13-Year-Old Kathryn Grimes Rolls On in 400FR, Hitting Her Third OT Cut at NCSAs

2019 NCSA JUNIOR NATIONALS

• Tuesday, August 6 – Saturday, August 10, 2019
• Indiana University Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• LCM format
• Prelims 8:30 AM / Finals 5:30 PM (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Psych Sheets
• Live results available on Meet Mobile under “2019 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships”

Demanding our attention once again tonight was Sandpipers of Nevada’s Kathryn Grimes. The 13-year-old rolled on in the 400 free tonight, dropping over five seconds from prelims (which was a 4:20.65, a best by a second) to clock the win at 4:14.84, dropping well below the Olympic Trials cut of 4:16.89. That’s her third OT cut this week, following cuts in the 800 free and 400 IM.

Grimes’ teammate Arabella Sims, a 14-year-old who has been incredible this week, too, hit a 4:16.22 for her first venture under 4:20. Tonni McNeese of Katy Aquatic Team was third in 4:16.87, also under the OT cut along with Sims. 14-year-old Paige Kuwata, the third place finisher in the 400 IM and part of Sandpipers’ two NAG relay records from this week with Sims, Grimes, and Audrey Yu, finished fifth with a time of 4:20.69.

Kuwata (2:07.47), Grimes (2:03.27), Yu (2:06.91), and Sims (2:03.23) combined to go 8:20.88 to take second in the 4×200 free relay behind NCAP’s 8:18.83, clocking their third 13-14 NAG relay record of the week. They smashed Dynamo’s old mark from 2016.

Sawyer Grimes, Kathryn Grimes‘ older brother who also trains with the Sandpipers, posted a 3:56.16, only his second performance under four minutes, ever. That adds to the OT cuts he already has in the 800 and 1500 free events.

Sandpipers of Nevada now ranks fourth in the combined gender team scores with just seven women and three men.

OTHER WINNERS/NOTABLE SWIMS

• In the women’s 100 fly, Katy Aquatic Team’s Emma Sticklen won in a time of 1:00.59, sneaking under the OT cut by a tenth. She’s been sub-1:00 before, but that was prior to the start of the OT qualifying period.
• Cason Wilburn of East Coast Aquatic Team sliced two hundredths off of his old best time to win the men’s 100 fly in 54.14. He already has the OT cut in the event.
• Slipping past the field in the women’s 200 breast was 16-year-old Letitia Sim of TNT Swimming in 2:33.49.
• Tristan Dewitt of Fort Wayne swam to the win in the men’s 200 breast, going 2:16.72. Another Indiana-based swimmer, Zion Swim Club’s Coleman Modglin, hit an OT cut for second place with a 2:17.48. This morning, his 2:19.84 was his first time under 2:20.

Team Scores After Night Three:

Top 5 Combined

1. Nation’s Capital- 1680.5
2. Katy Aquatics Team for Youth- 866.5
3. Academy Bullets- 857.5
4. Sandpipers of Nevada- 820.5
5. Fox Valley Swim Team- 817.5

Top 5 Men

1. Nation’s Capital- 656
2. Katy Aquatics Team for Youth- 532.5
3. Fox Valley Swim Team- 461.5
4. Chicago Wolfpack- 418
5. OLY Swimming- 383

Top 5 Women

1. Nation’s Capital- 1024.5
2. Academy Bullets- 560.5
3. Sandpipers of Nevada- 552
4. Santa Clara Swim Club- 440.5
5. Suburban Seahawks- 432.5