The annual Bill Nixon Memorial Swim Meet has been “a well-traveled summer invitational with high quality swimmers from around the state of Texas and Southern Zone.” This year the meet organizers have added a twist that is sure to get people excited. In addition to the regular meet, this year’s meet will feature a 50 Free Shoot-Out with cash prize. It will also be hosted in Lewisville Independent School District’s (LISD) new aquatic stadium, and serve as the first USA Swimming sanctioned meet since the pool’s opening.
The prelims for the 15 and over 50 free will be on Saturday morning. The top 32 female and top 32 male finishers from the prelims will move on to the quarterfinals, which will take place during the Saturday Final session. The top 16 female and top 16 male finishers from the quarter final round, will move onto the semifinals of the 50 Free shootout. The semifinals will be on Sunday morning for both female and male heats. The top 8 female and top 8 male finishers from the semifinal round, on Sunday morning, will move onto finals on Sunday night. The final heats of the 50 Free Shootout will take place after the 800 freestyles.
Jason Walter, the head coach of Lakeside Aquatic Club wrote the following about the late Bill Nixon and the meet named in his honor:
Dear Swimmers, Coaches, and Families,
Over 30 years ago, shortly after LAC was founded, a family signed their three young daughters up for our swim team. Like most great “swim parents,” their dad, not wanting “to be bored waiting around,” decided to get involved. He attended training, and became an official.
Over the years Bill Nixon touched countless lives of swimmers, coaches, fellow officials and
swim parents. Bill always had a great attitude and smile at meets and always had each
swimmer’s best interest at heart. He officiated at countless swim meets in North Texas for 3
decades, long after his children were done with swimming. He trained many officials, even
some who are working this meet today. Although not a swimmer, in fact, he could barely swim, Bill embodied all that is good about our sport; he was known for his integrity, honesty, knowledge and passion for the sport of swimming.
This is the 6th year of the Bill Nixon Memorial Swim Meet and LAC is proud to host this meet again since its inception after Bill passed in 2008. For the last 4 years, Rockwall Aquatics Center of Excellence (RACE) has done a great job hosting this meet and they have taken the meet from North Texas’s first midseason Long Course prelim/final meet to a well-traveled summer invitational with high quality swimmers from around the state of Texas and Southern Zone. LAC is proud to honor our friend and former official with this high quality fast swim meet.
This year we have added a couple of fun elements that will enrich the experience for swimmers and spectators alike. Our inaugural 50 Free “Shoot Out” will pit some of the areas fastest swimmers against each other, with the winner having to race multiple times. Joining our fast amateur swimmers are several professional swimmers, another new component to the Bill Nixon meet. These swimmers also embody what is good about our sport; perseverance, sportsmanship, and encouragement of others. We hope that all our amateur swimmers on deck will not only have the opportunity to see high-caliber racing up close, but to also share a high-five, take a selfie, or hear a word of encouragement from these great role models.
I’d also like to honor Bill’s legacy as a volunteer and swim parent by thanking all of the swim parents and volunteers who are helping at this meet and in many other ways. You too embody what is good about our sport by your commitment and support of the swimmers.
And finally, I hope you’ll be here Saturday evening, for the presentation of the Bill Nixon Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was established in Bill’s honor and is to support and encourage swimmers who will be attending college.
Good luck to all our swimmers, amateur and professional alike, and I hope you all enjoy the meet!
Meet The Pros
DAX HILL
- Born in Lewisville
- College: University of Texas
- Three-time NCAA Champion (2012 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay, 800 freestyle relay)
- Fourteen-time All-American
- Two-time honorable mention All-American
- Thirteen-time Big 12 Champion
- 2012 Olympic Trials placed 19th in the 200m freestyle (1:50.03), 21st in the
- 100m freestyle (49.96) and 48th in the 50m freestyle (23.12)
- Two-time gold medalist, 2011 World University Games (4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays)
Breeja Larson
- 2014 A&M Graduate
- 2014 NCAA Championships: defended her 2013 NCAA Championship title in the 100 breast and took third in the 200 breast. Shattered her own NCAA, US Open, and American record in the 100 breast (57.43) and set the NCAA, US Open, American record for the 200 breast (2:.4.48), also setting the records for the SEC and for Texas A&M. 2013 World Championships: Gold, 400m MR, 5th, 100m BR; 12th, 200m BR, 4th 50m BR
- 2013 U.S. NATIONALS: 1st, 100m BR; 1st, 200m BR; 2nd, 50m BR
- 2012 Olympics: Gold, 400m Medley Relay ; 6th, 100m Breast
- 2012 Olympic Trials: 1st, 100m BR; 6th, 200m BR
- American Record holder in the 100y Br and 200y Br
Nina Rangelova
- 2014 Graduate of SMU
- Member of the Bulgarian National Team
- Competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing for Bulgaria
- Participated in the 2010 European Championships in Budapest
- Placed 10th in the 200 free at the 2009 LEN Short-Course European Championships
- Set Bulgarian national records in the 50-meter butterfly (27.97), 50-meter freestyle (25.06), 100-meter butterfly (1:00.50) and 200-meter individual medley (2:15.60), 200-meter freestyle (1:56.11) 100-meter freestyle (55.54) and 400- meter freestyle (4:12.21)
Kyle Troskot
- 2014 Graduate of Texas A&M
- Scored 23 points with NCAA ‘B’ cuts in the 50 free (19.77) and 100 free (43.46) at the 2014 SEC Championships
- Helped to set the new school record as a member of the 200 free relay which hit the wall in 1:17.32
- At the 2014 American Short Course Championships, Troskot broke the
- A&M school record in the 50 free, setting a new record of 19.32
- At the 2014 NCAA Championships, Troskot competed on the seventh seed 200 free relay, and in the 50 free (19.72).
