Occoquan Swimming’s Emily Hetzer and Asphalt Green’s Allen Hinckley dominated their respective distance events on night one of the 2018 ISCA Junior National Championship Cup. The meet runs from March 20-24 at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The first night of competition featured the 200 Medley Relay, Women’s 1650 Freestyle, Men’s 1000 Freestyle and 200 Freestyle Relay.
200 Medley Relay
The Mason Manta Rays got the meet off to a fast start with a 15-18 National Age Group Record in the Men’s 200 Yard Medley Relay. The team of Carson Foster (21.23), Jake Foster (23.94), Jacob McDonald (21.81) and Adam Chaney (19.29) combined for a 1:26.27 – two tenths under the previous record set by James Jones, Andrew Seliskar, Grant Godddard and John Shebat of NCAP in 2015. The latter still hold the 17-18 NAG in this event.
The Virginia Gators team of Noah Bowers, Keith Myburgh, Khalil Fonder and Hunter Cassady were second in 1:28.08 and were followed by Ohio State Swim Club’s Patrick Penna, Jason Mathews, Benjamin Kuriger and Jacob Eismann in 1:29.53.
In the women’s race, the Gator women came out on top in 1:40.96. Emma Muzzy, Caroline Kulp, Olivia Bray and Whittney Hamilton teamed up for the win. Here, the Rays earned runner-up honors from the efforts of Brynna Wolfe, Hannah Foster, Harna Minezawa and Cora Dupre in 1:41.23. The TAC Titans took third in 1:42.78.
1650 Freestyle
Hetzer claimed the first individual event of the meet with a seven-second drop in the 1650. Her time of 16:12.69 was the fastest swim of the night by over ten seconds. NCAP’s Brooke Travis took runner-up honors in 16:25.91 and led the race through the halfway point. Hetzer’s strong back half gave her the win.
Allison Bloebaum of the Mason Manta Rays held third place for the entirety of the race, rounding out the podium with a 16:48.89. Ana Pozder (TAC Titans – 17:03.52), Emily Weissman (Asphalt Green – 17:20.13), Megan Cummins (H2Okie Aquatics – 17:20.82), Shannon Feeley (South Jersey – 17:23.41) and Kimberly Jogis (Badger – 17:26.27) placed fourth through eighth in the senior division.
NCAP’s Victoria McCullough led the way in the 16 and under competition finishing in 17:00.75. Her efforts were just enough to edge out St. Croix’s Alivia Lindorfer who was just behind in 17:00.86. Badger’s Caroline Pennington was also in the mix with a two-second drop and a 17:02.94.
Ashley Lugbill of the Mason Manta Rays had a huge 43-second drop of 17:10.21 to finish fourth. She was followed by Kristen Gullickson (Trident – 17:23.93), Miranda Kirtley (Virginia Gators – 17:25.81). Erin Kerrigan (Occoquan – 17:32.63) and Tara Witkowski (Cincinnati Marlins).
1000 Freestyle
Hinckley dropped over four seconds off his personal best in the 1000 with a 9:07.96. Hinckley took a similar reserved approach as Hetzer, splitting 4:33.14-4:34.82. Quest Swimming’s Brennan Doss was next in 9:15.34 while Ohio State Swim Club’s Spencer Tussing was third in 9:20.56.
Badger teammates Andrew Babyak (9:21.29) and John Loveless (9:30.80) took fourth and sixth, respectively. The Gators’ Jacob Lawson split the men in 9:29.04. St. Croix’s Robert Niemann (9:31.37) and NCAP’s John Sita (9:32.47) were seventh and eighth.
Many of the same teams were represented atop the 16 and under results, as Mason Manta Rays’ Grady Wheeler took the event (9:19.42) and Badger’s Yugo Tsukikawa (9:22.38) was second. The Gators’ Nicholas Lawson took third in 9:25.85.
Leo Goldblatt (NCAP – 9:28.07), Daniel Seabaugh (River City – 9:31.73), Connor Hughes (TAC Titans – 9:35.19), Conor Sokolowsky (Coast Guard – 9:44.29) and Braeden Haughey (TAC Titans – 9:48.80) rounded out the top eighth.
200 Free Relay
The same Gator quartet combined for the win in the 200 Free Relay (1:31.46) with a quick 22.61 leadoff from Bray. The Rays were just behind in 1:31.50 as Dupre posted a blistering 22.09 leadoff leg. Claire Curzan (22.83) and the TAC Titans did likewise for third in 1:33.68.
While not quite a NAG Record, the Mason Manta Ray men set a new Meet Record in this race coming in at 1:20.48 with a 19.63 leadoff from Carson Foster. Noah Bowers (19.88) and the Virginia Gators were second in 1:21.96 while Ohio State Swim Club finished third in 1:22.06.