2014 U.S. Winter Junior Nationals: Hoffer and Moseley’s 100 frees highlight Day 4 prelims

We’re onto the final day of the 2014 U.S. Winter Junior Nationals, and the action has been nothing if not entertaining so far.

With three individual wins and two NAG records under his belt, Scottsdale’s Ryan Hoffer will look to pad his stats further in the 100 free. He already holds the NAG record and could give himself his third record of the week.

Meanwhile in the girls 100 free, Stanzi Moseley will look to follow up her 200 free win from last night with a 100 free title today. She’s the top seed, swimming for Roadrunner Aquatics.

This morning’s events will also include the 200 back, 200 breast and 200 fly.

Keep refreshing this page for event-by-event updates.

2014 Winter Junior Nationals

• Federal Way, Washington
• Prelims 9am Pacific / Finals 5 pm Pacific (Thursday relays 6 pm Pacific)
• Psych sheets
• Live results
• Live stream

Girls 200 back

• Meet Record: 1:50.59 – Clara Smiddy, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 1:58.31 – Alexandra Walsh, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 1:51.07 – Missy Franklin, 2010
• 15-16 NAG: 1:50.66 – Kylie Stewart, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 1:48.42 – Missy Franklin, 2013

Boulder City Henderson’s Abby Richter claimed the top qualifying spot in the first prelim event of the morning, going 1:55.27 in the 200 back. She’s got a comfortable cushion for now, but lots of talent behind her.

14-year-old Taylor Ruck, the 500 free and 100 back winner the past two nights, is the second seed at 1:56.03 and could be primed to make a run at the win in finals. Just behind her is Erin Earley of Hopkins Mariner in 1:56.26, and Schroeder YMCA of Wisconsin’s Ashlyn Schoof could also be in the hunt at 1:56.31.

Haley Rowley (1:56.76) and Regan Barney (1:56.85) sit 5th and 6th, and just on the other side of the 1:57-barrier this morning were Hanni Leach (1:57.03) and Karling Hemstreet (1:57.19).

Boys 200 back

• Meet Record: 1:40.79 – Jacob Pebley, 2011
• 11-12 NAG: 1:53.42 – Destin Lasco, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 1:43.15 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 1:40.90 – Ryan Murphy, 2011
• 17-18 NAG: 1:37.35 – Ryan Murphy, 2014

Dynamo’s Michael Taylor was third in the 100 back last night, and he’ll look to improve on that in the 200 today. The 15-year-old is the top qualifier out of prelims, going 1:43.11. That puts him more than a second up on the second seed, Braxton Flowers of Cypress Fairbanks. Flowers had a huge morning swim, blowing four and a half seconds off his lifetime-best to go 1:44.36. If he can stay hot and find another second to drop tonight, Flowers could find himself in the hunt for gold.

Lakewood’s Daniel McArthur is the third seed at 1:44.74, with Aquazot’s Danny Tran (1:45.27) and SwimAtlanta’s Jordan Ross (1:45.50).

Also into the A final: Josh Artmann of the Austin Swim Club in 1:46.41 and Jessie Kim of Canyons in 1:46.44.

Upper Dublin’s Michael Thomas, the top seed coming into the meet and the 200 IM winner on night 2, was disqualified after winning his preliminary heat – Thomas looked like the first in his heat to move off the start, and was perhaps called for a false start in the race. He was 1:44.46 and would have been third heading into the final.

Girls 100 free

• Meet Record: 47.78 – Abbey Weitzeil, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 50.27 – Missy Franklin, 2008
• 13-14 NAG: 47.94 – Missy Franklin, 2010
• 15-16 NAG: 47.73 – Simone Manuel, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 46.75 – Simone Manuel, 2014

Stanzi Moseley is well on her way to a third win, going 48.29 to take the top spot out of the 100 free heats. Moseley, who won the 50 free and 200 free for Roadrunner Aquatics, was the only swimmer under 49 seconds, and it would take a huge drop for anyone to catch her in the final tonight.

