Following three days of competition at the 2018 U.S. Paralympics Swimming Para National Championships presented by Toyota, 20 records were set by U.S. athletes, including two world, four Pan American and 14 American, at Oro Valley Aquatic Center in Tucson, Arizona.
Concluding nationals with a standout performance, four-time Paralympic medalist McKenzie Coan (Clarkesville, Georgia) set a new world record in the S7 1,500-meter freestyle with a time of 20:20.78. The two-time Paralympian rounded out the weekend claiming three additional national titles in the 400 free, 100 backstroke and 100 free.
Four athletes – Paralympian Curtis Lovejoy (Atlanta, Georgia), Leanne Smith (Salem, Massachusetts), Matthew Torres (Ansonia, Connecticut) and Breanna Sprenger (Sheffield Lake, Ohio) – leave Arizona with the most national titles to their name after winning five events. Smith was named “Swimmer of the Meet” after accruing the most points in the Can Am points system.
The 2018 U.S. Paralympics Swimming Para National Championships presented by Toyota marked the final meet of the year for Team USA. International competition returns in February 2019, with athletes competing in Melbourne, Australia, to kick off the World Para Swimming World Series. Indianapolis will be one of the seven stops on the world series circuit, with competition being held April 4-6.
QUOTE
McKenzie Coan
“I am so excited. I knew going into the race that it was going to be a hard record to get so I had a strategy in mind of just keeping focus and finding my pace early on and keeping with it. The [1500] is actually one of my favorite events to swim, because I just like to find that rhythm and go. I had so much fun. On the last 50, I was like ‘Just go! You’ve got this.’ The last little bit of it, I hit the wall and looking up at it – it was just the best feeling.”
OVERALL RECORDS
Leslie Cichocki: S14 100 butterfly (American; 1:13.94)
McKenzie Coan: S7 1,500 free (world, Pan American, American; 20:20.78)
Mikaela Jenkins: S10 200 fly (Pan American; 2:34.89)
Gia Pergolini: S13 100 back (American; 1:07.97)
Carson Sanocki: SB13 200 breaststroke (American; 2:26.35), 100 breast (American; 1:08.63*), 50 breast (American; 31.66)
Lawrence Sapp: S14 200 free (American; 2:05.29)
Leanne Smith: S3 200 free (Pan American, American; 3:41.34*)
Liam Smith: S6 400 free (American; 5:40.59*)
Breanna Sprenger: S1 100 fly (American; 5:29.18)
Colleen Young: SB13 200 breast (world, Pan American, American; 2:50.75)
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with USA Paralympics Swimming. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
CONGRATS! McKenzie Coan
You are such a great role model. You have made us all proud.