2017 US Junior Nationals: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2017 SPEEDO JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 8 – 12, 2017
• East Meadow, NY (Long Island)
• Meet Central
• Meet info
• Psych sheet
• Prelims Timeline
• Live results
• Day 3 finals heat sheet

This morning, World Champs semifinalist Dakota Luther of Austin Swim Club took the top seed for tonight’s 100 fly final, with Magnolia Aquatic Club’s Nordmann sisters Lucie and Lillie among those trailing her– sandwiched between the Nordmann sisters is Tuesday’s 200 fly champion Olivia Carter of Enfinity Aquatics. Only Luther and Lucie Nordmann were below the 1:00 barrier this morning. In the boys’ race, Nitro Swimming’s Shaine Casas continues his strong meet with the top seed at 53.82.

North Texas’s Jack LeVant will contest the boys 400 free as the top seed, while NBAC’s Easop Lee will try to hold off Miranda Heckman of Pleasanton and Taylor Ault of La Mirada Armada, among others, on the girls’ side.

GIRLS 400 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• WJR: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky
• Meet: 4:07.26 – G Ryan
• 13-14 NAG: 4:07.15 – Cynthia Woodhead
• 15-16 NAG: 3:59.82 – Katie Ledecky
• 17-18 NAG: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky

1. Taylor Ault, La Mirada Armada 4:11.62
2. Erica Sullivan, Sandpipers of Nevada 4:12.92
3. Lauren Pitzer, Lakeside Aquatic Club 4:13.29

Lakeside Aquatic Club’s Lauren Pitzer got things moving early in the race with a 59.82 first 100, with Sandpipers’ Erica Sullivan on her hip in lane 2. Sullivan pulled ahead at the 200 mark in 2:04.41, but La Mirada Armada’s Taylor Ault took control with 100 meters left at 3:08-mid.

While Sullivan has been stellar the last week, Ault won the title in 4:11.62, just off of her best. Sullivan and Pitzer hung on at the end, hitting the wall 2-3 at 4:12.92 and 4:13.29, respectively.

Pleasanton’s Miranda Heckman (4:13.46) and Greater Tampa’s Morgan Tankersley (4:15.06) had nice drops from prelims to take 4th and 5th, with Easop Lee of NBAC in at 6th (4:15.22) and The Fish’s Madelyn Donohoe shaving a bit off of her prelims time for 7th (4:15.59). Donohoe, 15, was the youngest swimmer in this final.

14-year-old Olivia McMurray of Swim Florida had a great surge at the end of the B final to win it in 4:15.80, moving her way up from 73rd to 27th all-time in the 13-14 age group.

BOYS 400 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• WJR: 3:44.60 – Mack Horton
• Meet: 3:51.99 – Townley Haas
• 13-14 NAG: 3:57.61 – Evan Pinion
• 15-16 NAG: 3:50.68 – Larsen Jensen
• 17-18 NAG: 3:46.08 – Larsen Jensen

1. Alexander Zettle, Lakeside Aquatic Club 3:51.44
2. Tal Davis, Team Greenville 3:52.26
3. Jack LeVant, North Texas Nadadores 3:52.86

Jack LeVant was the top seed in this race after prelims, but he couldn’t quite keep off the push from Alexander Zettle and Tal Davis. It was Lakeside’s Zettle who had plenty of gas at the end of the race, finishing up with a strong 3:51.44 to crack Townley Haas’s meet record. Davis got in there for 2nd (3:52.26), with LeVant in for 3rd (3:52.86).

All three had significant improvements from prelims, as did Scarlet Aquatics’ Johannes Calloni, who touched for 4th at 3:54.72. 5th place Hayden Curley of Highlander was 3:57.99, the last swimmer to finish under 3:58.

Scarlet Aquatics’ Dare Rose erupted for a 3:59.02 to win the C final, the 14-year-old now holding the #3 spot in the all-time 13-14 rankings in this event.

GIRLS 100 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• WJR: 56.46 – Penny Oleksiak
• Meet: 58.69 – Felicia Lee
• 13-14 NAG: 59.51 – Kendyl Stewart
• 15-16 NAG: 57.93 – Mary T. Meagher
• 17-18 NAG: 57.87 – Katie McLaughlin

1. Dakota Luther, Austin Swim Club 58.59
2. Olivia Carter, Enfinity Aquatics 59.38
3. Lucie Nordmann, Magnolia Aquatic Club 1:00.13

Austin Swim Club’s Dakota Luther was off of her game last night in the 200, but she looked fantastic tonight in the 100 fly. Her time of 58.59 was a new best, and it shoots her all the way up to #3 in the 17-18 rankings behind only Katie McLaughlin (57.87) and Felicia Lee (58.41). Additionally, she broke Lee’s meet record by a tenth tonight.

Finishing 2nd was Olivia Carter of Enfinity Aquatics, breaking the minute barrier for the first time and moving into a tie for 19th in the 17-18 rankings with Natalie Coughlin. Carter posted a 59.38, and she was the only other swimmer under 1:00 tonight. 3rd place Lucie Nordmann was 59.90 in prelims, though she was on the other side of the minute barrier with a 1:00.13 tonight.

Following Nordmann were 5 girls at 1:00’s– SOCAL’s Elise Garcia (1:00.38), NCAP’s Isabella Gati (1:00.47), Carmel’s Kelly Pash (1:00.59), Gator Swim Club’s Isabel Ivey (1:00.67), and Lucie’s sister Lillie Nordmann (1:00.69).

BOYS 100 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• WJR: 50.62 – Kristof Milak
• Meet: 52.57 – Michael Andrew
• 13-14 NAG: 54.59 – Michael Andrew
• 15-16 NAG: 52.57 – Michael Andrew
• 17-18 NAG: 51.10 – Michael Phelps

1. Alexei Sancov (Terrapins)/Shaine Casas (Nitro) – 53.24
2. –
3. Jake Johnson, Delaware Swim Team 53.80

It was a tie in the boys’ 100 fly, with Alexei Sancov of the Terrapins and Shaine Casas of Nitro hitting the wall simultaneously at 53.24, a solid half second ahead of third. Casas now ranks 23rd in the 17-18 age group between Michael Andrew and Maxime Rooney, while it looks as though Sancov has set a new Moldovan national record, breaking his own 53.90 mark from prelims.

Delaware Swim Team’s Jake Johnson was in there for third at 53.80, a big eight-tenth drop for him from prelims. Multnomah Athletic Club’s Van Mathias ended up tying his prelims time, going 53.97 to secure fourth place.

Carson Foster of Mason Manta Rays posted a 54.38 to take 5th.

BOYS 4×200 FREE RELAY – FINAL

• Meet: 7:28.28 8/1/2014 Indiana University Swim Team, (I Finnerty, M Irwin, B Colonis, B Pieroni)

1. Irvine Novaquatics, 7:31.63
2. Mason Manta Rays, 7:32.40
3. Terrapins, 7:35.55

Irvine Novaquatics took this one, helped by a consistent four legs and a strong 1:51.54 2nd leg from Owen Kao to finish first in 7:31.63. Mason Manta Rays nearly came back to win it, thanks to a standout 1:49.99 leg from 15-year-old Carson Foster, but he ran out of room before getting close enough to pull ahead.

3rd went to Terrapins, who got a 1:49.11 lead-off from Alexei Sancov, the 100 fly winner earlier in the meet.

Meanwhile, tonight’s 400 free champion Alexander Zettle had an impressive 1:50.97 split on Lakeside Aquatic Club’s relay, which ended up 12th.