seven long course 200 fly races of his life in 2018, going 2:56.38 in his first swim and 2:35.25 in his last. In his first attempt of this season, at the 2019 LIAC Summertime Classic Invitational, he dropped nearly 11 seconds more, going 2:24.42. Nus hit an AAAA cut and was the fastest 12-year-old in the country last weekend. He also went a lifetime best in the 1500 free, 100 back, 200 breast and 200 IM.

Applejean Gwinn & Olivia Suarez, 12, DART Swimming (DART-SN) & Gulf Travel Team: 100 fly – Twelve-year-olds Applejean Gwinn and Olivia Suarez were the two fastest 12-year-olds in the nation in the 100 fly last weekend, both posting big time drops swimming at the 2019 Summer Sanders Long Course meet. Gwinn came into the day with a best time of 1:07.31, then went 1:06.91 in prelims. In finals, she dropped to 1:05.95. Suarez entered the day with a 1:07.42 best time, then went 1:07.48 in prelims. In finals, she brought it back down to 1:06.28.