2018 Winter Juniors West: Urlando Posts #5 15-16 200 BK In 1:42.11

2018 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS- WEST

• December 5-8, 2018
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin Texas
• SCY (25y) Pool
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results

GIRLS 200 BACK – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Berkoff – 1:52.36
2. Stadden – 1:53.88
3. Crisera – 1:56.58
4. Herceg – 1:57.02
5. Noble – 1:57.27
6. Laughlin – 1:57.27
7. Cosgrove – 1:57.49
8. Whalen – 1:57.50

One of the most highly anticipated races coming into the meet between Katharine Berkoff and Isabelle Stadden in the 200 backstroke is set for finals as Berkoff (1:52.36) and Stadden (1:53.88) took the 1st and 2nd seeds, respectively. After her blistering 50.72 meet record-setting win last night in the 100 back, Berkoff heads into finals as the favorite on paper. Not to mention she has the faster lifetime best of the pair (1:51.4 to Stadden’s 1:52.0). However, Stadden has the better closing speed (28.4 to 29.0 on the last 50 this morning, comparatively), so if she can at least sit at Berkoff’s hips for the 1st 150 yards she will have a legitimate chance to win.

Not to be forgotten, 3rd seed Alexandra Crisera (1:56.58) comes in with a lifetime best of 1:54.44, so she will be a factor as well.

BOYS 200 BACK – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Urlando – 1:42.11
2. Larson – 1:42.48
3. Olson – 1:43.83
4. Harder – 1:44.27
5. Lierz – 1:45.85
6. Lu – 1:45.88
7. Mefford – 1:46.25
8. Patton – 1:46.50

One of the main stories in swimming over the last 6 months continues to be the rise of 16 year-old Gianluca Urlando. After a long course season that included nearly making the 2018 Pan Pacific Championship team in the 200 fly, Urlando has been torching the SCY pool – setting 15-16 NAG records in the 100 fly (45.62) and 100 back (45.66). Tonight in Austin, he has the opportunity to take down an additional pair of NAG records held by legendary swimmers in arguably his better events – the 200 back and 200 fly. In the 200 back, Urlando took the top seed this morning with a 1:42.11 – a lifetime best and within striking distance of Ryan Murphy‘s 2011 NAG record of 1:40.90.

He won’t be alone, though. 17 year-old Peter Larson knocked over a full second off his best time to claim the 2nd seed in 1:42.48. Larson, primarily a 200/500 freestyler, will have to push Urlando on the front half to have a shot at holding him off coming home the last 50 yards. Gavin Olson rounded out the top 3 in 1:43.83.

GIRLS 100 FREE – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Berkoff – 48.91
2. Rudolph – 49.38
3. Strouse – 49.55
4. Melton – 49.57
5. Pearson – 49.59
6. Schaedler – 49.60
7. Hartman – 49.73*
8. Felner – 49.73*

*Tie for 7th

There was no rest for Berkoff this morning as she turned around to take the top seed in the 100 free in 48.91 shortly after her top-seeded performance in the 200 back. That was her first time under 49 seconds. In what ended up being a very tight field, 2nd through 8th is only separated by three tenths of a second led by Janelle Rudolph in 49.38 for the 2nd seed and Ashley Strouse in 49.55 for the 3rd seed. The 6th seed Quinn Schaedler (49.60) has the fastest lifetime best in the field with a 48.84, so she will likely be a factor tonight in finals.

BOYS 100 FREE – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Armstrong – 43.68
2. Dolan – 44.16
3. Farrar – 44.23
4. Saunders – 44.25*
5. Carrozza – 44.25*
6. Myhre – 44.26
7. King – 44.30
8. Szabados – 44.54

*Tie for 4th

Following up his win in the 50 free on Thursday night (19.81), 17 year-old Jack Armstrong claimed the top seed in the 100 with a 43.68 – the only one in the field under 44 and a lifetime best by nearly a second. Notably, he also broke the 20-second barrier for the first time this weekend (19.96 in prelims and 19.81 in finals). Rockwood Swim Club’s Jack Dolan took the 2nd seed in 44.16 – about half a second off his lifetime best of 43.61. 18 year-old Lucas Farrar rounded out the top 3 this morning in 44.23 – a lifetime best by about a tenth of a second.

