Junior Nationals West: Sandpipers Load Final in 500 Free With Sims, Grimes, Weinstein, Hodges
The 2022 U.S. Junior Nationals West continued with Day 2 from Austin.
The events for Thursday’s prelims session included the 500 freestyle, 200 IM and 50 freestyle for both the men and women.
Here is a look at how each event turned out at Junior Nationals West:
Junior Nationals West: Women’s 500 Freestyle
The Sandpipers were predictably in full force in the 500 freestyle, taking the top three seed in the event.
Bella Sims, who broke the meet record last year with a 4:32.28, touched the wall in 4:36.17 as the 17-year-old Olympian looks poised for another big finals session.
Olympic teammate Katie Grimes, 16, was just behind at 4:36.41.
World championships national teamer Claire Weinstein, 15, took the third seed in 4:37.39 as the training group even got one more into the finals with Macky Hodges taking the sixth seed (4:43.51).
Event 5 Women 500 Yard Freestyle ================================================================== Jrs West: * 4:32.28 12/9/2021 Bella Sims, Sandpipers Of Ne SC Jrs Meet: # 4:32.28 12/9/2021 Bella Sims, Sandpipers Of Ne Texas Pool: P 4:31.34 Brooke Forde Meet Qualifying: 5:03.49 Name Age Team Seed Prelims ================================================================== === Preliminaries === 1 Sims, Bella 17 SAND-CA 4:32.28 4:36.17 24.30 51.11 (26.81) 1:18.77 (27.66) 1:46.85 (28.08) 2:15.15 (28.30) 2:43.56 (28.41) 3:12.08 (28.52) 3:40.36 (28.28) 4:08.55 (28.19) 4:36.17 (27.62) 2 Grimes, Katie 16 SAND-CA 4:32.97 4:36.41 25.30 52.88 (27.58) 1:21.23 (28.35) 1:48.82 (27.59) 2:16.72 (27.90) 2:44.05 (27.33) 3:11.80 (27.75) 3:40.27 (28.47) 4:08.83 (28.56) 4:36.41 (27.58) 3 Weinstein, Claire 15 SAND-CA 4:38.46 4:37.39 25.62 53.39 (27.77) 1:21.44 (28.05) 1:49.71 (28.27) 2:17.98 (28.27) 2:46.11 (28.13) 3:14.09 (27.98) 3:42.12 (28.03) 4:09.96 (27.84) 4:37.39 (27.43) 4 Hartman, Bailey 16 CROW-PC 4:41.73 4:39.33 25.02 52.76 (27.74) 1:20.88 (28.12) 1:49.23 (28.35) 2:17.62 (28.39) 2:45.96 (28.34) 3:14.47 (28.51) 3:43.02 (28.55) 4:11.50 (28.48) 4:39.33 (27.83) 5 Han, Kayla 14 RMDA-CA 4:39.18 4:42.64 26.36 54.40 (28.04) 1:23.15 (28.75) 1:51.70 (28.55) 2:19.98 (28.28) 2:48.46 (28.48) 3:17.00 (28.54) 3:45.63 (28.63) 4:14.32 (28.69) 4:42.64 (28.32) 6 Hodges, Macky 18 SAND-CA 4:47.57 4:43.51 25.66 54.20 (28.54) 1:23.02 (28.82) 1:52.02 (29.00) 2:20.60 (28.58) 2:49.42 (28.82) 3:18.05 (28.63) 3:46.92 (28.87) 4:15.59 (28.67) 4:43.51 (27.92) 7 Clift, Elise 16 MAC-NT 4:44.95 4:43.73 26.24 54.68 (28.44) 1:23.13 (28.45) 1:51.91 (28.78) 2:20.54 (28.63) 2:49.19 (28.65) 3:18.09 (28.90) 3:47.24 (29.15) 4:15.89 (28.65) 4:43.73 (27.84) 8 Mintenko, Madi 15 PPA-CO 4:47.72 4:45.89 25.65 53.58 (27.93) 1:22.21 (28.63) 1:51.39 (29.18) 2:20.79 (29.40) 2:50.11 (29.32) 3:19.78 (29.67) 3:49.59 (29.81) 4:17.88 (28.29) 4:45.89 (28.01)
Junior Nationals West: Men’s 500 Free
Eighteen-year-old Alec Enyeart took the top seed in the men’s 500 free. He touched the wall in 4:15.82.
Rosebowl’s Rex Maurer took the second spot in 4:16.09, followed by Cooper Lucas (4:18.04).
Junior Nationals West: Women’s 200 IM
Bella Sims didn’t have much time to cool down after the 500 free before she was back in the water for the 200 IM. She claimed the top seed in both events, getting to the wall in 1:55.80.
MVN’s Teagan O’Dell took the second seed in 1:57.15, followed by teammate Asia Kozan (1:57.60).
Junior Nationals West: Men’s 200 IM
LAC’s Maximus Williamson took the top seed in in the 200 IM. He got to the wall in 1:44.09, about a second off of his best time.
Nathanial Germonprez took the second seed in 1:44.84, ahead of Jacob Wimberly, who finished in 1:45.10.
Junior Nationals West: Women’s 50 Free
Lake’s Hailey Tierney was fastest to the wall in the women’s 50 free during prelims and took the top seed in finals with a swim of 22.42.
Avery Karl took the second spot in 22.54, followed by Rebecca Diaconescu (22.57).
Junior Nationals West: Men’s 50 Free
Pasadena’s Ethan Harrington took the top spot in the men’s 50 freestyle to close the session. He got to the wall in 19.77 to hold off Cade Duncan, who was just behind in 19.89.
Diggory Dillignham was at 19.91, while two other swimmers, Maximus Williamson and Hadyen Bellotti, went sub-20 and tied for the fourth spot in 19.99.