2017 SOUTHERN PREMIER
Age group phenom Tristen Ulett narrowly missed Cassidy Bayer’s 13-14 National Age Group Record in the 200 fly at last weekend’s Southern Premier meet. Ulett swam a personal best 1:56.07, just out-touching Brooke Forde (1:56.30) and taking over 7 tenths off her former best time. With that, she was just .06 shy of Bayer’s record, which stands at a 1:56.01 from 2013.
Ulett squared off with Forde in the 100 fly, touching 1st with her 53.24 ahead of Forde’s 53.92. In the 400 IM, Forde picked up a victory of her own, winning by ten full seconds with her 4:04.09.
Ulett also had a pair of close races in the freestyles with felllow 14-year-old Gretchen Walsh. In the 200 free, Ulett dropped a second from her best time to win in 1:47.38, whle Walsh followed closely in 1:47.88. Walsh turned the tables in the 100 free, however, winning in 49.74 to Ulett’s 50.00.
Older sister Alex Walsh picked up a handful of victories, including a sweep of the breaststroke races. In the 200 breast, she dropped almost 7 seconds off her best time, putting up a winning time of 2:08.85 ahead of Forde (2:10.79). She earned her gold in the 100 breast with a 1:00.38. Walsh also claimed titles in the 200 IM (1:55.93), 200 back (1:55.19), and 50 free (22.48).
On the men’s side, U.S. junior standout and Florida Gators commit Michael Taylor cranked out a personal best 1:41.05 in prelims of the 200 back before going on to win the event in finals with a 1:41.87. He picked up another win in the 200 fly, touching in 1:47.51 to shave over half a second off his lifetime best. Taylor also dropped 12 full seconds from his 500 free time, clocking in at 4:27.36 before scratching out of finals.
Winning that 500 free final was Florida state champ and fellow Gator commit Miguel Cancel, who turned in the only sub-4:30 time of the night to win it in 4:27.11. Cancel also lowered his personal best time in the 400 IM, winning the race in 3:51.17. In the 200 free, he clocked in at a personal best 1:37.92 to take a close 2nd to Aldan Johnston (1:37.46).
Many of the best US female prospects in that part of the country with Ulett sisters, Walsh sisters and Brooke Forde.
Tristen Ulett
200 free. 1.47.38
200 fly. 1.56.07 Almost beat Cassidy Bayer’s 13/14 NAG record
100 free. 50.00
100 fly. 53.24
Gretchen Walsh
200 free. 1.47.88 A new PB by 0.87 s
100 free. 49.74 0.26 s off her best time
She turned 14 only last January.
Alex Walsh
100 breast. 1.00.38 1.58 s off her best time
200 back. 1.55.19 3.12 s off her best time
50 free. 22.48 A new PB by 0.15 s
200 IM. 1.55.93 1.45 s off her best time
200 breast.… Read more »
I’ve not finished my sentence about Alex Walsh.
We’ll see next summer if the trend is confirmed.
Adding a little over a second isn’t bad. I’m sure she didn’t taper for this, she just hasn’t swam 200 breast in a while and her 50 free is improving. Don’t say it went backwards just because of one “not so good” swim even though 1:55 is amazing.
Could you mention what team these great swimmers swim for? Their college affiliations are nice but how about some props for the clubs that are helping them become so great?
hopefully Taylor can follow Murphy’s mold. Could be a 52.XX Backstroker by this or next year
52 is really really really fast
He was 53.7 Last year. He’s capable
Quick. Someone tell us how Taylor’s 1:41.0 converts to a 1:54 long course. LOL
He’a dropping time in season without shaving by the look of it and being competitive at the NCAA level at the same time. So we might see a 1:54 LCM sometime soon. So I’d leave your “funny” comments at home
Ha ha 1:41 isn’t even gonna b final
So 1.36 converts to 1.49? 😆 😆 😆 😆
Conversions from yards to long course or from long course to yards are stupid.
You can have a guy in 1.40 in yards who is all about underwaters and will struggle to break the 2-minute barrier in long course and you can have someone like Taylor who swims 1.41 in yards without crazy underwaters and is already in 1.56 in long course. Depends on the swimmer. Taylor is a long course swimmer. But in NCAA he will improve his starts, turns and underwaters and he should drop a few seconds.
headlines is wrong in many ways
Because? Headline is accurate. Ulett narrowly missed the record. Taylor swam a 1:41.0 in the 200 back. Very straightforward.
I missed at first too, but I have a comma impairment. Relieved there was no Harvard comma.
Lauren, your headline is perfect. 🙂
Thanks 😉
These ladies are getting too fast!