Speedo Winter Junior Championships – West: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2021 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WEST

• December 8-11, 2021
• Jamail Texas Swim Center, Austin, Texas
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Prelims: 9 am (ET)
• Finals: 5 pm (ET) – Wed. relays at 6 pm
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream

SATURDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEETS – GIRLS

SATURDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEETS – BOYS

The final day of the Speedo Winter Junior Championships is here. This morning’s prelims session will feature the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly. The 1650 free will be competed starting this afternoon, and it will be a timed finals event, as always.

In a stacked girls 200 back, Kennedy Noble holds the top seed at 1:51.91. She’ll have plenty of competition on her hands, though, as Teagan O’Dell will be racing next to her this morning, and Katie Grimes and Justina Kozan are in the preceding heat.

Justina Kozan is set to race the girls 100 free after the 200 back. Leah Hayes is the top seed in the 100 free this morning with her personal best of 48.34. Bella Sims and Lucy Bell are also slated to race the 100 this morning.

The girls 200 breast brings us another showdown between Emma Weber and Aubree Brouwer. Weber edged out Brouwer in the 100 breast last night, and is the top seed this morning. Caroline Bricker is seed 3rd, less than a second behind Weber in 1st.

Lucy Bell and Bella Sims are set to go at it again in a fly race. Bell holds the top seed in the girls 200 fly this morning, while Sims is the 3rd seed. Justina Kozan, who would be swimming her 3rd race, is seeded 2nd.

Keaton Jones is the top seed in the boys 200 back, and 100 back champion Nick Simons comes in at #2. 50 free champ Quintin McCarty is back in action in the 100 free, where Alex McMahon is the top seed. Nate Germonprez, who’s swum several personal bests this week, is also in the mix. Maximus Williamson is set to race in the fastest heat this morning as well.

Zhier Fan is slated to race the boys 200 breast, where he’s the top seed. Fan had scratched his events earlier in the meet, but didn’t scratch this morning, indicating he’ll race. Conor McKenna is the top seed in the boys 200 fly, and he’ll have to go up against 100 fly champ Ilya Kharun.

GIRLS 200 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Katharine Berkoff – 1:50.16 (2018)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Kennedy Noble (PSC) – 1:54.18
2. Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 1:54.38
3. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 1:54.59
4. Paige Taber (TWST) – 1:57.65
5. Maggie McGuire (SCAL) – 1:57.69
6. Meghan Donald (ACAC) – 1:58.37
7. Macky Hodges (UN-CA) – 1:58.42
8. Amie Perna (DM) – 1:58.62

Top seed Kennedy Noble led the field this morning, swimming a 1:54.18. The swim was 2.27 seconds off her personal best, but Noble was still able to grab the top seed for tonight. Irvine Novaquatics 15-year-old Teagan O’Dell swam a 1:54.38 to take 2nd this morning, marking a personal best by 1.26 seconds. O’Dell had a huge summer swimming LCM, before she turned 15, getting down to 2:09.57 in the LCM 200 back.

Katie Grimes, in her first race of the day, swam a 1:54.59, which is 1.7 seconds off her best time. Grimes is still slated to race the 1650 in the fast heat with finals tonight, so she may have been pacing herself this morning. We’ll find out at finals tonight.

There’s a big drop off after the top 3 this morning, with Grimes swimming a 1:54.59 for 3rd, and Paige Taber clocking a 1:57.65 for 4th.

BOYS 200 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Jacob Pebley – 1:40.79 (2011)

1. Keaton Jones (NEP) – 1:43.28
2. Chase Mueller (FST) – 1:43.44
3. Nick Simons (LOSC) – 1:43.66
4. Kyle Brill (UN-CA) – 1:43.89
5. Kai Van Westering (UN-CA) – 1:44.21
6. Reese Voelkel (KATY) – 1:44.43
7. Ronald Dalmacio (ROSE) – 1:45.20
8. Marcus Gentry (SSS) – 1:45.73

Keaton Jones out of Swim Neptune led the field this morning, clocking a 1:43.28. The swim was close to his personal best of 1:42.81, which is the fastest personal best in the field.

