16-Year-Old Rachel Stege Drops Sub-2:00 200 Free on NCSA Juniors Night 2

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)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live results available on Meet Mobile under “2019 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships”

Rachel Stege of the Fox Valley Swim Team has been on a tear this summer. The 16-year-old was one of our Six Stars from night three of the 2019 U.S. Nationals last week after clocking a 4:10.05 in the 400 free, eight seconds faster than her PR was coming into 2019.

Tonight, she won the 200 free in Indy with a lifetime best by over two seconds, going 1:59.90 to erase her old best of 2:02.26 from last week. She now comes from outside of the 15-16 top 100 to T-23rd all-time. If this is any indication into her form right now, she should have an excellent 400 free later this week.

16-year-old Torri Huske of Arlington Aquatic Club touched second at 2:00.52, destroying her old best of 2:03.31 to jump to 38th in the age group. Stege and Huske both qualified for Olympic Trials in this event with their times. 14-year-olds Arabella Sims (SAND) and Camille Spink (NCAP) were third and fourth at 2:02.65 and 2:03.79, respectively. Sims is now 31st in the 13-14 historical rankings.

TNT Swimming’s Letitia Sim cracked 1:10 in the women’s 100 breast. The 16-year-old posted a 1:09.89, getting under the OT cut along with New Trier Aquatics 15-year-old Kaelyn Gridley (1:10.32). Sim and Gridley were both within tenths of their lifetime bests. In the men’s 100 breast, the top four finishers punched their tickets to Omaha, led by Muenster Swim Club’s Kyle Adams at 1:02.68. Fort Wayne Swim Team’s Tristan Dewitt and Swim GSA’s Christopher Mikuta also slipped under 1:03 at 1:02.76 and 1:02.96, respectively, while HEAT’s Brett Champlin was .02 under the OT cut with a 1:03.27.

OTHER WINNERS/NOTES

• 13-year-old Kathryn Grimes has already been part of an NAG relay record this meet. Tonight, she dropped almost three seconds off of her old best in the 200 free to win the D final at 2:03.61, which is less than two seconds away from the OT cut of 2:01.69. That makes her the 8th-fastest 13-year-old 200 freestyler in USA Swimming’s database (which doesn’t seem to have data before the late 1990s). In the A final, 14-year-olds Arabella Sims (SAND) and Camille Spink (NCAP) were third and fourth at 2:02.65 and 2:03.79, respectively. Sims is now 31st in the 13-14 historical rankings.
• In the men’s 400 IM, Tyler Edlefsen of Sandpipers of Nevada sliced two seconds off of his old best with a 4:23.16, almost three seconds faster than the OT cut.
• Alex Massey of Ensworth Aquatics took the win in the women’s 200 fly at 2:13.40, dropping almost two seconds from prelims. Huske was third in that race in 2:14.39, just behind Green Bay Swim Club’s Emma Lasecki (2:14.38).
• Munster Swim Club’s Holden Raffin won a narrow victory in the men’s 100 back. His time of 56.28 edged Chicago Wolfpack Aquatic Club’s Jaden Olson (56.48) and Mercy Healthplex Sea Wolves’ Gregory Kalin (56.62).
• The men’s 800 free relay was a blowout, with Katy Aquatic Team for Youth winning by 3.7 seconds. Seung Joon Ahn led off with 1:53.71. He was followed by William Coakley (1:53.33), Jackson Dement (1:54.12), and Tyler Kopp (1:54.58). Santa Clara edged Academy Bullets, 7:40.46 to 7:40.50, for second place.

Team Scores After Night One:

Top 5 Combined

1. Nation’s Capital- 950.5
2. Academy Bullets- 513
3. Fox Valley Swim Team- 506.5
4. Katy Aquatics Team for Youth- 467.5
5. Santa Clara Swim Club- 447.5

Top 5 Men

1. Nation’s Capital-415
2. Chicago Wolfpack- 313
3. Fox Valley Swim Team- 311.5
4. Katy Aquatics Team for Youth- 288.5
5. Santa Clara Swim Club- 230

Top 5 Women

1. Nation’s Capital- 535.5
2. Academy Bullets- 304
3. Sandpipers of Nevada- 247
4. Suburban Seahawks- 235
5. Santa Clara Swim Club- 217.5