2024 Winter Juniors – West: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2024 Winter Junior Championships – West

• December 11-15, 2024
• Austin, Texas
• Prelims: 9:00 am (CT) / Finals: 5:00 pm (CT)
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• How to Watch
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Finals Recap: Day 1
• Prelims Recap: Day 1

Day 2 finals of the Winter Junior Championships – West are here. The meet starts at 5 pm CST in Austin, Texas, and it could be an exciting night. On the schedule we have the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, and the 400 medley relays

Carmel Swim Club’s Kayla Han ran away with the prelims of the girl’s 500, being the only swimmer under 4:40, and she is back tonight to defend her title from last year.

The 200 IM and 50 freestyles will both feature Gabi Brito and Teagan O’Dell in the top 3 seeds creating an interesting storyline for the events. Brito is the top seed in the 200 and the 3rd seed in the 50, and O’Dell is the 2nd seed in the 200 and the top seed in the 50. Brito is also looking to potentially break the 13-14 NAG records in her events, coming only half a second away in her 200 IM prelims swim.

On the boy’s side, Aiden Hammer took the top seed in the boy’s 500 freestyle this morning around a second and a half ahead of the field. Maximus Williamson will feature in both the 200 IM, where he is the 2nd seed to Campbell McKean, and the 50 free, where he is the top seed.

Girls’ 500 Freestyle

• West Record: 4:28.64 – Bella Sims (2022)
• Meet Record: 4:27.52 – Summer McIntosh (2022)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:35.14 – Katie Ledecky (2011)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 4:28.71 – Katie Ledecky (2014)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 4:26.58 – Katie Ledecky (2015)

Top 8 Fiinishers

1. Madi Mintenko (PPA)- 4:36.66
2. Kayla Han (RMDA)- 4:36.88
3. Ella Cosgrove (FASt)- 4:37.98
4. Montse Spielmann (AAAA)- 4:44.87
5. Paige Downey (GM) -4:45.22
6. Alyssa Ton (NOVA)- 4:48.18
7. Savannah Skow (LCAT)- 4:48.42
8. Avery Dillon (KATY)- 4:49.85

It was a tight race in the girl’s 500 free final, but ultimately, Madi Mintenko from Pikes Peak Athletics took home the gold. The Virginia commit went 4:36.66 to win, dropping almost three seconds from her previous best time of 4:39.24 from Sectionals in March of 2023. 2nd place finisher Kayla Han led for most of the race, flipping in first at the 450 mark, but Mintenko’s final 50 of 26.51 was enough to win by just over two tenths.

Kayla Han also went a new best time of 4:36.88, dropping about a second-and-a-half from her winning time last year of 4:38.12. Han was out really strong, leading the race throughout, and flipping her first 200 under 1:50 (1:49.12), but her final 50 was 26.89, which gave Mintenko just enough space to catch her.

Ella Cosgrove from Flying Fish took 3rd in 4:37.98. This was Cosgrove’s first time under 4:40, as she came into the meet with a best time of 4:41.84 from Winter Juniors last year. She is committed to swim at Cal in the fall.

Boys’ 500 Freestyle

• West Record: 4:12.33 – Rex Maurer (2022)
• 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)

Top 8 Finishers

1. Gabriel Manteufel (SAND)- 4:13.55
2. Aiden Hammer (KING)- 4:14.21
3. Luke Ellis (SAND)- 4:15.54
4. Chase Maier (FOX)- 4:18.98
5. Maxwell Stanislaus (LAC)- 4:20.12
6. Jiarui Xue (AQJT)- 4:20.54
7. Noah Mudadu (SAND)- 4:20.97
8. Gideon Swam (FCST)- 4:24.44

Gabriel Manteufel, an Indiana commit for 2026, dropped five seconds in his 500 freestyle to win the event, going 4:13.55. The Sandpipers of Nevada junior came into the meet at 4:18.91 from last December. He dropped a tenth this morning to earn the 3rd place qualifying slot in 4:18.81, and then turned around and dropped a ton in tonight’s final.

Aiden Hammer from King Aquatic Club took 2nd place in 4:14.21. This marked another significant drop for him, two-and-a-half-seconds, from the 2.3 seconds he dropped this morning to go 4:16.80. Coming into the season, Hammer had never been under 4:20, his best time in the event being 4:23.24. Hammer is committed to Cal for the fall of 2026.

Another Sandpiper swimmer and Indiana commit, Luke Ellis, took the bronze in 4:15.54. This was a new personal best by a little over a second, dropping from the 4:17.02 he went in December of last year.