Like the women’s event, this was a tight field with 2nd through 13th all in the 44-second range.

GIRLS 200 BREAST – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Pittard – 2:12.08
2. Gillian – 2:12.18
3. Hartman – 2:12.36
4. Davey – 2:12.45
5. Preston – 2:14.50
6. Chen – 2:14.76
7. Dobler – 2:14.79
8. Watson – 2:14.92

The top seed in the girl’s 200 breast went to Boise YMCA’s Charity Pittard in 2:12.08 – a lifetime best by over a second. She led a tightly bunched prelims field with only three tenths of a second separating 1st through 4th. In finals, however, the race is expected to be between Coleen Gillian (2:12.18) and Zoie Hartman (2:12.36) who are the only two swimmers to have broken the 2:10 barrier. Surprisingly, Hartman decided to swim the 100 free (placing in a tie for 7th) before her bread-and-butter – the 200 breast. It will be interesting to see if she decides to keep the 100 free or focus solely on the 200 breast tonight.

BOYS 200 BREAST – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Frazier – 1:56.35
2. Dang – 1:56.37
3. Dillard – 1:56.38
4. Pouch – 1:56.49
5. Myhre – 1:57.37
6. Zheng – 1:58.36
7. Tan – 1:58.52
8. Schreiber – 1:58.95

Eastern Iowa’s Forrest Frazier is having the meet of his life. After dropping from a 54.16 to a 52.51 to win the 100 breast last night, the 16 year-old again unearthed a massive time drop from 2:00.o3 to 1:56.35 to take the top seed in the 200 breast. In what seems to be a theme, this was another tightly-bunched field with only 0.14 seconds separating 1st through 4th. The 2nd seed Ethan Dang came into the meet with the fastest seed time of 1:55.5, so he will be the favorite on paper heading into finals tonight. However, with Frazier, Dang, Ben Dillard, and AJ Pouch all sitting at 1:56, this will come down to the touch.

GIRLS 200 FLY – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Smith – 1:54.87
2. Nordmann – 1:54.91
3. Koh – 1:56.73
4. Sticklen – 1:57.11
5. Looney – 1:57.58
6. Crom – 1:58.89
7. Quass – 1:58.94
8. McCarville – 1:59.11

Opting not to swim her specialty backstroke events this weekend, 16 year-old Regan Smith is picking up some racing experience in other events. This morning, she narrowly claimed the top seed in the 200 fly with a 1:54.87 – a bit off her best of 1:53.50. Lillie Nordmann had a big drop from 1:56.28 to 1:54.91 to take the 2nd seed. Following Smith and Nordmann was Zephy Koh (1:56.73) and Emma Sticklen (1:57.11). Based on prelims, it may seem like a 2-person race but Koh and Sticklen both have lifetime bests of 1:54 so expect for them to challenge in finals tonight.

BOYS 200 FLY – PRELIMS

Top 8:

1. Urlando – 1:44.84
2. Szabados – 1:46.12
3. Miller – 1:46.19
4. Carrozza – 1:46.70
5. Taner – 1:46.96
6. Clark – 1:47.28
7. Brune – 1:47.32
8. Scheuermann – 1:47.73

Following up his top seed in the 200 back (1:42.11), Gianluca Urlando cruised through prelims of the 200 fly in 1:44.84 – well off his lifetime best of 1:42.49. The story for finals will be his quest to break Michael Phelps‘ 2002 NAG record of 1:42.10. Urlando currently sits at #2 in the all-time 15-16 rankings behind Phelps. After his 45.62 in the 100 fly last night, the odds look to be stacked in his favor. If Urlando is able to break the record, Phelps will only have one 15-16 NAG left standing – his 3:42.08 in the 400 IM from 2002.

Urlando isn’t the only swimmer in the field, though. Bence Szabados dropped a whopping 4 seconds off of his seed time to take the 2nd seed in 1:46.12. He was following closely by Ben Miller in 1:46.19 – just off his lifetime best of 1:45.88.