Y-Spartaquatics’ Katrina Konopka is the second seed at 49.27, and Pine Crest’s Marta Ciesla sits third in 49.65.

Things are pretty bunched up through the mid-49-second swims. 500 free winner Taylor Ruck is fourth at 49.72 coming off of the 200 back. If she chooses to swim both tonight, the double will only get tougher, with less heats in between to rest up. Also under 50 seconds were Ashley Sutherland of KING (49.80) and Lauren Pitzer of Lakeside (49.94).

Joining that crew in the A final will b eDenver Swim Academy teammates Brooke Stenstrom (50.05) and Annie Ochitwa (50.10).

Boys 100 free

• Meet Record: 42.85 – Caeleb Dressel, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 47.89 – Vinny Marciano, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 43.90 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 43.13 – Ryan Hoffer, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 42.34 – Caeleb Dressel, 2013

The first NAG record of the morning came in the boys 100 free, where Ryan Hoffer continued his trend of breaking a new record each day. The Scottsdale Aquatic Club 16-year-old went 43.05 to take a few hundredths off his previous mark of 43.15 in the 15-16 age group. He should have a great shot to take the record under 43 seconds tonight, as he’s been faster in all of his finals swims so far this week.

The second seed is Bolles School’s Andrea Vergani at 44.27. A pair of 17-year-olds tied behind him for third: Tate Jackson out of Nitro and Mark McGlaughlin of the Iowa Flyers. Both boys were 44.38.

Some more notable names in the A final: Bolles’ Tyler Rice, the anchor of both of the NAG record-setting medley relays, is fifth at 44.54, with Upper Dublin’s Michael Jensen, the 200 free champ, sixth at 44.66.

Michigan Lakeshore’s Tabahn Afrik went 44.67 for seventh, and Knox Auerbach rounds out the A final for Dynamo in 44.70.

Girls 200 breast

• Meet Record: 2:10.03 – Mary Olsen, 2010
• 11-12 NAG: 2:15.64 – Alexandra Walsh, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 2:10.22 – Allie Szekely, 2012
• 15-16 NAG: 2:08.11 – Caitlin Leverenz, 2007
• 17-18 NAG: 2:05.99 – Annie Zhu, 2013

The girls 200 breast looks like a close one out of prelims, with the top two separated by just a tenth of a second. Emma Schanz from the Spokane Waves nabbed the inside lane for the final, going 2:11.53 for the top seed. But just behind her is the 100 breast champ Lindsey Horejsi in 2:11.64. Both girls are 17 and should be set up for a great finals battle.

Lauren Barber of the JCC Sailfish is third, going 2:13.20 and leading in a whole pack of girls in the 2:13s. Also in that range: Metroplex’s Vanessa Pearl (2:13.26 after a huge drop of almost four seconds in prelims), 200 IM/400 IM Junior National champ Ella Eastin (2:13.37 for So Cal) and Palo Alto’s Grace Zhao (2:13.43 at age 15).

Also into the final are Nora Deleske, who was 2:14.12, and top pre-meet seed Riley Scott of the Marin Pirates at 2:14.57.

Boys 200 breast

• Meet Record: 1:55.88 – Steven Stumph, 2012
• 11-12 NAG: 2:09.37 – Ethan Dang, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 1:58.39 – Reece Whitley, 2014 (Unofficially: 1:57.87 – Whitley, 2014)
• 15-16 NAG: 1:54.87 – Andrew Seliskar, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 1:52.21 – Andrew Seliskar, 2014

A fast morning field saw 5 guys get under two minutes, with the title still up for grabs heading into tonight’s final.

Palo Alto’s Jeremy Babinet is the top seed at 1:58.10. Babinet was the runner-up in the 100 breast last night and should be a major factor in this race tonight. He’s got almost a second lead on Georgia Coastal’s Brennan Pastorek, who was 1:58.94.

