2024 Winter Junior Championships – East: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2024 Winter Junior Championships – East

• December 11-14, 2024
• Wednesday Finals: 4 pm EST
• Prelims: 9 am EST/ Finals: 5 pm EST
• Greensboro, NC
• SCY (25 yards)
• Psych Sheets
• Event Page
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 Winter Juniors East”
• Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet

The second day of the 2024 Winter Junior Championships – East gets underway this morning with preliminary heats in the girls’ and boys’ 500 free, 200 IM and 50 free.

Carmel Swim Club’s Lynsey Bowen and Molly Sweeney own top seeds in the girls’ 500 free and 200 IM, respectively, with Laker Swimming’s Rylee Erisman leads the 50 free field after anchoring her team to victory last night in the 800 free relay.

• Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet

On the boys’ side, Erisman’s older brother, Ryan Erisman, is the top seed in the 500 free, while Thomas Heilman is the top seed in both the 200 IM and 50 free. Heilman is the defending champion in the 200 IM, and will be looking to move up one spot after placing 2nd in the 50 free last year.

GIRLS’ 5oo FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 4:27.52, Summer McIntosh – 2022
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:35.14, Katie Ledecky – 2011
• 15-16 NAG Record: 4:28.61, Katie Ledecky – 2014
• 17-18 NAG Record: 4:26.58, Katie Ledecky – 2015

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Chloe Kim (Scarlet Aquatics), 4:43.31
2. Nicole Zettel (TAC Titans), 4:47.46
3. Emily Wolf (FAST), 4:47.61
4. Emerson Callis (Quest Swimming), 4:47.80
5. Brinkleigh Hansen (Saint Petersburg), 4:48.30
6. Abby Dunford (Sarasota Sharks), 4:48.55
7. Ellie Clarke (Carmel Swim Club), 4:48.77
8. Lexie Ward (Carmel Swim Club), 4:48.86

Scarlet Aquatics’ Chloe Kim was dominant in the heats of the girls’ 500 free, posting the top time by more than four seconds in 4:43.31.

The swim for the 17-year-old Princeton commit marks a best time by more than two and a half seconds, improving on the 4:45.95 she produced at this meet last year.

TAC Titans’ Nicole Zettel logged the second-fastest time of the morning in 4:47.46, adding just under a second from her PB, while 15-year-old Emily Wolf of the Fishers Area Swimming Tigers dropped a second and a half to advance 3rd in 4:47.61.

Fourteen-year-old Brinkleigh Hansen of Saint Petersburg cruised through to the final in 5th, clocking 4:48.30 after setting a PB of 4:43.95 earlier this season.

Sarasota’s Abby Dunford notably posted her fastest time in more than three years, advancing to the final 6th in 4:48.55.

Lynsey Bowen, the top seed coming in, added more than 10 seconds and ended up finishing 40th in 4:55.06.

BOYS’ 5oo FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 4:12.33, Rex Maurer – 2022
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:14.83, Luka Mijatovic – 2024
• 15-16 NAG Record: 4:12.34, Luka Mijatovic – 2024
• 17-18 NAG Record: 4:08.42, Luke Hobson – 2022

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Ryan Erisman (Laker Swim), 4:14.50
2. Ethan Ekk (Area Tallahassee), 4:17.86
3. Xavier Sohovich (Bolles School Sharks), 4:18.21
4. Nathan Szobota (Nova of Virginia), 4:19.82
5. Norvin Clontz (Mecklenburg), 4:20.01
6. Baylor Stanton (Gwinnett Aquatics), 4:20.30
7. Koby Bujak-Upton (Unattached), 4:21.00
8. Will Mulgrew (Shawmut Aquatic Club), 4:22.42

Windermere Lakers swimmer Ryan Erisman dropped a massive best time in the heats of the boys’ 500 free, clocking 4:14.50 from the 13th and final heat to qualify first into the final by more than three seconds.

Erisman, 18, knocks off his previous best of 4:17.63, set just last month, and moves into 17th all-time in the boys’ 17-18 age group.

In the penultimate heat, Area Tallahassee’s Ethan Ekk touched first, edging out Bolles School’s Xavier Sohovich, as they advanced 2-3 into the final. Ekk, 17, posted the second-fastest time of the morning in 4:17.86, dropping from his previous best of 4:19.35 to rank 79th all-time in the 17-18 age group.

