KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, December 7. IT was definitely a swift evening at the U.S. Winter Short Course Junior Nationals as a plethora of meet and U.S. National Age Group records took a tumble.
Women's 200 medley relay
SwimMAC's Kathleen Baker, Caitlin Casazza, Elsa Welshofer and Nora McCullagh threw down a 1:40.82 to not only win the finale, it also lowered the meet record in the event. McCullagh had a dominant anchor leg with a 22.63 to close out the win. That performance downed the previous meet record of 1:41.63 set by Saint Andrew's just a year ago. The 15-16 squad neared the U.S. National Age Group record of 1:39.63 clocked by the Aquajets with Olympian Rachel Bootsma in 2009.
Crow Canyon's Sidney Cooke, Heidi Poppe, Brittany Usinger and Madison White placed second in 1:41.44, also under the former record, while Palo Alto's Ally Howe, Sarah Kaunitz, Marie Delisle and Jennifer Campbell touched third in 1:41.77.
Hershey (1:41.79), Orange Country (1:41.97), Baylow (1:42.56), Carmel (1:43.23) and Michigan Lakeshore (1:44.10) also vied for the junior national title with Orange County's Lindsey Engel (22.14) and Baylor's Kristen Vredeveld (22.17) really impressing on the anchor.
Men's 200 medley relay
Bolles Schools JUST missed taking down its own 2011 meet record as Joseph Schooling, Marijn Van Zundert, Santo Condorelli and Caeleb Dressel topped the finale in 1:27.80. That performance came up short of the Ryan Murphy-led Bolles foursome from a year ago that went 1:27.77. SwimMAC's John Manchester, Michael Chadwick, Matt Josa and Kyle Darmody wound up second in 1:28.29 even with a powerful 19.20 anchor leg from Darmody. Nashville's Chatham Dobbs, James Goss, Reece Boyd and Philip Fossee placed third in 1:31.25.
Crow Canyon (1:31.96), Baylor (1:32.20), Mobile (1:32.30), Tide (1:33.03) and Bolles B (1:33.22) comprised the rest of the championship finale finishes.
Women's 400 IM
Ella Eastin, who topped qualifying this morning with a 4:13.58, surged to victory in the finale with a 4:09.66. That swim matched the meet record set by Tanja Kylliainen in 2010, and cut two seconds off Eastin's lifetime best of 4:11.61 set at sectionals in 2011. Eastin is one of the faster 15 year olds in the event, but has plenty of ground to make up to catch the 15-16 U.S. National Age Group record of 4:00.62 clocked by Dagny Knutson in 2008.
Firestone's Katelyn Miller touched second in 4:13.92, cutting more than a second from her prelim swim, while Raleigh's Hannah Moore placed third in 4:15.50 with a second-drop of her own.
Gator's Hannah Burns (4:16.24), Eagle's Geordie Enoch (4:16.81), Palo Alto's Ally Howe (4:16.86), Dayton Raiders' Sydney Lofquist (4:18.46) and Crimson's Margaret D'Innocenzo (4:20.59) completed the championship finale. Ozaukee's Katherine Drabot tore through the B final with a strong 4:16.82 that would have put her sixth in the finale.
Men's 400 IM
Palo Alto's Curtis Ogren crushed his preliminary time of 3:46.13 with a triumphant time of 3:44.87 this evening. Ogren's prelim swim had been the meet record. Ogren is now just two seconds back of Michael Phelps' amazing 15-16 U.S. National Age Group record of 3:42.08 after having already turned in the 13-14 U.S. NAG with a 3:54.23 back in 2010.
North Texas' Jonathan Roberts, fresh off his 500 free victory last night, took second in 3:49.60, while Orinda's Steven Stumph placed third with a 3:50.06. Mount Pleasant's Zach Lierley (3:50.21), College Area's Thomas Andrson (3:50.64), Kingfish's Nick Arakelian (3:53.59), Crimson's Robert Owen (3:53.98) and Dayton Raiders' Patrick Mulcare (3:58.17) also vied for the junior national title.
