Maxime Rooney of the Pleasanton Seahawks has been swimming fast all weekend at the 2014 CA December CA NV Sectional Championships in Monterey Park, CA at the East LA College Pool. Yesterday, he won the 500 freestyle in 4:21.33 and the 200 IM in 1:48.80. This morning, he swam the 200 free in 1:35.16, just missing Kyle Gornay’s national age group record of 1:34.99. Gornay set the record leading off the 800 freestyle relay at the 2013 Southern California Swimming Club Championship Meet that was hosted in the same pool.
Tonight, Maxime Rooney was able to knock Gornay off the record board, winning the event with a blistering 1:34.57. He made up the time difference from his morning swim in the front half of the race, taking out his first 100 a second faster than he was during prelims.
Rooney has been swimming fast all season. His two swims today were his second and third 200 freestyle’s this season under 1:36. At the 2014 Winter National Championships at the beginning of the month, Rooney was 1:36.87 during prelims and then 1:35.46 during the finals.
Take a look at the comparative splits below:
| Rooney (Prelims) | Rooney (Finals) | Gornay (2013) | |
| 50 | 22.21 | 21.55 | 21.60 |
| 100 | 24.12 – 46.33 | 23.84 – 45.39 | 23.97 – 45.57 |
| 150 | 24.18 – 1:10.51 | 24.24 – 1:09.63 | 24.81 – 1:10.38 |
| 200 | 24.65 – 1:35.16 | 24.94 – 1:34.57 | 24.61 – 1:34.99 |
A lot of these young swimmers seem in the Michael Phelps model: They can swim multiple strokes and distances. I guess that’s good, if it gives you something different to work on everyday, and can make it easier to stay mentally fresh. I’m thinking Aidan Burns, Sean Grieshop, Max Rooney, Robert McHugh, Jonathan Roberts, Andrew Seliskar, etc.
Rooney is phenomenal in SCY and LCM, freestyle and backstroke. He looks to have that rare intangible of ‘feel for the water’ aka a depth of understanding for how he’s moving through it, at a level beyond his years. Steve and the other coaches do a great job at PLS. Rooney will crush it wherever he goes. Here’s to hoping it’s Cal 🙂
Don’t forget butterfly, his best non-free. Rooney was a 1:59.2 at nationals in the 2Fly this summer, #2 15-16 for 2014, and #9 all time. He is the real deal, and definitely has ‘the feel’.
True. I just like his long-axis strokes a lot.
I am with you that Rooney should go to CAL 🙂
I am not even an american and have never lived in California, but for some reason I have close affinity to CAL Bear. I think it’s a combination of a list of great swimmers who I became familiar with throughout the years who swam for CAL (From Biondi all the way to Franklin) and also it seems to me on average CAL swimmers are more friendly and have better personality/well-rounded.
Although I am a Cal fan,and from Pleasanton to boot, I think Rooney can go just about anywhere he pleases. He lives in Livermore (next to Pleasanton) in the San Franciso Bay Area and he does not have to travel more than 15 minutes for practices with the Pleasanton Seahawks.
Maybe an interesting story about aquatic facilities, in general, In my earlier years, I was the City Supervisor for the Pleasanton Aquatic Center. And my boss then was not a big fan of competitive swimming because of the pool time having to be shared with LTS programs, staff trainings, recreational swim time, etc. which is deemed as more important for the City residents wanting pool time..
But I always loved… Read more »
Where is Rooney thinking about for college?
Rooney’s from the East Bay and has multiple former Pleasanton Seahawks teammates (Breed, Li, Silverthorn) at Cal along with several other close friends.
Abbey Weitzeil is also at that meet. She swam the 200 IM in 1.59.22 and only the 200 free prelims in 1.44.64.
Ella Eastin is dominant with already wins in the 100 fly (52.51), 200 IM (1.56.78), 100 breast (1.01.82) and 50 free (23.18).
Live results here.
http://www.socalswim.org/live-results/2014DecSect
And another name from Bobo Gigi’s SCY NAG record watching list. 🙂
Congrats to Maxime Rooney.
He proved last summer he was great in long course and represents the future in the US men’s 200 free. And USA badly needs new talents on that distance.
Next 200 free American star. No doubt about that.
i am ready to bet with BOBO for Rooney as future Us 200 free specialist for the years to come .
I know he’s on the older side, but Connor Jaeger seems like he could potentially provide a solid 200 free leg. He qualified for the relay in 2013, didn’t make the A final at Nationals this summer, but still seems like he could further develop that 200 free. Peter Vanderkaay did the 200/400/1500 triple in 2008 at the age of 24. I wonder if Jaeger could do the same (at least the 4×200 relay, if not the individual event) in 2016 at the age of 25.
Surely Conor is there too for a spot on that 800 free relay ! he is damn good from 200 to 1,500 .