2018 Winter Juniors East: Jake Foster Goes 3:44 IM at Day 3 Prelims

2018 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

• December 5-8, 2018
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• SCY (25 yards)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream

Girls 400 IM

Top 8:

1. Sheble – 4:08.23
2. Ackerman – 4:10.59
3. Gormley – 4:11.34
4. Nelson – 4:11.68
5. Tadder – 4:13.17
6. Pash – 4:13.22
7. Hook – 4:15.77
8. Chang – 4:16.30

It was a quiet morning in the 400 IM, with most of the top 8 swimming a bit off seed times. Grace Sheble of NOVA is the top qualifier at 4:08.23 – she’s been 4:07 and currently ranks 12th in 15-16 age group history. She could leapfrog names like Becca Mann, Brooke Forde and Olympians Ariana Kukors and Maya DiRado with a time drop tonight.

Kathryn Ackerman also ranks within the top 25 in age group history for the 15-16s. She was 4:10.59 this morning, three tenths off her best. 16-year-old Isabel Gormley (4:11.34) had a time drop this morning and moves up to 35th in age group history. Close behind her is 17-year-old Ella Nelson (4:11.68), a touch off her best this morning.

7th-place Charlotte Hook of the TAC Titans is the youngest A finalist tonight at 14. She was a second and a half or so off her best, which sits inside the top 20 for 13-14 age group history.

Boys 400 IM

Top 8:

1. J.Foster – 3:44.69
2. C.Foster – 3:47.16
3. Conley – 3:49.10
4. Werner – 3:51.16
5. Mihm – 3:52.18
6. Watson – 3:53.00
7. Grum – 3:53.17
8. Monahan – 3:53.80

As in the 200 IM last night, it was the Foster brothers and then everyone else. Jake Foster had a drop of almost a second, going 3:44.69 for the top spot and moving up to 22nd all-time for the 17-18 age group. Foster, a high school senior and Texas commit, is also closing in on last year’s NCAA invite time of 3:43.89.

Younger brother Carson Foster was 3:47.16, a good three seconds off his best. Carson was #2 all-time in the 15-16 age group – now 17, he would move up to 18th in 17-18 history just by matching his personal best tonight.

Dayton Raider Owen Conley had a nice swim of 3:49.10, his first time under 3:50. Behind him, Peyton Werner cut five seconds from seed to qualify fourth, and Rick Mihm had a four-second drop to finish fifth.

Girls 100 Fly

Top 8:

1. Ivey – 52.24
2. Douglass – 52.29
3. G.Walsh – 52.77
4. Bates – 53.18
5. Albierio – 53.21
6. Ulett – 53.34
7. Curzan – 53.37
8. Regenauer – 53.71

Isabel Ivey uncorked a breakthrough time drop, going 52.24 and bettering her 100 fly best for the first time since 2016. For Ivey, who will join the University of California later this winter, that time is under last year’s NCAA invite standard, and only a few tenths off of what it took to score at college nationals last year.

Kate Douglass of Chelsea Piers had a massive drop of her own, cutting from 53.97 to 52.29. The 18-year-old Ivey moves to #38 in 17-18 age group history, while the 17-year-old Douglass will sit right behind her, tied for 39th.

The other 52 behind them is 15-year-old Gretchen Walsh, who shaved a tenth to go 52.77. That moves her from 36th to 28th in age group history for 15-16s.

Tonight’s final should be hotly-contested, with the three 52s and all other A finalists coming in between 53.1 and 53.7. Further back in the field, 14-year-old Claire Curzan has a shot to move up to #2 all-time in 13-14 history if she can drop a tenth from her lifetime-best of 52.94. She was 53.37 this morning.

Boys 100 Fly

Top 8:

1. Henderson – 47.13
2. Wilburn – 47.62
3. Khouzam – 47.66
4. Poelke – 47.73
5. Edwards – 47.90
6. Gregory – 48.13
7. Crane – 48.13
8. Forst – 48.15

Noah Henderson of Star Aquatics shaved a tenth off his lifetime-best to take the top spot this morning, putting a half-second between himself and the field. Henderson was 47.13, going out in an aggressive 21.9 the only sub-22 opening split in the field.

Behind him, things get very tight. Cason Wilburn of East Coast is 47.62, Jean-Pierre Khouzam of Dayton Raiders 47.66 and Boyd Poelke out of SwimMAC 47.73.

The entire A final sits within about a second from prelims this morning, with the bottom 7 separated by only half a second.

Girls 200 Free

Top 8:

1. Parker – 1:46.38
2. Ivey – 1:46.68
3. Dupre – 1:46.86
4. Pash – 1:46.97
5. Mannion – 1:47.26
6. Ober – 1:47.34
7. Bartis – 1:47.45
8. Smutny – 1:47.57

Maxine Parker, known more as a sprinter, surged through with a big time drop in the 200 free. Her 1:46.38 this morning constitutes a drop of 1.7 seconds and leads a tough field for Chelsea Piers.

Isabel Ivey came off that 100 fly and still managed to qualify second her, though her 1:46.68 is well off her lifetime-best of 1:43.89.

Also in the 1:46s were Mason Manta Ray Cora Dupre (1:46.86, six tenths off her seed) and Carmel’s Kelly Pash (1:46.97, 1.7 seconds off her seed), both of whom can likely be faster tonight.

14-year-old Natalie Mannion had the best drop of the A finalists, taking off two full seconds to go 1:47.26. That pushes her to 22nd all-time in the 13-14 age group, passing up Olympic champ Simone Manuel.