Women's 100 fly
Osprey's Linnea Mack buzzed the tower on Kelly Naze's meet record of 52.93 from last year, but wound up taking the junior national title in just 53.02. Mack's swim cleared her previous lifetime best of 54.73 set in March of this year at the Juanita Allington Memorial Championships. Mantas' Danielle Nack touched just behind with a second-place 53.22, while 50-free victor Lindsey Engel of Orange County placed third in 53.34.
Mount Pleasant's Megan Kingsley (53.56), SwimMAC's Kathleen Baker (53.84), SwimMAC's Caitlin Casazza (54.04), Billings' Jenna Marsh (54.25) and North Mecklenburg's Christina Lappin (54.39) comprised the rest of the championship heat. Sandpipers' Olivia Barker won the B final in a 53.85.
Men's 100 fly
Bolles' Joseph Schooling cruised to victory in the event with a meet record time of 46.70. That swim bettered the 46.83 set by Paul Davis of Nashville a year ago, but is a bit short of Schooling's best time of 46.50 he used to set the national high school record in the event last month in Florida. Schooling's teammate Santo Condorelli raced to second with a 47.26, while SwimMAC's Matt Josa rounded out the top three in 47.52.
Mobile's William Glass (48.33), Memphis' Pace Clark (48.38), Hershey's Vincent Tafuto (48.56), Dayton Raiders' Josh Quallen (48.66) and Palo Alto's Andrew Liang (48.75) completed the rest of the finale.
Women's 200 free
Hershey's Meaghan Raab is definitely enjoying her homecoming, having trained in Knoxville but leaving shortly after this facility was built. Raab won the event tonight by a second, with a 1:45.79, just off Lindsey McKnight's meet record of 1:45.37. Raab has been faster with a 1:45.10 personal best from March of this year at the Pennsylvania State High School Championships. North Mecklenburg's Emily Allen checked in second with a 1:46.78, while Jeffco's Alex Malazdrewicz touched third in 1:47.08.
Area Tallahassee's Cecilia Williams (1:47.72), Mobile's Paige Madden (1:48.47), Metroplex's Sammie Hashbarger (1:48.97), SwimMAC's Lauren Rhodes (1:48.98) and Santa Clara's Catherine Ladd (1:50.20) finished fourth through eighth. Loveland's Eryn Eddy led the way in the consolation final with a 1:48.20 for the win.
Men's 200 free
A pair of U.S. National Age Group records fell in the finale. First, Davie Nadadores' Dylan Carter raced to a meet-record time of 1:35.29 for the win. That swim beat his prelim meet mark of 1:36.04, and eclipsed the 15-16 U.S. NAG of 1:35.49 set by Michael Domagala of AGUA at nationals. Meanwhile, Pleasanton's Maxime Rooney, 14, finished fifth overall with a 1:38.42. That performance beat the 13-14 U.S. NAG of 1:38.94 set by Nick Silverthorn back in 2010.
Bolles' Josh Booth touched second in 1:37.80, while Upper Dublin's Bob Bantley took third in 1:38.01 to round out the top three. LTP's Matt Adams (1:38.24), SwimMAC's John Manchester (1:38.79), Stingrays' James Yoder (1:39.43) and Bolles' Caeleb Dressel (1:40.83) also swam in the historic finale. Crimson's Liam Egan touched in 1:38.68 to win the B final.
Women's 100 breast
Crow Canyon's Heidi Poppe raced to victory in the event with a time of 1:00.50, a bit of her preliminary time of 1:00.38. Mary Olsen's 2010 meet record of 59.81 will remain for another year. Lillia King of Indiana turned in a 1:01.73 for second, while SwimMAC's Kathleen Baker placed third in 1:01.92.
Atlantis' Lindsey Horejsi (1:02.62), Lakeside's Kennedy Lohman (1:02.64), Lake Country's Lindsay Adamski (1:02.70), Snow's Kaleigh Rosenburg (1:02.78) and Neptune's Taylor Young (1:03.23) comprised the rest of the A final. Central Iowa's Katharine Ross picked up the B final win in 1:01.89.
