Harrison Lierz Goes 1:45.4 200 Back, Moves to #2 13-14 in Federal Way

2017 PNW SPRING SECTIONALS

• Federal Way, WA
• March 16-19, 2017
• Live results

14-year-old Harrison Lierz of the Front Range Barracudas in Colorado made a huge surge in the 13-14 age group rankings in almost all of his events this weekend in Federal Way at the 2017 PNW Spring Sectionals. His biggest swim was his 200 back– Lierz placed 3rd in the event with a 1:45.46, moving him to 2nd all-time in the 13-14 age group. Meanwhile, he went 49.34 for #10 in the 100 back (one spot ahead of Ryan Murphy), 3:57.98 for #16 in the 400 IM, 4:31.30 for #31 in the 500 free, and 1:53.40 for #52 in the 200 IM.

Boys 13-14 200 back all-time rankings

1. Michael Andrew 1:43.15 2014
2. Harrison Lierz 1:45.46 2017
3. Benjamin Ho 1:45.73 2013
4. Ethan Young 1:46.56 2012
5. Ryan Murphy 1:46.67 2009
6. Jack Conger 1:46.82 2009

Missoula Aquatics’ Katharine Berkoff posted the #14 time in the 15-16 age group rankings with a lights-out 200 back, going 1:53.64 to win the race by well over two seconds. Berkoff, who’s 16, moves up from the 46th spot in the 15-16 age group to just .06 behind #13 Alex Walsh. Berkoff also went 52.65 in the 100 to touch 2nd behind Central Area’s Joanna Wu (52.47), with both going best times. That 52.65 for Berkoff moves her up to #23 in the 100 back rankings.

Finishing 3rd in the 100 back at 52.98 was Canadian Olympian Taylor Ruck, who represents Arizona’s Scottsdale Aquatic Club. Ruck had multiple quick swims in the freestyles– she won the 50 free (22.31), the 200 free (1:45.18) and the 500 free (4:42.67), dropping over 3 tenths from her PB in the 50. She was a monster on relays, anchoring a 48.00 on Scottsdale’s victorious 400 free relay and a 1:45.03 on their winning 800 free relay.

Ruck also led off their 200 medley relay with a 25.28 and anchored their 200 free relay in 22.03. She broke through for a big new best time in the 200 IM, going 1:57.97 for the win. Her previous best was a 1:59.26 from February of 2016.

Sun-shine Aquatics’ Jian Mao had two big wins– first, he took the 100 breast in a best time 53.52, edging out King Aquatic Club’s Daniel Roy (54.10). King’s Ethan Dang was 4th in the 100 (54.62). Mao also went head-to-head with King’s Dillon Virva in the 100 fly with Mao coming out on top in 47.63 over Virva’s 47.82. Virva, who represented Team USA at the 2016 World SC Champs, won the 50 free (19.22), 100 free (43.41), and split a 19.14 on King’s 200 free relay.

Roy, meanwhile, was stellar in the 200 breast. He won it by almost three seconds, going 1:54.47 for a new best time. 2nd went to Jonathan Cook of West Coast Aquatics (1:57.06), with Dang 3rd at 1:58.51. Cook went a best time, while Dang was a few tenths off of his. Cook would go on to win the 200 IM in 1:48.81.

In terms of the 17-18 age group rankings, Roy, who recently turned 17, now sits #7 all-time. Roy also won the 400 IM with a new best time (3:51.26).

Boys 17-18 200 breast all-time rankings

1. Andrew Seliskar 1:51.57 2015
2. Kevin Cordes 1:51.97 2012
3. Reece Whitley 1:52.64 2017
4. Nolan Koon 1:53.78 2009
5. Carsten Vissering 1:54.09 2016
6. Paul Kornfeld 1:54.41 2006
7. Daniel Roy 1:54.47 2017

Bellingham Bay’s Emma Carlton had a strong meet, winning the 100 fly in 53.48 and breaking the 55-second barrier for the first time in the 100 back (she was 54.81 in prelims, 54.99 in finals). She touched 4th the 100 free, going 50.16, and then broke 23 for the first time in the 50 free (22.99) to finish 5th. Carlton also had an incredibly fast 23.22 butterfly split on Bellingham’s 200 medley relay (a competitive split at the NCAA level) and a 52.74 fly split on their victorious 400 medley relay.

Other notable swims

• Qian Zhi of Sun-shine Aquatics in Hawai’i went 1:37.93 to win the 200 free over Hillsboro Swim Team’s Luke Thornbrue (1:38.16). Thornbrue later won the 500 free with a 4:25.88 along with the mile in 15:16.97. Scottsdale’s Mckenzee Gordon dropped a 16:22.66 to take the girls’ mile.
• The quarter from King Aquatic Club went 1:30.18 to win the 200 medley relay by over two seconds. Cameron King led off in 23.09, followed by Roy (24.95), Virva (21.14) and Dang (21.00). Dang led off the 200 free relay with a 20.90, a lifetime best.
• Mt. Hood Aquatics’ Jamie Stone popped a 49.31 to win the 100 free. She was also 2nd in the 200 free (1:47.96), a big new PB, 2nd in the 100 fly (54.22), and 3rd in the 50 free (22.83). The Arizona commit anchored her 200 free relay with a 22.28.
• Claire Grover of Scottsdale went 2:12.09 to take the 200 breast over The Dolphins’ Kaitlyn Dobler (2:13.17). Dobler got revenge in the 100, going 1:01.19 to edge Grover’s 1:01.34.
• Scottsdale’s Kelly Huffer won the 200 fly in a tight race, going 1:57.81 to edge Issaquah’s Sarah Dimeco (1:57.91). Huffer added another win in the 400 IM (4:16.54), the only swimmer to break 4:20.
• Curtis Klein of Lake Oswego went 1:44.65 in the 200 back to edge 16 year old Ethan Harder of Billings Aquatic Club (1:44.71). Harder got back with a 48.71 to sneak past Klein (48.87) for the 100 back title. Harder now ranks at #17 in the 15-16 age group for the 200 back.
• 17-year-old Evan Carlson of Tualatin Hills went 44.09 in the 100 free, touching 2nd behind Virva. He was also runner-up in the 50 free (20.43), and split a 43.93 on Tualatin Hills’ 400 free relay.