Both boys had huge time drops to claim the top two seeds. Babinet hadn’t been under 2:02 before this weekend, and dropped almost four seconds to earn lane 4 for the final. Pastorek, meanwhile, came in with a best time of 2:04.81, and dropped over five seconds in his morning swim.

East Bay’s Carson Sand went 1:59.08 and is third, and don’t count out 100 breast champ Blair Bish of the Arkansas Dolphins, who sits fourth in 1:59.68.

The last guy under two minutes was Palo Alto’s Joe Kmak, who has had a great meet so far and went 1:59.97 for the fifth spot.

Just on the edge of two minutes was Current’s Thomas Brewer, who was 2:00.01. Brewer was the top seed coming into the meet at 1:57, so watch for him to better his prelims swim tonight.

Also into the final are Billy Monjay (2:00.12) of So Cal and the Bolles School’s James Daugherty (2:00.60), a member of the record-breaking relays for the Sharks earlier this week.

Just missing the final is Nitro’s Sean Grieshop at 2:00.76.

Girls 200 fly

• Meet Record: 1:55.26 – Megan Kingsley, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 2:00.00 – Madison Wright, 2009
• 13-14 NAG: 1:56.01 – Cassidy Bayer, 2013
• 15-16 NAG: 1:52.99 – Mary Meagher, 1981
• 17-18 NAG: 1:52.92 – Janet Hu, 2014

So Cal’s Ella Eastin looks for her third win of the week, taking the top seed in the 200 fly after winning the 200 and 400 IMs on consecutive nights. Eastin went 1:56.00 and leads the field by about half a second.

She tops the #1-premeet seed Sonia Wang out of Aquazot. The two Californians will do battle tonight, after Wang went 1:56.52 in prelims.

Those two are fairly well checked out from the field, for now at least. Longhorn Aquatics 16-year-old Victoria Edwards is the third seed at 1:58.08, and 14-year-old Ruby Martin of the Iowa Flyers is just outside of a podium spot right now at 1:58.46. She’s tied for fourth place with Razorback Aquahawg Taylor Pike, who had a breakout morning swim, dropping two and a half seconds.

Longhorn’s Dakota Luther is the sixth seed at 1:59.14, just a tick up on Davis-Arden’s Paige Maynard (1:59.15). Also sneaking into the final is Amy Okada out of California’s Royal Swim Team at 1:59.32.

Boys 200 fly

• Meet Record: 1:43.64 – Sam McHugh, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 1:57.62 – Andrew Snabes, 2003
• 13-14 NAG: 1:45.39 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 1:42.10 – Michael Phelps, 2002
• 17-18 NAG: 1:41.52 – Tom Shields, 2010

The Bolles School Sharks will get the top seed in the last prelims event of the morning on Javier Barrena‘s 1:45.58 200 fly.

Barrena dropped two full seconds off his lifetime-best to earn that top spot, and now leads the field by almost a second.

Executive Swimming’s Matthew Grauslys is second at 1:46.42, just ahead of Huntsville’s Zach Harting (1:46.68).

Things get very tight behind them in the low-1:47s. Lucca Martins of Palo Alto holds the fourth seed at 1:47.07, but will be chased hard by Nitro’s Mason Tenney (1:47.08) and Upper Dublin’s 200 IM winner Michael Thomas (1:47.10). Martins dropped almost three seconds off his personal best, but Tenney also had a lifetime-best, and Thomas could be fresher for his swim tonight, considering he won’t have the 200 back earlier in the session.

Bluefish’s Max Miranda went 1:47.67 for seventh, and there will be a swim-off to join him in the A final. Abrahm DeVine of Cascade and Joey Carbone of the Bolles School tied at 1:47.95 for 8th place.

Today’s meet will continue with the early heats of the 1650 free for both boys and girls. That event is swum as timed finals, with the fastest heat of each gender swimming during tonight’s finals session.