Event coverage sponsored by SpeedoUSA
SAN JOSE, California, April 5. ALTHOUGH it was hard to improve from first night of finals at the 2013 Speedo Far Western Championships at the Morgan Hill Aquatic Center, the second night stepped up to the challenge. Seven meet records fell on the first night of finals, and an astounding TEN meet records were scrapped from the record books on the second. We can only wonder what the third and fourth night of swimming have in store…
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The first meet record of the night fell to Quicksilver's Lauren Green in the girl's 13-14 200 IM. Green placed a close second to Erika Brown in the 200 freestyle on the first night of finals, but charged back with a vengeance tonight in the 200 IM. She downed Santa Clara's Chloe Isleta's 2:03.18 meet record, set in 2012, with a winning time of 2:02.67.
In the following event, spectators were treated to an exciting race between National Age Group record holders Maxime Rooney and Benjamin Ho. The pair battled down the homestretch in the boy's 13-14 200 IM. Rooney holds the 13-14 NAG in the 200 freestyle, while Ho holds the title in the 200 backstroke. Ho came away with the 200 IM Far Western title, clocking a 1:50.95 to capture Nick Silverthorn's meet record. Rooney posted a 1:51.71 for the silver.
Then a number of meet records fell in quick succession, starting with the 10&U boys 200 IM. Jeffco Hurricane's Harrison Lierz took the record with a winning 2:18.97, under the 2:20.37 previously held by PASA's Alex Liang. Second-place finisher Winn Aung, of Redding Swim Team, was also under the former meet record, clocking a 2:19.55.
Five meet records fell in the 100 freestyle alone. UcD's Colten Montgomery snagged a meet record in the boy's 15-16 100 yard freestyle (45.28), Arden Hill's Lizzie Menzmer claimed the 11-12 girls 100 freestyle meet record (52.59), Erika Brown took her second title of the night and another meet record in the 13-14 girls 100 freestyle (50.51), and Redding's Winn Aung was under another meet record and took home the title in the 10&U boy's 100 freestyle (55.74).
The 17-18 age group erased the meet records in the 100 fly. Brittany Aoyama raced to a 54.37 on the girl's side, taking down Catherine Breed's 2011 55.16 meet record. Chris Scheaffer was just under Piankhi Gibson's 49.37 2011 meet record, winning the event at a 49.28.
The meet came to a close with an exciting re-match between Ho and Rooney in the boy's 13-14 200 backstroke. Ho currently holds the NAG in the event, so it came as no surprise when he won the event by over a second ahead of Rooney. Ho claimed the meet record in prelims of the event, bettering Aidan Burns' 1:50.33, set in 2012, with a 1:48.10. Ho's best time (and NAG record) is a 1:45.73, but he still swam a respectable 1:48.11 in finals. Rooney took the silver with a 1:49.50.
