Editor’s note: to avoid confusion for some of our readers less familiar, or who are internationals, this meet is an American Championship largely in name only, and is not sanctioned by USA Swimming, the NCSA, or the YMCA that we’re aware of as an actual national championship meet.
The first prelims session of the 2015 American Short Course Championships in Austin, Texas saw a couple solid swims from juniors on the women’s side, while professional or college-aged men dominated their gender.
Probably most notable is North Baltimore 17-year-old Becca Mann, who put up a lifetime-best 4:37.98 to take the top spot in the 500 free heading into finals. That’s a great swim for Mann, beating out some big names with lengthy international resumes behind her: Lotte Friis (4:39.17) and Allison Schmitt (4:40.74).
Though the 17-18 NAG record in the event is set to ridiculous lows (someone named Katie Ledecky did a number on the record not too long ago…), this swim does move Mann up to 22nd all-time for 17-18 girls, according to USA Swimming.
The other big noteworthy swim was 18-year-old Abbey Weitzeil of Canyons Aquatic Club, who went 21.79 to win the 50. That’s still three tenths off her lifetime-best and NAG record, but is her second-best swim of all-time per USA Swimming, and also would stack up as one of the nation’s top 50 times in NCAA competition this year. Weitzeil is still a high school senior, but has committed to Cal.
On the men’s side, some familiar professional names lead the way. NBAC’s Austin Surhoff leads the 200 IM by a wide margin in 1:43.47, while in the 500, his teammate Frank Dyer (4:18.12) and Seminole Aquatic Club pro Zane Grothe (4:18.27) will battle for the title.
In the 50 free, Texas A&M junior Cory Bolleter took the top seed, and appears to be using the meet as a Last Chance meet for the NCAA Championships. Bolleter cracked his season-best with a 19.39 that moves him from 21st in the NCAA and possibly on the bubble for an NCAA invite to 13th and well inside qualifying range.
Also taking a top seed is Aquazot’s Sonia Wang, who leads the 200 IM at 1:58.17. Wang is a Harvard commit.
You can find full meet results on Meet Mobile under “2015 American Short Course Championships.”
Well see what the club has done for the younger swimmers example: Easop Lee, Sierra Schmidt, Cierra Runge, Gillian Ryan, etc.. Just because Allison and Friis haven’t been great last summer doesn’t mean that the whole club is doing bad. It was the year after the Olympics for them two. They are coming back around don’t worry!
Because Bob Bowman is the best coach ever and he knows what he’s doing. Or she just wants to..
Bowman may be the best coach ever, but his swimmers have not swum well in the past year or two at the big national level type meets.
She just wend a 4:32.08 though… and nobody can blame him for everything.. It’s their personal issues also.
It’s not a National Level type meet, and I’m certainly not saying Bowman isn’t a great coach, and there are always reasons why a swimmer doesn’t swim very wel. But, anyone that follows swimming closely can see that the NBAC pro swimmers have been off the past 1-2 years. The constant at NBAC is Bowman. When NBAC was swimming well, it was Bowman. These past few years when they weren’t swimming as well, it is Bowman. You can’t have it both ways. Dwyer and Yannick left, and those are just the two that I can think of off the top of my head.
4:32.0 is a great swim, and hopefully she’s back. The USA could really use a time like… Read more »
As usual most of you know nothing of what you run off at the mouth about.
Seems to me that Cierra Runge, Sierra Schmidt and Becca Mann had a successful summer.
why is Allison Schmitt swimming a 500 free short course at this stage of her career? Sorry if the answer is obvious to you guys but I need it explained to me