2023 CA FRAN CRIPPEN SWIM MEET OF CHAMPIONS
- April 13-16, 2023
- Marguerite Aquatic Center, Mission Viejo, CA
- Hosted by Mission Viejo Nadadores
- LCM (50 meters)
- Psych Sheet
- Day 1 Recap
The first prelims session of the 2023 Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions (SMOC) is now in the books. Friday morning’s action featured the 50 back, 200 fly, 100 free, 200 breast, and 400 free.
Sandpipers of Nevada 17-year-old Bella Sims was the only swimmer this morning to post the top time in two different events. Sims kicked off her morning with a 2:13.03 in the women’s 200 fly, leading the field by a little over a second. It was Sandpipers teammate Katie Grimes, also 17, who was second this morning, swimming a 2:14.41. We can expect both swimmers to be faster tonight, as Sims clocked a personal best of 2:09.89 at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series last month, while Grimes has been as fast as 2:09.58, a time which she established at the Knoxville PSS in January of this year.
14-year-0ld Kayla Han out of La Mirada Armada came in third in the women’s 200 fly with a 2:15.90 this morning. She was just off her personal best of 2:15.27 with the performance.
Also of note, Sandpipers 16-year-old Applejean Gwinn was sixth this morning in the women’s 200 fly with a 2:17.26. The swim marks a personal best for Gwinn by 2.36 seconds. That performance comes after Gwinn dropped a massive PB in the 1500 free last night.
Sims would go on from the 200 fly to clock the top time of the morning in the women’s 400 free as well. She swam a 4:12.02, leading Han (4:13.61) by 1.59 seconds. Once again, we can expect a faster swim out of Sims tonight, as she has a personal best of 4:06.61, which she swam last April at the International Team Trials. Meanwhile, Han has been faster as well, boasting a career best of 4:11.34 from just a few weeks ago.
18-year-old Macky Hodges, who is now well into her first season with Sandpipers, blasted another lifetime best this morning, coming in third int the women’s 400 free with a 4:14.23. That swim takes more than five seconds off Hodges’ personal best of 4:19.91, which has stood as her best since May of 2021.
Another Sandpiper, 16-year-old Claire Weinstein, who had a huge swim in the 1500 last night, was fourth this morning in the 400 free, touching in 4:18.99. Weinstein has been much faster than that before, holding a personal best of 4:06.24. Given her personal best, coupled with her mile last night, definitely be on the lookout for Weinstein in tonight’s final.
Mission Viejo Nadadores 16-year-old Teagan O’Dell was excellent this morning as well, posting a 55.58 to lead prelims of the women’s 100 free. For O’Dell, the performance marks a new personal best in the event, beating out her previous best of 55.82, which she swam at the Speedo Summer Championships – West meet back in August of 2021. 17-year-old teammate Asia Kozan came in second this morning with a 56.96, marking a new career best for her as well, in addition to her first performance under 57 seconds in the event.
Rose Bowl Aquatics 18-year-old Rex Maurer led prelims of the men’s 100 free with a 51.06, touching first by well over half a second. Maurer was within a second of his career best of 50.20 with the swim this morning, setting him up well for tonight.
Maurer went on to finish in a very close second in the men’s 400 free this morning, swimming a 3:57.63, which came in just behind Mission Viejo Nadadores pro swimmer Trenton Julian. who led the way with a 3;57.43. The final tonight ought to be a fantastic race between Julian and Maurer, both of whom hold lifetime bests of 3:49. For Julian, his personal best of 3:49.47 was set back in 2019 at U.S. Summer Nationals, while Maurer clocked his PB of 3:49.86 at Junior Pan Pacs last summer in Hawaii.
DAY 2 TOP QUALIFIERS
- Women’s 50 back: Teia Salvino (MVN) – 29.89
- Men’s 50 back: Andrija Petkovic (TAC) – 26.54
- Women’s 200 fly: Bella Sims (SAND) – 2:13.03
- Men’s 200 fly: Adam Mahler (PITT) – 2:03.64
- Women’s 100 free: Teagan O’Dell (MVN) – 55.58
- Men’s 100 free: Rex Maurer (ROSE) – 51.06
- Women’s 200 breast: Kaitlyn Nguyen (NOVA) – 2:34.35
- Men’s 200 breast: Daniel Li (ROSE) – 2:16.94
- Women’s 400 free: Bella Sims (SAND) – 4:12.02
- Men’s 400 free: Trenton Julian (MVN) – 3:57.43
