2019 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – East: Day 2 Prelims Recap

2019 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – EAST

Girls 500 Free

  • 13/14 NAG record: 4:35.14, Katie Ledecky (2011)
  • 15/16 NAG record: 4:28.71, Katie Ledecky (2013)
  • 17/18 NAG record: 4:26.58, Katie Ledecky (2015)

SwimAtlanta’s Abigail McCulloh cut about two seconds in the morning’s first event, going 4:43.80 to lead the 500 free heats easily. The 16-year-old had previously only been 4:45.8, set at this meet last year. That swim will check in at 67th all-time for the 15-16 age group.

15-year-old Blair Stoneburg of Treasure Coast is second at 4:46.96. Six of the top eight come from the 15-16 age group, with just two 17-18s making the cut.

Boys 500 Free

  • 13/14 NAG record: 4:24.79, Lleyton Plattel (2017)
  • 15/16 NAG record: 4:15.36, Drew Kibler (2016)
  • 17/18 NAG record: 4:12.33, Michael Phelps (2004)

SwimAtlanta’s Jake Magahey made it two in a row for his club, going 4:18.97 to lead heats in the 500. Magahey is the heavy favorite here tonight, and with a personal best, could challenge the 4:14.4 meet record from 2017. Magahey is also 11th in 17-18 age group history, and could crack the top 10 tonight.

Carmel Swim Club’s Jake Mitchell is the second qualifier at 4:20.96. Watch for a big swim from Mitchell, who had a breakout summer in long course meters.

Girls 200 IM

  • 13/14 NAG record: 1:56.20, Alex Walsh (2015)
  • 15/16 NAG record: 1:54.02, Alex Walsh (2017)
  • 17/18 NAG record: 1:51.65, Ella Eastin (2016)

Tristen Ulett of Dynamo qualified first in the 200 IM – that makes three in a row for the state of Georgia so far. Ulett was 1:58.20, shaving a few tenths off her lifetime-best. She’s just outside the top 100 all-time for the 17-18 age group, as is 17-year-old Abby Arens, the breaststroke star who qualified second in 1:58.53.

16-year-old Ella Bathurst out of Florida’s Tampa Elite went 1:59.55 – that’ll check into the top 100 all-time for the 15-16s.

Boys 200 IM

  • 13/14 NAG record: 1:45.29, Michael Andrew (2014)
  • 15/16 NAG record: 1:42.77, Michael Andrew (2015)
  • 17/18 NAG record: 1:41.39, David Nolan (2011)

Arguably the swim of the morning was a massive drop from SwimMAC’s Tim Connery to go 1:44.44 in the 200 IM. That’s a drop of almost three and a half seconds from Connery’s previous best, and moves him to #29 all-time in the 17-18 age group. Connery is just 17 and still has more than a year left in that age bracket. He’s a current high school junior, a top 20 recruit in his class, and a future Michigan Wolverine.

He leads Mason Manta Rays standout Carson Foster, who was a relaxed 1:44.72 this morning. Foster has been 1:42 and is the meet record-holder from last year. He’s currently #4 in age group history, and could move to #2 with a 1:42.1 or better tonight.

Further back, 16-year-old Arsenio Bustos had a big swim, dropping almost three seconds to go 1:45.57 and move into the top 10 all-time in the 15-16 age group.

Girls 50 Free

  • 13/14 NAG record: 21.89, Claire Curzan (2019)
  • 15/16 NAG record: 21.82, Gretchen Walsh (2018)
  • 17/18 NAG record: 21.32, Simone Manuel (2015)

Claire Curzan is the one to watch tonight. She was 22.26 and qualified first by almost half a second, and the 15-year-old was still four tenths off her lifetime-best. Curzan could challenge a 15-16 National Age Group (NAG) record tonight with even a moderate drop from her best, which still stands as the 13-14 NAG.

Lindsay Flynn (22.61) and Gabi Albiero (22.68) are the next two qualifiers, two of three 17-year-olds into the final.

Boys 50 Free

  • 13/14 NAG record: 19.76, Michael Andrew (2014)
  • 15/16 NAG record: 19.24, Michael Andrew (2015)
  • 17/18 NAG record: 18.67, Caeleb Dressel (2015)

Magahey came off that 500 free for an impressive sub-20 in the 50 free. That’s really impressive range for the 18-year-old, who had only previously been 20.3 on two separate occasions. He went 19.96 this morning coming off a 500 free. Magahey can now join a pretty exclusive club of swimmers who can go sub-20 in the 50 and sub-15:00 in the mile as a high schooler. Our research indicates that since at least 2012, he’s the only 18 & under who has done so.

Somerset Hills Y 16-year-old Jack Alexy is second in 20.22, with Canton City’s Will Rose (20.28) behind that. Both are looking for their first swims ever under 20 seconds tonight. Alexy is currently #23 in all-time ranks for the 15-16s. A 19 tonight would move him to #18.

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YaDintKnow
5 years ago

Foster had the 2IM after the 500 and they are swimming separate pools men/women in prelims so not much recovery time.

Michael
5 years ago

Does anybody else find it interesting that of all the 17-18 NAG records for Phelps to still have after all this time, it’s in the 500 free?

Note, he also has the 400IM in the 15-16 category still.

Managing Speed
Reply to  Michael
5 years ago

I was more surprised to see that he was setting that 17-18 record in 2004! Already on his second olympics by then!

Sam
5 years ago

Yeah Bustos!! Go Pack!

Swammer from Wakanda
5 years ago

I still don’t get his speed. His stroke is trash. He might be a wizard. Idk

Superfan
Reply to  Swammer from Wakanda
5 years ago

He is lucky it isn’t a beauty contest cause his stroke is UGLY!

Capt Obvious
Reply to  Superfan
5 years ago

Well, it isn’t. It’s a fast contest.

UpstateCoach
Reply to  Capt Obvious
5 years ago

‘fast contest’ might be the weirdest way I’ve heard a swim meet be described.

JCO
5 years ago

Who else is part of the sub 20 50 & sub 15:00 mile for a high schooler?

Swammer from Wakanda
Reply to  JCO
5 years ago

Francis Haas I believe

Swimswammer
Reply to  JCO
5 years ago

Off the top of my head, possibly Townley Haas

whoknows?
Reply to  Swimswammer
5 years ago

I don’t see that Haas broke 20.0 on the usa swimming top 100 lists in either 15-16 or 17-18.

Swimdawg
Reply to  JCO
5 years ago

Jack conger?

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
Reply to  Swimdawg
5 years ago

Didn’t swim the 1650 after 15, best time was 16:07.

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
Reply to  JCO
5 years ago

He might be the only one. Townley has never broken 20 in a 50 free individually. I don’t see any other obvious candidates or names that jumped out at me on the 17-18 national top 100 lists for the 50 or 1650.

96Swim
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
5 years ago

I think he is the only one. I played around on the USA Swimming site for awhile and could not find anyone else. That isn’t definitive, but there are less than 60 guys 18 and under who have been sub 15 min. I didn’t notice any of them on the sub 20 list.

meeeee
Reply to  96Swim
5 years ago

So the article is correct. it is a very exclusive club of one

Admin
Reply to  JCO
5 years ago

The suspicion that the 1500 is the more limiting factor is definitely correct.

Since 1/1/2012 (chosen because of frustrating limitations with the USA Swimming database), Magahey is the only 18 & under to have done both, in high school or college.

Troy
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

So great for Georgia, they can for sure use the sprint help on the relays

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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