Men's 100 breast
Orinda's Steven Stumph touched out Panama City's Michael Duderstadt, 54.46 to 54.56, for the 100 breast victory. The times just missed Cody Miller's 2008 meet record of 54.38 set while swimming for Clark County. Palo Alto's Curtis Ogren bounced back from his 400 IM triumph with a third-place time of 54.60.
Tim Cottam (55.38), Tide's Austin Temple (55.58), The Dolphins' Cole Hurwitz (55.66), Daniel Le (55.77) and Davie's Rafa Van Leeuwaarde (55.82) placed fourth through eighth. Hudson's Ross Palazzo won the B final in a time of 55.70, while Crow Canyon's David Morgan posted a 55.61 to win the C final.
Women's 100 back
SwimMAC's Kathleen Baker, 15, raced to victory in the dorsal event with a top time of 52.63, half-a-second back of Courtney Bartholomew's 2009 meet standard of 52.22. That swim lowered her lifetime best of 52.87 from February posted as a 14-year-old. That time still stands as the 13-14 U.S. National Age Group record. Baker now has a new target, Rachel Bootsma's 51.53 from 2010 in the 15-16 age division.
Osprey's Linnea Mack turned in a second-place time of 53.30, while Michigan Lakeshore's Taylor Garcia finished third in 53.34. Orange County's Lindsey Engel (53.59), Phoenix's Keaton Blovad (53.61), St. Croix's Mickayla Hinkle (54.02), Crow Canyon's Madison White (54.15) and Palo Alto's Ally Howe (54.67) completed the top eight. Ella Eastin won the B final in 53.72 over Raleigh's Hannah Moore (53.91).
Men's 100 back
Davie Nadadores' Dylan Carter doubled up with a sizzling time of 47.22. That swim came up just a bit shy of Ryan Murphy's 2011 meet record of 46.72 that also stands as the 15-16 U.S. National Age Group record. The time blasted Carter's personal best of 48.93 from prelims, which in turn smashed his previous best of 50.44 set two months ago at the Mike Horgan Memorial Invite.
Mobile's William Glass took second in 48.31, while North Texas' Aaron Greene checked in third with a 48.44. Hennessey Stuart (48.58), Aces' Daryl Turner (48.58), Nashville's Chatham Dobbs (49.27), Parkland's Peter Conzola (49.72) and Dayton Raiders' Patrick Mulcare (51.04) rounded out the top eight. Carpet Capital's Taylor Dale claimed the B final in 48.73, touching out SwimMAC's Matt Josa (48.78).
Women's 800 free relay
Santa Clara's Sandra Soe, Sarah Shimomura, Catherine Ladd and Elise Locke blasted the meet record in the event with a top time of 7:18.56. That performance bested the meet record of 7:19.73 clocked by First Colony in 2010. SwimMAC's Nora McCullagh, Jessica Merritt, Elsa Welshofer and Lauren Rhodes touched second in 7:21.46. Jeffco's Erin Metzger-Seymour, Alex Malazdrewicz, Abigail Houck and Madeline Myers wound up third in 7:22.82.
Bolles (7:23.10), Lakeside (7:23.67), Patriot (7:25.02), Palo Alto (7:25.56) and Saint Andrew's (7:26.55) placed fourth through eighth in the timed final event.
Men's 800 free relay
Bolles's Santo Condorelli, Josh Booth, Joseph Schooling and Caeleb Dressel cruised to victory in the distance relay with a time of 6:37.77, missing the squad's meet record of 6:36.59 from a year ago. SwimMAC's Lane Bretschneider, John Manchester, Matt Josa and Kyle Darmody earned second in 6:39.29, while Dayton Raiders' Josh Quallen, Clifford Goertemiller, Andrew Cole and Brock Turner claimed third in 6:40.38.
Crow Canyon (6:42.19), Pilot (6:43.33), Crimson (6:43.61), North Texas (6:44.72) and Lake Erie (6:48.30) earned the rest of the top eight finishes.
