2017 Winter Juniors East: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2017 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

• December 6 – 9
• Allan Jones Aquatic Center
• Knoxville, TN
• Live results
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Friday Prelims Heat Sheet

Day 3 prelims will feature the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. Notably, Drew Kibler will defend his 200 free title and meet record from last year, and Alex Walsh will do the same in the girls 100 breast.

GIRLS 400 IM

• Jrs Meet Record: 4:02.51, Brooke Ford, 2016

Olivia Carter took the 2nd-to-last heat with a 4:12.98, nearly 3 seconds off her seed time. She will head into finals as the top seed. Carter put up a pretty quick back split of 1:02.06, the fastest of all the A final qualifiers. Madison Homovich and Kelly Pash will come in as the 2nd and 3rd seeds tonight, both swimming a little off their seed times this morning.

Abigail Hay, Emma Weyant, and Mariah Denigan all had  big best times on their way to making the top 8. Hay dropped 5.65 seconds to go 4:14.38. Weyant dropped 2.83 to go 4:14.51, and Mariah Denigan dropped 4 seconds to go 4:15.92. Denigan is just 14 years old, the youngest in the field.

Ella Nelson came in 9th this morning with a 4:16.01, so barring any scratches, she will be racing to win the B final tonight.

A Finalists:

1. Olivia Carter – 4:12.98
2. Madison Homovich – 4:13.53
3. Kelly Pash – 4:14.37
4. Abigail Hay – 4:14.38
5. Emma Weyant – 4:14.51
6. Kathleen Golding – 4:14.71
7. Christin Rockway – 4:15.91
8. Mariah Denigan – 4:15.92

BOYS 400 IM

• Jrs Meet Record: 3:44.26, Curtis Ogren, 2013

Jacob Foster blew away the field to take the top seed for tonight with a win in the 1st circle seeded heat.He blasted a 3:45.46 to take over 4 seconds off his seed time. He raced next to his brother, Carson Foster, who came in second in the heat, and the 2nd seed for tonight with his time of 3:48.36, a little ways off his seed time. An exciting race for tonight has been set up, while these 2 brothers will square off against each other and the top seed going into the meet, Kieran Smith, who came in 3rd this morning with a 3:48.50. All 3 boys have now been 3:46 or faster, so Curtis Ogren’s meet record of 3:44.26 is not out of reach for any of them.

Owen Conley dropped over 6 and a half seconds this morning to earn his spot in the A final tonight. Conley posted a 3:51.72 to get himself the 6th seed for tonight.

A finalists:

1. Jacob Foster – 3:45.46
2. Carson Foster – 3:48.36
3. Kieran Smith – 3:48.50
4. Jacob Johnson – 3:50.48
5. Nicholas Perera – 3:51.34
6. Owen Conley – 3:51.72
7. Andrew Winton – 3:51.94
8. Ross Dant – 3:53.10

GIRLS 100 FLY

• Jrs Meet Record: 51.73, Regan Smith, 2016

Gabriela Albiero dropped 1.10 seconds to earn the top spot for tonight’s final, posting a 53.22. Talia Bates took the 2nd seed for tonight, swimming very close to her best time by going 53.38. 13-year-old Claire Curzan dropped nearly half a second to earn herself the 3rd position for tonight, posting a 53.52. Interestingly, only 1 girl made it into the A final who swam in the final prelims heat. Tristen Ulett was the only swimmer from the fastest seeded heat to make it into the top 8. Her time of 53.86 earned the 5th seed for tonight.

Gretchen Walsh, who has made waves at this meet so far with her NAG in the 13-14 50 free, dropped over a second to go 54.06 and take the 7th seed for tonight.

The top seed going into the meet, Jessica Nava, got 13th this morning with her time of 54.33, so we’ll see her racing in the B final tonight.

A finalists:

1. Gabriela Albiero – 53.22
2. Talia Bates – 53.38
3. Claire Curzan – 53.52
4. Gertrude Rothrock – 53.62
5. Tristen Ulett – 53.86
6. Tonner Debeer – 53.87
7. Gretchen Walsh – 54.06
8. Julia Menkhaus – 54.17

BOYS 100 FLY

• Jrs Meet Record: 45.46, Ryan Hoffer, 2015

Cody Bybee swam very close to his best time this morning to take the top seed for finals tonight. Bybee sped to a 47.17 to comforatably win the last of the circle seeded heats. He’s got his work cut out for him tonight though, as Drew Kibler dropped over a second and a half, blasting a 47.23, and Mason Wilby dropped half a second to go 47.54. Zachary Smith and Caleb Harrington are also in the mix with 47s, Smith going 47.83, and Harrington 47.91.

A finalists:

1. Cody Bybee – 47.17
2. Drew Kibler – 47.23
3. Mason Wilby – 47.54
4. Zachary Smith – 47.83
5. Caleb Harrington – 47.91
6. Matthew Yish – 48.04
7. Zachary Brown – 48.05
8. Boyd Poelke – 48.07

GIRLS 200 FREE

• Jrs Meet Record: 1:43.64, Isabel Ivey, 2016

Olwyn Bartis had a monster swim this morning, dropping 2 seconds to take the top seed for tonight with a 1:46.39. Bartis won the 2nd circle seeded heat in a pretty convincing manner, and her time managed to hold off Morgan Tankersley, the top seed in the event, who swam a 1:46.41 kin the final heat of prelims. Kelly Pash rounds out a tight top 3 form this morning with her time of 1:46.54.