Girls’ 200 IM

• West Record: 1:52.73 – Bella Sims (2022)
• Meet Record: 1:52.71 – 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)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Teagan O’Dell (MVN)- 1:52.61
2. Grace Rabb (TXLA)- 1:55.81
3. Gabi Brito (CITI)- 1:56.49
4. Bella Brito (CITI)- 1:56.80
5. Kelsey Zhang (PASA)- 1:57.15
6. Alana Berlin (SSTY)-  1:57.54
7. Sophie Segerson (BC)- 1:58.88
8. Kamryn Meskill (BC)- 2:00.64

The girl’s 200 IM was all Teagan O’Dell who won the event by more than 3 seconds. O’Dell from the Mission Viejo Nadadores, went 1:52.61 to win the gold and set a new personal best time, dropping from the 1:53.38 she went in May of 2023. O’Dell is committed to Cal for the fall.

Grace Rabb from Texas Longhorn Aquatics took 2nd in 1:55.81. This was a slight add for Rabb, a Florida commit who went 1:55.64 at this meet last year. She beat 3rd place swimmer Gabi Brito by almost 7 tenths.

Gabi Brito took 3rd, after coming out the gate hard. After the fly leg, she was in first by more than 4 tenths of a second, splitting 24.82 to O’Dell’s 25.27 and Rabb’s 25.31. Brito was not able to maintain this speed, however, and was in 3rd by the end of the 2nd 50. Brito held onto 3rd place, beating her sister by just over 3 tenths to go 1:56.49, just a tenth off her best of 1:56.39 from prelims.

Boys’ 200 IM

• West Record: 1:41.18 – Maximus Williamson (2023)
• 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)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Campbell McKean (BEND)- 1:41.19
2. Jack Armour (TFA)- 1:43.34
3. Maximus Williamson (LAC)- 1:44.22
4. Abe Astle (OA)- 1:45.31
5. Rowan Cox (TXLA)- 1:45.80
6. Henry Webb (AQJT)- 1:46.25
7. Tyler Bardak (FOX)- 1:46.60
8. Stuart Timmerman (WILD)- 1:46.65

Campbell McKean from Bend Swim Club pulled off an upset in the boy’s 200 IM, beating the NAG record holder, Maximus Williamson, and winning the event by more than two seconds. His winning time of 1:41.19 was also only one one-hundredth off the meet record time of 1:41.18, also set by Williamson. This swim also marked a three second drop this season for McKean, a Texas commit, who came in with a previous best time of 1:44.23 from this meet last year. It is also the 2nd fastest swim in history, taking the spot from Thomas Heilman’s 1:41.26 from just an hour prior.

Texas Ford Aquatics swimmer Jack Armour also beat the NAG record holder, going 1:43.34. This was an even more significant drop than we saw from McKean, with Armour, a Notre Dame commit, coming into the season at 1:50.89 in the event. He has dropped slowly but surely over the season, going a new personal best of 1:45.81 in the prelims, only to drop another 2.47 seconds in the final.

Maximus Williamson took 3rd in 1:44.22. Where the first two swimmers saw significant drops, this was a 3.41 second add for the Virginia commit. His best time stands at 1:40.81 from the Texas High School State Meet in February.

Girls’ 50 Freestyle

• West Record: 21.49 – Abby Weitzeil (2014)
• Meet Record: 21.49 – Abby 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)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Jada Duncan (SMST)- 22.14
2. Teagan O’Dell (MVN)- 22.25
3. Sophia Sunwoo (BC)- 22.26
4. Liberty Clark (CROW)- 22.30
5. Madi Mintenko (PPA)- 22.34
6. Kamryn Meskill (BC)- 22.39
7. Gabi Brito (CITI)- 22.49
8. KK LeBlanc (FCST)- 22.55

UCLA commit Jada Duncan won the girl’s 50 free final in 22.14. The Sierra Marlins swimmer won the event by just over a tenth of a second, coming in at 22.14. This was a new best time for Duncan, who came in with a best time of 22.61 from May. She dropped about a little under a tenth from that time this morning to go 22.55, and then came back in finals and went 4 tenths faster than that, totalling an almost half second drop over the course of the day.

Teagan O’Dell took 2nd in 22.25, which was four hundredths off her 22.21 from the prelims, but was still faster than her previous best of 22.40 from May 2023.

The final podium spot went to Sophia Sunwoo of the Bellevue Club Swim Team in 22.26, just one-one-hundredth back of O’Dell. This was a new personal best for Sunwoo, who will swim at Princeton in the fall, dropping from the 22.64 she went at this meet in 2022.

Boys’ 50 Freestyle

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

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Maximus Williamson (LAC)- 19.29
2. Tyler Porter (QSS) -19.49
3. Miles Blackson-Dunbar (ALPH)- 19.53
4. Seth Crow (UN)- 19.63
5. Samuel Lofstrom (VOTX)- 19.93
6. Jack Boysen (FCST)- 19.94
7. Luke Vatev (HOSC)- 19.95
8. Alejandro Michelena (UN)- 20.09

Maximus Williamson took home the gold in the boy’s 50 freestyle. His final time of 19.29 won the event by two tenths of a second, and was a little under two tenths faster than the 19.45 he went last February. He also dropped about a tenth from his prelims swim of 19.36.