Chase Mueller, a 17-year-old out of Foothills Swim Team, dropped 2.72 seconds to post the 2nd-fastest time of the morning. Mueller got down to 1:43.44 after entering the meet with a best of 1:46.16. He finished 4th in the 100 back last night.

Nick Simons, the 100 back champion from last night, took 3rd this morning with a 1:43.66, touching 0.72 seconds off his best.

GIRLS 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Abbey Weitzeil – 46.29 (2014)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Leah Hayes (TIDE) – 48.89
2. Katie Crom (UN-CA) – 49.37
3. Jada Scott (AAAA) – 49.45
4. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 49.51
5. Riley Francis (LAC) – 49.62
6. Bella Sims (SAND) – 49.65
7. Casaundra Moses (SPA) – 49.68
8. Zara Zallen (LOVE) – 49.74

Leah Hayes clocked the fastest time of the morning, touching as the only swimmer under 49 seconds. Hayes was off her personal best by half a second this morning, a best time which she swam a month ago at the IL High School state meet.

14-year-old Claire Weinstein swam a personal best of 49.51 to finish 4th this morning. Weinstein, primarily a distance swimmer, is now tied for 23rd all-time in the 13-14 100 free. The Sandpipers 14-year-old is also slated to race in the fastest heat of the girls 1650 free during tonight’s finals session.

Bella Sims, her first race of the day, finished 6th with a 49.65, touching off her personal best of 49.16. Sims split 50.78 on the first 100 of her 500 free Thursday night, so she could have a much bigger race in store for tonight.

BOYS 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Ryan Hoffer – 41.23 (2015)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Quintin McCarty (PPA) – 43.23
2. Alex McMahon (AQUA) – 43.53
3. Connor Foote (AAAA) – 43.77
4. Maximus Williamson (NTN) – 43.78
5. Diggory Dillingham (BEND) – 43.99
6. Ethan Harrington (PASA) – 44.02
7. Sonny Wang (WLOO) – 44.03
8. Ben Scholl (CFSC) – 44.07

In a very fast prelims of the 100 free, 50 free champion Quintin McCarty dropped nearly half a second from his personal best to touch 1st. McCarty’s swim ties him for #46 all-time in the 17-a8 age group. McCarty had a big drop from prelims to finals in the 50 free on Thursday, so we’ll see if he takes a similar path today, and rises further in the all-time rankings.

Connor Foote dipped under 44 seconds for the first time in his career, posting a 43.77 for 3rd. Maximus Williamson, a 15-year-old who has been lighting it up this week, also broke 44 seconds for the first time. Williamson’s 43.78 makes him the #6 performer all-time among 15-year-olds, and #18 all-time in the 15-16 age group.

Diggory Dillingham, who has been shedding time in the 50 free over the past week, clocked a 43.99 to swim a massive new personal best. The 16-year-old is now tied for 27th all-time in the 15-16 age group. Ethan Harrington, Sonny Wang, and Ben Scholl are all 16 years old, and all swam personal bests this morning. Harrington is now #30 all-time in the 15-16 age group, while Wang is tied for #31, and Scholl is tied for #34.

GIRLS 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Alex Walsh – 2:06.02 (2018)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Piper Enge (BC) – 2:11.23
2. Kathryn Hazle (NCA) – 2:12.38
3. Emma Weber (TOPS) – 2:12.42
4. Karina Kanary (TXLA) – 2:12.72
5. Aubree Brouwer (SPA) – 2:13.15
6. Zoey Zeller (MAKO) – 2:13.67
7. Audrey J-Cheng (PASA) – 2:13.89
8. Caroline Bricker (COSA) – 2:13.91

Bellevue Club 15-year-old Piper Enge was a surprise top finisher this morning in the 200 breast. Enge dropped 4.10 seconds to clock a 2:11.23, touching first in the field by over a second. With the swim, Enge is now the #11 performer all-time among 15-year-olds. She’s also tied for #37 all-time for 15-16s.

