The 2017 USA Swimming Nationals, or Phillips 66 National Championships, will splash into action tomorrow in Indianapolis and begin the process of selecting Team USA’s World Championships and World University Games rosters.
Among those swimming are Olympians, National Teamers, Junior Nationals Teamers, and every age down to 14. Nine 14-year-old girls and one 14-year-old boy make up the youngest contingent of athletes at the USA Swimming Nationals this week.
Here is a closer look at the ten 14-year-olds competing this week:
1. Tristen Ulett
Photo Courtesy: The Ulett family
Tristen Ulett of Dynamo Swim Club might be one of the better known names among the 14-year-olds swimming in Indianapolis this week.
The young swimmer hails from Georgia and has made her marks on the National Age Group (NAG) record book multiple times, with one of her most notable swims being in February of 2016 when she became the first female athlete under 14 to break 53 seconds in the 100-yard fly.
This week Ulett will be swimming in a whopping nine events, the most out of all the 14-year-olds. She is entered in the 50, 100, and 200 free, 50, 100, and 200 fly, 50 and 100 back, and the 200 IM. Her highest seed going into the meet is in the 50 fly, where she enters as 29th.
Ulett’s accomplishments were celebrated in the April 2016 issue of Swimming World.
2. Lillie Nordmann
Magnolia Aquatics’ Lillie Nordmann enters the meet slated to swim five events. The young Nordmann primarily swims butterfly, unlike her older sister Lucie Nordmann (17), who will be a strong contender in the backstroke events.
Nordmann will swim in the 200 free, 50, 100, and 200 fly, plus the 200 IM. Her highest seed is in the 200 fly, where she enters as 44th by a slim margin.
3. Phoebe Bacon
Photo Courtesy: Taylor Brien
Phoebe Bacon of Nation’s Capital is one of the USA’s rising backstroke stars, collecting individual victories at the NCSA Junior National Championships and leading the NCAP 13-14 girls to a new NAG record in the 200-yard medley relay in 2016.
Bacon’s scheduled events include the 50, 100, and 200 back, 100 fly, and 200 IM. Her strongest events are the 50 and 100 backs, where she is seeded as 19th and 21st overall.
She was featured as Swimming World’s Up & Comer in the May 2016 issue.
4. Annabel Crush
Annabel Crush will make her Nationals debut in the 50 free, 50 and 100 back, plus the 200 IM.
Crush, who represents Lakeside Swim Team, enters the meet with two LCM qualifying times and two SCY qualifying times. Her highest ranking is 51st going into the 50 back, followed by the 100 back at 62nd.
5. Grace Sheble
NOVA of Virginia’s Grace Sheble will turn heads this week as one of the youngest athletes competing in the women’s 400 IM. The 14-year-old is seeded 22nd out of 81 athletes with a qualifying time of 4:49.49.
While the likelihood of Sheble nearing the NAG record of 4:08.44 is unlikely, the fact that she sits as the only athlete beneath 17 in the top 25 is its own level of impressive. The next closest to Sheble in age is Metroplex Aquatics’ Lindsay Looney (15) at 26th.
Sheble’s other events include the 200 free and 200 fly.
6. Gretchen Walsh
Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Gretchen Walsh impressed the swimming community at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials as the youngest athlete competing. Walsh, then 13, swam in prelims of the women’s 50 free, tying her for 125th out of 180.
This week at the USA Swimming Nationals, the young Walsh will once again return to the 50 free. She is currently seeded 45th out of 102 for the women’s 50 free, but is also slated to swim the 100 free and 100 back.
Walsh was featured as Swimming World’s Up & Comer for the September 2016 issue.
7. Chase Travis
Chase Travis of Nation’s Capital is one of two distance swimmers in the young group. Similar to distance ace Katie Ledecky, Travis’ lineup spans a wide range of distances as she prepares to swim the 200, 400, 800, and 1500 freestyles.
The longer the distance, the higher Travis’ seed time sits. She tops out as the 18th fastest qualifier in the 1500 free with a seed time of 16:44.37, while in the 800 free she is 19th with an 8:43.47.
8. Eliot Kennedy
Photo Courtesy: Elliot Kennedy
Eliot Kennedy of Waves Bloomington joins Travis as an avid young distance swimmer at the USA Swimming Nationals. Kennedy is slated to swim in both the 800 and 1500 freestyles, with a seed time of 16:48.59 in the 1500 – good for 21st out of the 48 entered.
In addition to being a strong pool swimmer, Kennedy is also a member of the 2016-17 Junior National Team for the 10K open water race.
In November of 2016, Swimming World celebrated Kennedy’s accomplishments by naming her the Up & Comer for that month.
9. Lleyton Plattel
Lleyton Plattel enters Nationals as the sole male representative of the 14-year-old category. Plattel, who represents the Pleasanton Seahawks, is not only the youngest male athlete entered into the meet, but he’s tackling the 800 free this week.
Plattel will close out the meet as one of the earlier heats of the 800 free on Saturday, July 1st.
10. Mariah Denigan
Northern Kentucky Clippers’ Mariah Denigan will swim nothing shorter than a 200-meter race throughout the week, as the 14-year-old tackles the likes of the 200 back, 400 free, and 400 IM.
Denigan’s best event on paper is the 400 IM, where she is seeded 62nd out of 81 athletes.
Wow!
That’s great
The nag record in the 400im is 4:39. 408
I was thinking that record was off. Especially since the world record is a 4:26.36.
Go Tristen!
#TristenUlett #GoDynamo Tina
Go Dynamo!
Roman Pinder