Tyler Porter from Quicksilver Swimming went under 20 seconds for the first time in this morning’s swim, going 19.58, and replicated the effort in tonight’s final with his 19.49 for 2nd. This was 6 tenths of a second faster than his previous best time of 20.14 from earlier this month.

Miles Blackson-Dunbar also went his first sub-20 second swim in this morning’s prelims to go 19.70, and then he dropped another almost two tenths tonight to win the bronze in 19.53. His pre-season best was 20.11, which he actually went twice before making it under that barrier.

Girl’s 4×100 Medley Relay

• West Record: 3:33.93, Fort Collins Area Swim Team (Steward, Bartel, Gillilan, Alons) – 2017
• Meet Record: 3:33.28, Carmel Swim Club (Clarke, Sweeney, Shackell, Han) – 2023
• 13-14 NAG Record: 3:38.62, TAC Titans (Liu, He, Nixon, Whelehan) – 2024
• 15-16 NAG Record: 3:36.53, Virginia Gators (Bray, Muzzy, Whittney, Hamilton, Kulp)– 2017
• 17-18 NAG Record: 3:32.10, Elmbrook Swim Club (Wanezek, Thomas, Stoll, Tiltmann) – 2023

Top 3 Teams:

1. Beach Cities Swimming ‘A’- 3:34.16
2. Bellevue Club Swim Team ‘A’- 3:35.49
3. Crow Canyon Sharks ‘A’- 3:36.32

Beach Cities Swimming won the girl’s 4×100 medley relay in 3:34.16. The team of Delaney Herr (52.68), Bella Brito (59.36), Eryn Arnold (53.56), and Gabi Brito (48.56) won the event by over a second.

Bellevue Club Swim Team took 2nd, coming in at 3:35.49 with their team of Kamryn Meskill (53.58), Cecilia Howard (1:00.52), Clare Watson (52.78), and Sophia Sunwoo (48.61).

The Crow Canyon Sharks rounded out the top three teams with Daniella Linares Danzos (53.52), Raya Mellott (59.61), Katrin Otaegi (55.31), and Liberty Clark (47.88), coming in at 3:36.32.

Boy’s 4×100 Medley Relay

• Meet Record: 3:08.95, Cavalier Aquatics-Piedmont Family YMCA (King, Moore, Heilman, Browne)– 2023
• 13-14 NAG Record: 3:24.49, Carmel Swim Club (Lancaster, Malicki, Haig, Enoch) – 2020
• 15-16 NAG Record: 3:13.95, Bolles School Sharks (Kyser, Porch, Lancaster, Kravchenko) – 2022
• 17-18 NAG Record: 3:10.27, Spartan Aquatic Club (Stoffle, LIn, Sacca, Muhammad – 2021

Top 3 Teams:

1. Lakeside Aquatic Cub ‘A’- 3:13.38
2. Texas Ford Aquatics ‘A’- 3:13.95
3. Aquajets Swim Team ‘A’- 3:14.14

The boy’s relay went to Lakeside Aquatic Club. Maximus Williamson (46.95), Dallas Jones (56.19), Riccardo Osio (46.62), and Maxwell Stanislaus (43.62) went a final time of 3:13.28 to win by just under 6 tenths.

Texas Ford Aquatics won the silver in 3:13.95 with Brayden Jones (49.51), Jack Armour (52.17), Gray Barker (48.29), and Michael Morrow (43.98). They just beat the Aquajets team by just under two tenths, after they fell into 3rd after the fly leg.

Nathan Carr (49.51), Isidore Warain (53.68), Micah Davis (46.78), and Henry Webb (44.18) took home the bronze for the Aquajets in 3:14.14. Davis’ fly leg shot the Aquajets into 2nd by one one-hundredth, but Webb was not able to hold off Morrow for the silver.

Top 10 Team Scores – Day 2 – Girls

1. Bellevue Club Swim Team – 225
2. Beach Cities Swimming – 167
3. Academy Bullets Swim Club- 135
4. Mission Viejo Nadadores/ Lakeside Aquatic Club / Crow Canyon Sharks- 124
5. —
6. —
7. Irvine Novaquatics- 68
8. Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club- 54
9. Schroeder YMCA Swim Team- 45
10. Flying Fish Arizona Swim Team- 38

Team 10 Team Scores – Day 2 – Boys

1. Lakeside Aquatic Club- 160
2. Aquajets Swim Team -122
3. Texas Ford Aquatics- 111
4. Irvine Novaquatics- 84
5. Sandpipers of Nevada- 82
6. Olympus Aquatics- 65
7. Scottsdale Aquatic Club- 64
8. Rose Bowl Aquatics- 59
9. Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club- 58
10. Fox Valley Swim team- 50