500 free winner Leah Braswell will be swimming in the C final tonight.

A finalists

1. Olwyn Bartis – 1:46.39
2. Morgan Tankersley – 1:46.41
3. Kelly Pash – 1:46.54
4. Sophie Skinner – 1:46.84
5. Ryley Ober – 1:47.29
6. Alena Kraus – 1:47.47
7. Mary Smutny – 1:47.51
8. Kathleen Golding 1:48.21

BOYS 200 FREE

• Jrs Meet Record: 1:33.40, Drew Kibler, 2016

Jr meet record holder, Drew Kibler, declared false start on this race. John Walker took prelims with Drew Kibler not competing in the event, posting a decent morning swim of 1:35.52. Right behind him was Cody Bybee, fresh off the 100 fly, who swam a 1:35.77. Robert Freeman rounded out the top 3, going just .01 seconds slower than Bybee, at 1:35.78.

A finalists:

1. John Walker – 1:35.52
2. Cody Bybee – 1:35.77
3. Robert Freeman – 1:35.78
4. Aitor Fungairino – 1:36.34
5. Mason Gonzalez – 1:36.92
6. Julian Hill – 1:37.14
7. Dillon Hillis – 1:37.44
8. Jack Wright – 1:37.55

GIRLS 100 BREAST

• Jrs Meet Record: 58.80, Alexandra Walsh, 2016

Alex Walsh looked strong this morning as she cruised her way to a 59.28 and the top seed for tonight by over half a second. That time marks her 2nd fastest performance ever, and is half a second faster than she swam in prelims last year, so if that is indicative of anything, she may be in good position to break her own NAG tonight. The race tonight appears as though it will be between Walsh and Emily Weiss, who went 59.89 this morning to grab 2nd, and was the only other girl under 1:01, let alone 1:00. Weiss is #4 on the 15-16 girls 100 breast all-time list, so a showdown between these 2 grils will be fun to watch.

A finalists:

1. Alex Walsh – 59.28
2. Emily Weiss – 59.89
3. Claire Donan – 1:01.05
4. Abigail Arens – 1:01.21
5. Mary Christensen – 1:01.43
6. Allison Raab – 1:01.67
7. Katherine Douglass – 1:01.75
8. Lillian Higgs – 1:01.77

BOYS 100 BREAST

• Jrs Meet Record: 52.21, Michael Andrew, 2015

Dillon Hillis turned around after making the A final in the 200 free and dropped nearly a second to take the top seed tonight in the 100 breast. Hillis went 53.26 to control the field this morning. Jacob Foster, who had a great 400 IM this morning, followed it up by dropping a second to claim 2nd for tonight, going 53.59. Andrew Winton, who also made the A final in the 400 IM, earned another A final appearance with his tie for 7th at 55.42.

A finalists:

1. Dillon Hillis – 53.26
2. Jacob Foster – 53.59
3. William Chan – 54.21
4. Timothy Connery – 55.24
5. Izaak Bastian – 55.25
6. Jacob Rauch – 55.29
7. Andrew Winton/Andrew Couchon

GIRLS 100 BACK

• Jrs Meet Record: 51.09, Regan Smith, 2016

Alex Walsh crushed the 100 back field this morning, posting a 52.39 to go almost a full second faster than 2nd place finisher, Tonner Debeer, who went 53.32. That time marks Walsh’s 3rd fastest time ever, her fastest prelims time ever, and was slightly faster than her lead-off split off 52.66 on the 400 medley relay last night. Debeer, Olivia Carter, and Julia Menkhaus each made their 2nd A final of the day.

A finalists:

1. Alex Walsh – 52.39
2. Tonner Debeer – 53.32
3. Caitlin Brooks/Olivia Carter – 53.36
4. –
5. Annabel Crush – 53.48
6. Grace Countie – 53.78
7. Julia Menkhaus – 53.86
8. Sinclair Larson – 53.92

BOYS 100 BACK

• Jrs Meet Record: 45.48, Ryan Hoffer, 2015

Drew Kibler came back after deciding to DFS the 200 free blasted a new best time in the 100 back by 1.38 seconds, posting a 47.19. Every single person who made the A final in this event dropped time from their seeds this morning. The race for first looks like it will be between the top 3 finishers this morning: Kibler, Destin Lasco, and Carson Foster. Lasco shaved 2 tenths off his time this morning with a 47.47. He also will be racing in the B final of the 200 free tonight. Foster dropped nearly a second to go 47.50, good for 3rd by .75 seconds. Foster will also be competing in the A final of the 400 IM tonight.

A finalists:

1. Drew Kibler – 47.19
2. Destin Lasco – 47.47
3. Carson Foster – 47.50
4. Bradley Dunham – 48.25
5. Noah Yarian – 48.66
6. Kyle Barone – 48.83
7. Aitor Fungairino – 48.93
8. Jack Kirby – 48.97