2022 TXLA 11 & Over End of School Splash

• When: May 20-22
• Where: Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, Texas
• Results

Several World Championships team members were among the group of Texas swimmers who competed at last weekend’s TXLA 11 & Over End of School Splash meet at the Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin. 

Most of the big names swam secondary events at the meet ahead of next month’s World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Worlds team member Shaine Casas took first in the 50 free with a 22.84 in the finals of the men’s 19 & over bracket, a time that ranks a tenth of a second slower than his personal best from 2018. The 22-year-old Casas scratched from the 100 back, one of his signature events. In his absence, Texas sophomore Christopher O’Connor claimed the top spot with a 55.56, less than a second off his personal best from last year’s Olympic Trials. Worlds team member Drew Kibler placed second with a 56.25, just over a second slower than his personal best.

Jake Foster earned first-place finishes in the men’s 19 & over 200 fly (1:59.70) and 200 back (2:08.95). He reached the wall just .07 seconds ahead of Worlds team member Coby Carrozza in the 200 fly. Foster also had a pair of runner-up performances, clocking a personal best in the 400 free (3:55.10) behind Carrozza (3:51.14) before taking second place again in the 200 breast (2:14.85) behind Dutch Olympian Caspar Corbeau (2:12.80) to cap off the meet. 

Carrozza’s time in the 400 free was less than a second slower than his fifth-place swim from April’s U.S. International Team Trials, where he qualified for the 4×200 free relay in Budapest. Corbeau, who is slated to swim the 200 breast for Netherlands at next month’s World Championships, finished four seconds off his personal best in the event.

The 22-year-old Kibler, who qualified for the 200 free and 4×100 free relay in Budapest, placed second in the 100 back (56.25) and third in the 400 free (3:55.45). Worlds teammate Charlie Swanson was fourth in the 400 free in 3:59.78. In the 100 breast, Corbeau (1:01.12) edged Swanson (1:01.92) by .80 seconds. Swanson’s 100 breast time was nearly two seconds slower than his personal-best 1:00.06 from International Team Trials. 

In the men’s 19 & over 200 IM, 27-year-old Will Licon bested the field by more than five seconds with a 2:01.67, three seconds off his personal best. 21-year-old Cole Crane was only .21 slower than his personal best in the 100 fly, which he won in 53.29. Crane also placed third in the 200 fly with a 2:00.10.

On the women’s side, 20-year-old Texas junior Kyla Leibel placed first in the 200 and 400 free, the latter a personal best in 4:22.24. Sophomore Grace Cooper had the top time in the women’s 19 & over 50 free with a 25.88, nearly a second ahead of runner-up Ava Longi (26.86). Cooper also touched first in the 100 free with a 56.27, nearly three seconds faster than second-place finisher Ellie McLeod (59.22). 

Fellow sophomore Sydney Silver triumphed in the women’s 19 & over 200 back with a 2:21.01, .86 ahead of runner-up Abigail Pfeifer (2:21.87). Pfeifer’s runner-up performance in the 400 free marked a personal best in 4:25.97.

18-year-old Texas freshman Luke Hobson swam 10 seconds faster than the field to secure the men’s 17-18 400 IM title in 4:28.47, a new personal best. Nitro Swimming’s Michaela Koltz posted personal bests in all seven of the events she raced in last weekend. Koltz tallied a pair of first-place finishes in the women’s 17-18 100 breast (1:13.77) and 200 IM (2:19.64), the latter qualifying her for the Speedo Junior National Championships in August.

Logan Walker also represented Nitro Swimming well with five first-place finishes. The 17-year-old Texas commit reached the wall first in the 200 IM (2:10.03), 200 free (1:53.96), 100 back (58.00), 200 back (2:03.50), and 100 fly (55.47). Walker’s times in the 200 IM and 200 back marked personal bests, with the latter qualifying him for Junior Nationals. 17-year-old Princeton commit Daniel Li showed off his versatility by winning the 200 breast (2:30.65), 200 fly (2:09.53), and 400 free (4:01.38). 18-year-old University of Pennsylvania commit Truman Armstrong won his age bracket’s 50 and 100 free sprints in 24.10 and 52.95, respectively. 

Kate Christian won three events in the 15-16 age bracket, starting with the 200 IM in 2:22.52. The 16-year-old Alabama commit also picked up victories in the 400 IM (5:02.35) and 200 back (2:18.67).

14-year-old Rowan Cox was absolutely dominant, winning all six events in which he competed. He placed first in the 13-14 200 IM (2:11.42), 50 free (25.05), 100 breast (1:11.43), 100 back (1:01.21), 100 free (53.95), and 100 fly (55.93). 

Connor Minear dropped 11.50 seconds from his entry time to top his 11-12 bracket of the 200 IM in 2:33.61. Minear, who swims club for Texas Gold, added wins in the 100 breast (1:21.24) and 200 breast (2:49.98) to cap off a weekend filled with personal bests in all six races entered. 12-year-old Bobur Jakhangirov of Nitro Swimming cruised to victories in the 100 free (1:01.84), 200 fly (2:36.00), and 400 free (4:44.70), with the last two times representing personal bests.