Sohovich, also 17, broke 4:20 for the first time in 4:18.21, advancing him 3rd into the final and ranking 90th all-time for 17-18 boys.

Nova of Virginia’s Nathan Szobota made it four swimmers to break 4:20, as the Virginia commit touched in 4:19.82, a new season-best and a second and a half off his PB of 4:18.38.

Gwinnett Aquatics’ Baylor Stanton improved on his lifetime best by two-tenths in 4:20.30, advancing 6th into the final, with Mecklenburg’s Norvin Clontz (4:20.01) out-touching him in the 13th and final heat.

GIRLS’ 200 IM – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 1:52.21, Katie Grimes – 2022
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:55.73, Audrey Derivaux – 2024
• 15-16 NAG Record: 1:53.38, Teagan O’Dell – 2023
• 17-18 NAG Record: 1:51.36, Kate Douglass – 2020

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Elle Scott (SwimMAC), 1:56.42
2. Audrey Derivaux (Jersey Wahoos), 1:57.08
3. Rylee Erisman (Laker Swim), 1:57.54
4. Reina Liu (TAC Titans), 1:57.65
5. Sophie Umstead (Michigan Lakeshore), 1:57.69
6. Annie Jia (Upper Dublin Aquatic Club), 1:58.87
7. Molly Sweeney (Carmel Swim Club), 1:59.11
8. Sarah Rodrigues (Jersey Aquatic Club), 1:59.14

SwimMAC’s Elle Scott paced the field in the girls’ 200 IM, clocking 1:56.42 from Heat 15 to come just 17 one-hundredths shy of her best time set en route placing 2nd at this meet last year.

The official results took a few minutes to come through, and we now know why, as Charlotte Crush was disqualified after initially touching first in the 17th and final heat. The 16-year-old had initially put up a time of 1:56.92, which would’ve advanced 2nd into the final. Her best time sits at 1:56.44.

In Heat 16, 15-year-old Audrey Derivaux led the way in a time of 1:57.08, having set a PB of 1:55.73 earlier this season while she was 14 to set a new NAG record for 13-14 girls. Her swim this morning ties her for 28th all-time for 15-16 girls.

Laker’s Rylee Erisman, also 15, was close behind in 1:57.54, knocking more than two seconds off her best time to rank her 40th all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group. Erisman notably stormed home with a 26.84 free split.

TAC Titans’ Reina Liu, just 14, dropped more than a second from her best time in 1:57.65, launching her up to 7th all-time in the girls’ 13-14 age group. Her previous PB stood at 1:58.68.

Upper Dublin’s Annie Jia (1:58.87) and defending champion Molly Sweeney (1:59.11) touched 2nd and 3rd behind Crush in the final heat, ultimately advancing 6-7 into the final.

BOYS’ 200 IM – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 1:41.18, Maximus Williamson – 2023
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:45.29, Michael Andrew – 2014
• 15-16 NAG Record: 1:41.41, Thomas Heilman – 2023
• 17-18 NAG Record: 1:40.81, Maximus Williamson – 2024

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Thomas Mercer (Lakeside Swim Team), 1:43.69
2. Baylor Stanton (Gwinnett Aquatics), 1:44.35
3. Ian Stutts (Marlins of Raleigh), 1:45.41
4. Sascha Macht (Bolles School Sharks), 1:46.04
5. Grant Murphy (Annapolis Swim Club), 1:46.06
6. Joseph Campagnola (West Florida Lightning Aquatics), 1:46.15
7. Thomas Heilman (Cavalier Aquatics), 1:46.25
8. Kenneth Barnicle (Greater Somerset County YMCA), 1:46.40

Lakeside Swim Team’s Thomas Mercer led the way in the men’s 200 IM prelims as the Virginia commit dropped five one-hundredths off his lifetime best in 1:43.69, moving into a tie for 30th all-time in the boys’ 17-18 age group.

Shortly after setting a best time and qualifying for the ‘A’ final in the 500 free, Baylor Stanton was back in the water in the 200 IM, coming within three-tenths of his personal best in 1:44.35, winning the first circle-seeded heat and qualifying 2nd into the final.

