Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mission Viejo Nadadores put on a show on night one of the King Marlin Elite Pro-Am with Nick Norman and Katie McLaughlin putting up strong efforts.
The meet is one of two dueling Oklahoma City-based Elite Pro-Ams this weekend.
John Brown, the original head coach and founder of the meet when it began more than 20 years ago, has since moved on from the Kerr-McGee, then Chesapeake, and now American Energy Swim Club to the King Marlin Swim Club. He is hosting this version of the meet at the Oklahoma City Community College, the historic hosts of the fun winter-based short course yard professional event.
Meanwhile, the meet’s founding club, American Energy is hosting its own version of the 23rd annual Oklahoma Elite Pro-Am at the Mitch Park YMCA with Josh Davis at the forefront of the event.
Schroeder YMCA’s Sydnie Horne (27.82), Gwen Worlton (28.61), Hannah Siaz (24.43) and Danielle Kudis (23.60) won the women’s 200-yard medley relay in 1:44.46.
Mission Viejo’s Andrea Felix (27.21), Rachel Taylor (30.74), Katie McLaughlin (23.99) and Samantha Shelton (22.57) put up a second-place time of 1:44.51 in a close finish. Dads’ Alexandra Buscher (27.34), Brittany Baerg (30.05), Elizabeth Jordana (25.45) and Annie Miller (23.07) placed third in 1:45.91.
SMU’s Bartosz Krzyzaniak (23.42), Stefan Popov (26.68), Ziga Cerkovnik (22.78) and Justin Gibson (21.73) topped the men’s 200-yard medley relay in 1:34.61. Jasper County’s Jacob Schultz (23.82), Liam Holt (25.87), Christopher Martucci (24.20) and Nathan Schultz (21.74) picked up second in 1:35.63.
Mission Viejo’s Erik Hunter (24.55), Christopher McElroy (27.53), Grant Shoults (22.07) and Marc Morizono (21.53) wound up third in 1:35.68.
Mission Viejo’s Samantha Shelton (1:47.38), Sydney Franzen (1:51.75), Kendal Guy (1:54.12) and Katie McLaughlin (1:45.99) raced their way to the women’s 800-yard free relay victory in 7:19.24.
Dads’ Elizabeth Jordana (1:53.39), Alexandra Buscher (1:49.44), Erika Stephenson (1:57.45) and Carolyn Dull (1:56.77) touched second in 7:37.05, while Ad Astra Area’s Cierra Campbell (1:53.76), Alvena Walpole (1:55.95), Claire Campbell (1:56.74) and Courtney Caldwell (1:52.86) finished third in 7:39.31.
Mission Viejo’s Nick Norman (1:39.69), Marc Morizono (1:42.93), Arturo Perez-Vertti (1:41.42) and Grant Shoults (1:36.95) claimed the men’s 800-yard free relay in 6:40.99.
Mission Viejo’s B team of Shane Forker (1:42.55), Matthew Hales (1:44.72), Keyan Boniadi (1:45.57) and Brian Nguyen (1:43.59) took second in 6:56.43. SMU’s Bartosz Krzyzaniak (1:41.29), Tyler Rauth (1:44.58), Nick Hook (1:46.08) and Matt Colket (1:44.69) placed third in 6:56.64.
In individual events, Swim Florida’s Stephanie Peacock crushed the competition in the women’s 1000-yard free with a time of 9:35.73. That’s the third fastest time she’s posted in the event, behind a pair of 9:28s in 2012 and 2014.
Schroeder’s Danielle Kudis finished second in 10:02.81 with Logan Shiller winding up third in 10:05.94.
Mission Viejo’s Nick Norman smashes his personal best in the men’s 1000-yard free with an 8:54.28 to for the win. That’s under the 8:57.68 he clocked at the 2013 Oklahoma Elite Pro-Am a year ago.
Arturo Perez-Vertti (9:08.54) and Shane Forker (9:11.25) led a run of six Mission Viejo swimmers to finish in the top six places in the event.
Results: King Marlin Elite Pro-Am