North Coast Aquatics 17-year-old Kathryn Hazle swam a personal best of 2:12.38 to finish 2nd this morning. Emma Weber and Aubree Brouwer, who battled hard in the 100 breast last night, both qualified for the A final. Both girls have personal bests of 2:10, and the race will still likely come down to the pair, although Enge has certainly entered herself into the conversation.

Caroline Bricker, qualified 8th this morning with a 2:13.91. Bricker has a best time of 2:11.08.

BOYS 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Josh Matheny – 1:52.12 (2019)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Zhier Fan (MTRO) – 1:56.89
2. Logan Brown (FCST) – 1:57.64
3. Kyle Brill (UN-CA) – 1:58.46
4. Andrew Zou (UN-ST) – 1:58.69
5. Roberto Bonilla (TWST) – 1:58.90
6. Daniel Li (ROSE) – 1:59.06
7. Jake Eccleston (LOVE)/Kalvin Hahn (GOAL) – 1:59.37
8. –

In his first race of the meet, Metroplex 17-year-old Zhier Fan swam a personal best of 1:56.89 to post the top time of the morning. Fan had scratched out of his events earlier in the meet for unknown reasons, but whatever it was, Fan appears to be here at full strength now. Fan is set up well for the A final tonight, with the fastest personal best in the field by nearly a second.

Logan Brown, 16, dropped 1.5 seconds to touch 2nd this morning, while 18-year-old Kyle Brill dropped 1 second to touch 3rd.

Roberto Bonilla entered the meet with a 2:01.33, and clocked a 1:58.90 this morning to qualify for the A final. Kalvin Hahn also broke 2:00 for the first time, swimming a 1:59.37 to tie for 7th.

GIRLS 200 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Regan Smith – 1:51.24 (2018)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Bella Sims (SAND) – 1:56.18
2. Justina Kozan (UN-CA) – 1:56.99
3. Scarlet Martin (IFLY)/Caroline Bricker (COSA) – 1:58.21
4. –
5. Ava Whitaker (RACE) – 1:58.66
6. Kelsey Zhang (PASA) – 1:58.83
7. Annemarie Vlaic (LOSC) – 1:58.92
8. Bailey Hartman (CROW) – 1:58.97

In her 2nd race of the day, Bella Sims clocked the top time of the morning, touching 1.29 seconds off her personal best. Justina Kozan was 2nd this morning, swimming over 2 seconds off her best mark.

Caroline Bricker‘s performance in the 200 breast is clearer now. The 16-year-old went right back into action, astonishingly swimming a personal best by 6 seconds to tie for 3rd this morning. Fortunately for Bricker, the double will be significantly less grueling tonight, as she’ll get the awards break after the 200 breast, plus the boys 200 breast, that awards ceremony, and the first 2 heats of girls 200 fly between her races tonight.

14-year-olds Kelsey Zhang and Annemarie Vlaic both swam personal bests to qualify for the A final 6th and 7th respectively. Zhang is now #31 all-time in the 13-14 200 fly, while Vlaic is now #35.

BOYS 200 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Luca Urlando – 1:40.91 (2018)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Ilya Kharun (SAND) – 1:44.03
2. David Schmitt (EVO) – 1:44.81
3. Holden Smith (UN-CA) – 1:45.61
4. Conor MCKenna (LAC) – 1:45.88
5. Cooper Lucas (LAC) – 1:45.92
6. Hayden Ghufran (DART) – 1:46.88
7. Jacob Pishko (LAC) – 1:47.18
8. Max Cahill (ROSE) – 1:47.73

100 fly champion and new 15-16 100 fly NAG record-holder Ilya Kharun of Sandpipers swam another personal best this morning to top the field. With the swim, Kharun is now the #7 performer all-time in the 15-16 age group.

Evolution Racing 16-year-old David Schmitt just put up a massive performance this morning, swimming a 1:44.81. Schmitt dropped 4 seconds with the swim, not only grabbing a middle lane for tonight, but rocketing himself up to #11 all-time for 15-16 boys as well.