5 Storylines to Watch at the 2018 Jr Pan Pacific Championships

Karl Ortegon
by Karl Ortegon 25

August 21st, 2018 News

2018 JR. PAN PAC SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2018 Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships are coming up this week, as some of the top teenagers from the U.S., Japan, Canada, Australia, and more will go head-to-head in one of the premier junior international meets of the year. Below, we delve into five (of many) storylines to watch for at the meet.

As a reminder, this meet has a similar format to that of the open version of the Pan Pac Championships, which happened last week in Tokyo, Japan. The rules for Jr. Pan Pacs limit the number of swimmers from a given country that can advance to the finals, wherein 2 swimmers per country can qualify for the A final, and if a country has 1 or 2 swimmers in the A final, they can also have 2 in the B final. Countries with 0 swimmers in the A final can qualify 3 swimmers to the B final.

Countries are allowed to enter as many swimmers as they want in preliminaries (up to the roster caps of 20 women and 20 men), meaning that swimmers will often race more events than just what they explicitly qualified in.

#1 SIBLINGS READY TO TAKE OVER

Alex and Gretchen Walsh of Nashville Aquatic Club and Jake and Carson Foster of the Mason Manta Rays are favorites to take multiple events this week.

A. Walsh is the top seed in the 200 IM — she’s also the #2 seed in the 200 back, and though she has only been 1:09 high in the 100 breast, she dropped a huge NAG record of 58.19 in yards at Winter Speedo Juniors in December, so she seems due for a drop there. G. Walsh, meanwhile, is the favorite to win the 50 and 100 freestyle.

J. Foster is the 400 IM favorite and the only entrant under 4:20, while C. Foster is a top candidate to win the 200 IM and 200 back.

#2 TUGGLE STILL HAS TIME TO ERASE WOODHEAD RECORDS

The legendary Sippy Woodhead‘s 13-14 NAG records in the 200m and 400m free just turned 40 years old, dating back to the 1978 World Championships where the then-fourteen-year-old took gold in the 200 and silver in the 400.

Clovis Swim Club’s Claire Tuggle has been on a tear this summer, and she has a great chance to take down the 200 free record– she’s entered in 1:58.59, just .06 away from Woodhead’s NAG record. She’ll be hard-pressed to take down the 400 record, which sits at 4:07.15, compared to Tuggle’s 4:10.11 entry time.

Tuggle will meet Australian resistance in the 200 from Michaela Ryan (entered at 1:58.91) and Lani Pallister in the 200 (entered at 1:59.37) and 400 (entered at 4:10.61).

#3 U.S. SET TO DOMINATE WOMEN’S BACKSTROKE

The U.S. has always been a force in the backstrokes, and it’s the age group talent on the women’s side that has been remarkable of late. Even without Regan Smith, World Jr record holder in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes, the U.S. holds the top 5 spots in the 200 back and the top 4 spots in the 100.

We already mentioned Alex Walsh, the #2 seed in the 200 back (2:09.36) and the #6 seed in the 100 back (1:00.83). Isabelle Stadden of the Aquajets sits on top in the 200 (2:08.24) with Katharine Berkoff also under 2:10 (2:09.84). Lucie Nordmann (2:10.51) and Phoebe Bacon (2:12.09) round out the top 5.

Bacon was cooking at Nationals earlier this summer, and her 59.12 from Irvine leads the way in the 100 back. Berkoff (59.77), Stadden (1:00.06), and Nordmann(1:00.62) follow suit.

#4 AFTER PASSING ON SR PAN PACS, CANADA’S MAGGIE MACNEIL ARRIVES

Canada’s Maggie MacNeil, who will suit up as a freshman for the University of Michigan this school year, notably declined her invitation to the 2018 Pan Pacs. She commented that she’d be focusing on Jr Pan Pacs instead, and she now has a window to a gold medal with her top-entry time of 58.44 in the 100 fly. The closest entrant to MacNeil is Australia’s Michaela Ryan at 58.96, and this is one of the few events in which an American isn’t the favorite (or very close — 59.19 is top American Lillie Nordmann‘s entry time).

MacNeil is also seeded 8th in the 100 back, 11th in the 100 free, 12th in the 50 free, and 16th in the 200 free.

#5 URLANDO WITH A SHOT TO SNIPE A PHELPS NAG

Luca Urlando hung tough with the older guys in the 200 fly at U.S. Nationals, ultimately coming up just short of qualifying for Pan Pacs in the 200 fly. The sixteen-year-old’s 1:55.21 was still the second-best U.S. 15-16 200 fly of all time behind only Michael Phelps, and that magical NAG is within reach at 1:54.58.

Even if Urlando isn’t able to take down that mark, he is not far from cracking the world’s top 10 for this year (10th is another American, Zach Harting, who won bronze at Pan Pacs with a 1:55.05). The top American this year has been Justin Wright (1:54.63), and he sits at 1:54.63.

Urlando is also the top seed in the 100 fly (52.48).