Boys 200 Free

Top 8:

1. Walker – 1:35.86
2. Wright – 1:36.92
3. Svendsen – 1:37.04
4. Magahey – 1:37.19
5. Chaney / Hill – 1:37.22
6. —
7. Forst – 1:37.25
8. Alexy – 1:37.36

Two of the top 7 recruits in our Class of 2019 rankings will go head-to-head tonight in arguably their best events. Last night’s 500 free runner-up Jack Walker is the top qualifier at 1:35.86. He’s been as fast as 1:33.73, but that was back in 2016, and he hasn’t been better than 1:34.9 since then. A lifetime-best would vault him top at least 11th in the all-time 17-18 200 free ranks.

Then there’s Jack Wright of Allegheny North, who was 1:37 up until this past March when he blasted a 1:34.77 at Pennsylvania’s high school state meet. Wright was 1:36.92 this morning. Walker went out faster but Wright closed harder this morning, which should make for an entertaining battle in the A final.

SwimMAC’s Hugh Svendsen joins teammate Walker in the top 3. He was 1:37.04, with 500 free champ Jake Magahey right behind in 1:37.19. Magahey had a massive finals swim in the 500 last night and dropped several seconds from his best time, so look for him to challenge his personal-best 1:35.13 in the final tonight.

Meanwhile 50 free champ Adam Chaney showed some nice improvement to his range, going 1:37.22 and cutting two seconds from his personal best. He’s tied with Julian Hill, whose seed time of 1:35.70 would put him in the winner’s hunt tonight, too.

Girls 100 Breast

Top 8:

1. A.Walsh – 59.86
2. Steele – 1:00.63
3. Hamblin – 1:01.20
4. Mathews – 1:01.25
5. Nelson – 1:01.58
6. Tuttle – 1:01.60
7. Skirboll – 1:01.72
8. Norman – 1:01.96

In one of the more impressive feats of near-even splitting you’ll see, Alex Walsh broke a minute in the 100 breast despite only going out in 29.1. The 17-year-old was 29.1/30.6 over her two 50s to go 59.86. She’s almost certainly got more in the tank for tonight, with a lifetime-best of 58.19. That time – swum at this meet last year – is the 15-16 NAG, and Walsh should make a splash in the 17-18 ranks tonight. A lifetime-best would put her second, and she only needs to drop a tenth to break the 58.10 NAG by Miranda Tucker.

Coastal Aquatics 18-year-old Taylor Steele had a nice drop, putting up the fastest first 50 in the prelims field (28.5) to go 1:00.63.

15-year-old Kaylee Hamblin is third in 1:01.20, just ahead of Janessa Mathews (1:01.25), with a host of 1:01s behind her. An age group swimmer to keep an eye on tonight: 14-year-old Zoe Skirboll, who is already 10th in 13-14 age group history and only three tenths out of third in the age group.

Boys 100 Breast

Top 8:

1. J.Foster – 53.25
2. Degrado – 54.19
3. Matheny – 54.25
4. Gong – 54.86
5. Sobolewski – 54.87
6. Octaviano – 54.92
7. Babinec – 55.19
8. Soto – 55.22

Jake Foster took his second top qualifying spot this morning along with his second personal-best. Foster was 53.25 to lead the 100 breast, taking two tenths from his former personal-best and jumping from 36th to 26th in the 17-18 all-time rankings.

Paul Degrado will be his closest competition heading into tonight. The Episcopal AmberJax 17-year-old went 54.19 with 16-year-old Josh Matheny of Pittsburgh Elite close behind in 54.25.

Philip Gong had a big time drop to surge to fourth. He came in with a seed of 56.67 but cut to 54.86 and should fight for the bronze medal tonight.

Girls 100 Back

Top 8:

1. A.Walsh – 51.76
2. Ivey – 52.25
3. Waldrep – 52.49
4. G.Walsh – 52.53
5. Curzan – 52.89
6. Brooks – 53.43
7. Crush – 53.53
8. Bates – 53.65

Alex Walsh took the top spot in her second straight event, going 51.76 in the 100 back. Walsh was only about two tenths off her lifetime-best, but now in a new age group, the swim still moves up to 20th all-time for 17-18s.

Isabel Ivey was back in action in a top 8 full of swimmers doubling and tripling up this morning. Ivey went 52.25, about a half-second off her best, but awfully close to NCAA scoring range already.

16-year-old Ellie Waldrep of Baylor Swim Club is third in 52.49, just a tick ahead of Alex Walsh’s younger sister Gretchen Walsh (52.53).

Once again, 14-year-old Claire Curzan tore up her age group historical rankings. She cut half a second to go 52.89, moving up to #6 all-time for 13-14s and passing current Stanford star Taylor Ruck.

Boys 100 Back

Top 8:

1. C.Foster – 47.57
2. Kirby – 47.88
3. Eismann – 47.89
4. Chaney – 48.10
5. Cole – 48.12
6. Edwards – 48.16
7. Yarian – 48.35
8. Smith – 48.41

The 100 back was Carson Foster‘s turn to take the top spot, following his older brother’s lead in the breaststroke. Carson Foster was 47.57 to lead the 100 back by three tenths, though he’s still half a second off his lifetime-best.

Baylor’s Jack Kirby was 47.88, a tick ahead of Ohio State Swim Club’s Jacob Eismann (47.89).

It’s quietly been an outstanding couple of days for 16-year-old Adam Chaney, #9 in our Class of 2020 recruit rankingswho is improving his NCAA prospects with drops across the board. We had him ranked this spring. His high-profile swim so far was his first 19-second 50 free, improving his best event. But a two-second drop in the 200 free this morning, plus a half-second drop in his 100 back have Chaney looking more and more well-rounded. His 48.10 in the back this morning moves him up to 27th all-time in the 15-16 age group.

Just behind him, fellow 16-year-old William Cole moved to 29th in age group history at 48.12. And Max Edwards had a big drop to go 48.16 for the sixth spot.