Marlins of Raleigh’s Ian Stutts, 17, lowered his PB from 1:46.90 to 1:45.41 to qualify in 3rd, racing alongside Stanton in Heat 17.

Defending champion Thomas Heilman did just enough to make it through to the ‘A’ final, touching first in the 19th and final heat in 1:46.25 in what is his first time swimming the event this season.

GIRLS’ 50 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 21.49, Abbey Weitzeil – 2014
• 13-14 NAG Record: 21.89, Claire Curzan – 2019
• 15-16 NAG Record: 21.50, Claire Curzan – 2021
• 17-18 NAG Record: 21.32, Simone Manuel – 2015

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Julie Mishler (FAST), 21.74
2. Rylee Erisman (Laker Swim), 21.98
3. Annam Olasewere (Chelsea Piers Aquatics), 22.03
4. Charlotte Crush (Lakeside Swim Team), 22.13
5. Sarah Paisley Owen (Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club), 22.26
6. Molly Workman (Nittany Lion Aquatic Club), 22.47
7. Annie Jia (Upper Dublin Aquatic Club), 22.61
8. Mena Boardman (Commonwealth), 22.74

A few days after breaking the National High School Record, Julie Mishler threw down another blazing swim in the prelims of the girls’ 50 free, clocking 21.74 for the second-fastest swim of her career.

The 17-year-old clocked 21.56 representing Wawasee at a high school dual meet on Tuesday, breaking Gretchen Walsh‘s overall High School Record (21.59) and Rylee Erisman‘s Public HS Record of 21.61 set last month.

Mishler’s swim earlier this week ranks her 7th all-time in the girls’ 17-18 age group.

Erisman, racing in her second event of the morning, touched in 21.98 to qualify 2nd for the final, marking her second time under the 22-second barrier. The 15-year-old’s swim from November ranks her 2nd all-time for 15-16 girls, just 11 one-hundredths back of Claire Curzan‘s 21.50 NAG from 2021.

Chelsea Piers Aquatics’ Annam Olasewere, a Stanford commit, knocked more than a tenth off her best time in 22.03 to qualify 3rd, improving on the 22.16 she posted at this meet last year.

Shortly after her DQ in the 200 IM, Charlotte Crush was back in the water in the 50 free, putting up a time of 22.13 to comfortably qualify 4th into the final. Crush owns a best time of 21.88, set this past March.

BOYS’ 50 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 18.71, Ryan Hoffer – 2016
• 13-14 NAG Record: 19.76, Michael Andrew – 2014
• 15-16 NAG Record: 19.24, Michael Andrew / Thomas Heilman – 2014 / 2023
• 17-18 NAG Record: 18.67, Caeleb Dressel – 2015

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Thomas Heilman (Cavalier Aquatics), 19.40
2. Luke Bedsole (Huntsville Swim Association), 19.67
3. Brady Campbell (Mason Manta Rays), 19.73
4. Andy Kravchenko (Bolles School Sharks) / Marvin Johnson (McCallie), 19.80
5. –
6. Albert Smelzer (Greensboro Swimming), 19.84
7. Austin Carpenter (Central Ohio Aquatics), 19.85
8. Jonathan Hoole (Ridley Area YMCA), 19.93

Thomas Heilman put up the top time of the morning in the boys’ 50 free, touching in 19.40 to set a new season-best and come within 16 one-hundredths of his lifetime best (19.24) set at this meet last year.

Racing alongside Heilman in the 15th and final heat, Huntsville Swim Association’s Luke Bedsole, 17, set a new personal best of 19.67 to qualify in 2nd, lowering the 19.82 mark he set last month at the ASHAA Championships.

Mason Manta Rays’ Brady Campbell had the biggest drop among the ‘A’ finalists, as the 16-year-old clocked 19.73 to break the 20-second barrier for the first time in his career, improving his previous PB of 20.22 set in March.

Campbell’s performance moves him into a tie for 14th all-time in the boys’ 15-16 age group.

Ridley Area YMCA’s Jonathan Hoole also had a noteworthy swim, taking off more than three-tenths from his best time in 19.93 to sneak into the ‘A’ final in 8th. Hoole, 18, had previously been 20.26 in March.