In This Story

25
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

25 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
swim4fun
5 years ago

So if anyone swims faster here than those in National/Pan Pac, they are still not on the Worlds team next year?! Seems unfair to these young talents who are improving at a phenomenal pace. How about Pan Am?

EMH16
Reply to  swim4fun
5 years ago

you can’t qualify for any major teams at jr pan pacs, the only selection meet for teams was nationals.

James
Reply to  EMH16
5 years ago

That’s the nature of an early selection criteria…there is always a chance someone faster will emerge, or that someone already qualified will have a major “off” season. On the flip side, you want people who are ready to perform on the biggest stages…someone who wins at Nationals usually meets that requirement.

gator
Reply to  swim4fun
5 years ago

hmmm…maybe they should have swum faster at NATS.

Swimmers that step up at NATS prove they can handle a big stage (like the World Championships).

Swimmom
Reply to  gator
5 years ago

How about we congratulate these kids for performing well at Nationals and making the Junior team. They still have a shot at the National Team based off of their performances in Fiji. GO USA!

James
5 years ago

It will be interesting to see what Tuggle has in the tank for this week. It seems like at both Sr and Jr Nationals, her stongest performances came in the morning sessions. She had solid, but not great finals (finishing slightly behind most of her morning times). I’d be curious to see what her training will be like going to Jr Pan Pacs, with such a busy summer schedule and the start of school coming.

CINCYSWIM
5 years ago

How do you leave out 15 yo Mariah Denigan who is top seed in 800/1500/400IM who is only a second away from Jr World Rec??

Admin
Reply to  CINCYSWIM
5 years ago

It’s becoming abundantly clear that we should’ve written an article that was 52 storylines to watch at the 2018 Jr. Pan Pacific Championships.

My apologies to all that we’ve offended by limiting it to 5: a number that we thought would be easier to digest by our audience.

CINCYSWIM
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

Appreciate the sarcasm but I am pretty sure #1 seed in three events that is close to breaking a record might land a little better than top 52. It’s all good. Go USA Junior Nat!

Go team USA
Reply to  CINCYSWIM
5 years ago

@cincyswim I agree with you but I appreciate your post as I will now be watching for Mariah now that you’ve brought her to my attention. I hope she gets those gold medals and maybe even the Jr world record!

Yozhik
Reply to  CINCYSWIM
5 years ago

You see, there are at least seven persons (12:30pm) who are thankful to swimswam for not overloading their digestive abilities. 😀

samuel huntington
Reply to  Braden Keith
5 years ago

there were only three other things suggested to comment on, no need to post this silly comment

Jake from State Farm
5 years ago

We know Carson Foster will be in the mix for the podium in his regular events, 2 BK, 2 FR, 2 IM — but be ready for a big drop in 4 IM, he has not swam that tapered at a big meet in a year plus, 4:17 lows or better is not out of the question

25 free champ
5 years ago

I’m a little sad to see my first major Junior meet without Michael Andrew. Even so, this is going to be very exciting. So many stars in the making here. In six years we’ll be seeing some of them on the Olympic podium.

Nswim
Reply to  25 free champ
5 years ago

Maybe even sooner than that! I could see some of them potentially pushing for relay spots in 2020.

Pvdh
Reply to  Nswim
5 years ago

Urlando probably ha s a good shot at 200 fly individual spot

bobo gigi
5 years ago

NAG records would be icing on the cake. More important is to perform at your best and win the races you are favorite to win.
On paper that US team is one of the best ever sent at junior pan pacs with Claire Tuggle, Phoebe Bacon, Isabelle Stadden, Mariah Denigan, Luca Urlando, Walsh sisters, Carson Foster, Emily Weiss or Destin Lasco. I see only Joshua Matheny as missing piece after his 1.01.06 in the 100 breast at US juniors. Hopefully these teens still have gas after a long summer. I want to see them peak at the right time. Have fun and bring home gold medals.

25 free champ
Reply to  bobo gigi
5 years ago

Why did you leave Jake Foster out?

ASUSWIMFAN46290
5 years ago

“Bacon was cooking at Nationals earlier this summer”

nice

Jimbo
Reply to  ASUSWIMFAN46290
5 years ago

That joke hurt me lol

25 free champ
Reply to  ASUSWIMFAN46290
5 years ago

I can’t believe I missed that.

Sammy Save Up
5 years ago

Let’s not forget Ross Dant in the distance events. The kid is tough.

BrettonRouge
Reply to  Sammy Save Up
5 years ago

Dang, that’s some expert analysis! Showing the kind of deep insights that only a club coach or a mother could share with us. Thanks for your valuable contribution to this thread.

nuotofan
Reply to  Sammy Save Up
5 years ago

On the women’s side, Mariah Denigan (2003) has great entry times, also in the 400 Im.
And then there is Destin Lasco (100 free and back), a story of his own..

About Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon

Karl Ortegon studied sociology at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, graduating in May of 2018. He began swimming on a club team in first grade and swam four years for Wesleyan.

Read More »