LAC Bill Nixon Pro-Am
Races to Watch
Event #90 – Men’s 100 Free
|
Dax Hill (Pro) 23 |
Born in Lewisville |
|
Brett Ringgold 18 |
North Texas Nadadores Committed to UT Longhorns |
|
Kyle Whieldon 18 |
Lakeside Aquatic Club Committed to A&M
|
|
DJ Lang 18 |
Lakeside Aquatic Club Committed to Alabama
|
Event #99 – Women’s 200 Breaststroke
|
Breeja Larson (Pro) 23 |
2012 Olympic gold medalist Swam for A&M |
|
Jenna Beaury 19 |
Colorado State Lakeside Aquatic Club |
|
Elise Weisert 19
|
University of South Carolina North Texas Nadadores
|
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Audrey McMurray 15 |
North Texas Nadadores |
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Madison Straight 18
|
Lakeside Aquatic Club Committed to Univ. of Kansas |
Event #101 – Women’s 50 Freestyle
(Shoot Out format)
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Claire Brandt 19 |
Swims for A&M
|
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Breeja Larson (Pro) 23 |
2012 Olympic gold medalist Swam for A&M |
|
Lauren Pitzer 15 |
Lakeside Aquatic Club
|
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Nina Rangelova (Pro) 23 |
Swam for A&M |
|
Alex Sellers 18 |
Swims for Louisville
|
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Laura Norman 18
|
North Texas Nadadores Committed to A&M |
Event #102 – Men’s 50 Freestyle
(Shoot Out format)
|
Kyle Troskot (Pro) 22 |
Swam for A&M |
|
Dax Hill (Pro) 23
|
Born in Lewisville |
|
Brett Ringgold 18 |
North Texas Nadadores Committed to UT Longhorns |
|
Kyle Whieldon 18
|
Lakeside Aquatic Club Committed to A&M
|
|
DJ Lang 18 |
Lakeside Aquatic Club Committed to Alabama |
This was a GREAT meet, my swimmer had a lot of fun and swam well, it’s a really nice pool! I hope it continues.
Nitro’s taper is only lightening up on yards a couple of days before the meet. And they are doing this for more than just “TAGs 1 and TAGs2” groups. PyschoDad is clearly a Cedar Park dweller and is unaware of what is going on at the Bee Cave facility.
Audrey Mcmurray? 15 y/o? Can you tell us more about her?
TAGS is like a National Age Championship, it is all that matters to most in TX.
Our son still has no muscles on his body. His taper is 2 hour nap and a plate of spinach pasta. But no, I do not train them nor prepare/taper for meets. I just work on technique with them once a week. Hope this satisfies your curiosity and will make your weekend pleasant.
Nitro is tapering swimmers for this meet, but are you going to taper your kids for the meet?
These are the teams participating in this invitational meet: LAC, Dallas Mustangs, NTN, RACE, NITRO, MAC, MARS, COR, Texas Terrapins, Dolphin Laser , and FAST.
Nitro is tapering its TAGS 1 and TAGS 2 groups this week. This is the most important pre-TAGS meet for Nitro swimmers.
On another matter… Doug Russell will be taking his new Austin Trinity Aquatic Club (ATAC) to the Midland this weekend for a meet, to be held in the “Doug Russell Swimming Pool.” By the way, ATAC was founded by a group of parents and Doug Russell is just the head coach there. The team is not “his” as reported by swimswam earlier.