SwimSwam’s The Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 11/27/2013

There was a lot of focus on college invitationals over the weekend but the age group swimmers had some record-breaking swims, too. The week’s Daring Dozen is actually the Fabulous Fourteen:

Brennan Pastorek, 14, Georgia Coastal Aquatic Team: 50 free (21.70) – At Savannah Swim Team’s Freestyle Frenzy, Pastorek won the boy’s 50 with 21.70. Last November he was a 23.0.

Mollie Pulte, 17, UN: 200 free (1:47.90) – Swimming for Birmingham Marian at the Michigan Girl’s D2 Swimming and Diving Championships, Pulte set the D2 record in the 100 free (49.87) and 200 free. She also swims for Motor City Aquatics.

Katie Drabot, 16, Ozaukee Aquatics: 500 free (4:46.39) – Drabot rewrote the meet record books this weekend at Wisconsin’s Fall Western Great Lakes Open, hosted by Lake Country “Phoenix” Swim Team. Her 500 was nine seconds under the old record. In addition, she reset the 50 free (23.24), 200 IM (2:00.03), and 400 IM (4:22.41) marks.

John Thomas Larson, 14, Edina Swim Club: 500 free (4:36.45) – Larson also competed at LCST’s Fall Western Great Lakes Open. This was his third 4:36 in the last couple of weeks; a year ago he was going 4:44.

Courtney Harnish, 14, York YMCA: 1000 free (9:56.61) – At the 59th Annual York YMCA Tournament of Champions, Harnish won the 1000 with 9:56.61. Although it was a tick off her all-time personal best, it was still eight seconds faster than her time from last November.

Will Barao, 12, Unattached: 1650 (17:08.91) – Barao’s mile at the South Shore YMCA Strypers Thanksgiving Y Invitational catapulted him to the top position in the country for 12-year-old boys by eight seconds.

Taylor Garcia, 16, Unattached: 100 back (52.95) – Garcia broke won two events -100 back and 100 fly- at the Michigan Girl’s D2 Swimming and Diving Championships, defending her 2012 titles. In the 100 back, Garcia went 53.32 in prelims (which is exactly what Missy Franklin swam at the UNLV Fall Invitational) and then came back and did 52.95 in finals. In addition, she set the D2 record while winning the 100 fly (54.01). The Holland High School junior also swims for Byron Center Dawgs.

Anthony Kim, 15, Charger Aquatics: 200 back (1:48.42) – Prior to Charger Aquatics’ 7th Annual High Desert Classic, Kim’s fastest 200 back was 1:55. This weekend he went 2:00 in prelims and 1:48 in finals to jump to the number two 200 back in the country for 15-year-old boys. And he did it at 5300 feet. He also dropped 12 seconds in the 400 IM to go 4:02.70 and -2 in 200 free for 1:42.13

Will Chan, 13, Unattached: 100 breast (58.74) – Chan competed at The Mark J. Braun Fall Classic hosted by the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins. His 59.31 in prelims was the first time he’d been under 1:00. Last November he went 1:02; two years ago, 1:10.

Sam Senczyszyn, 16, Ozaukee Aquatics: 200 breast (2:15.47) – Another record-breaker at Wisconsin’s Fall Western Great Lakes Open, Senczyszyn went her best ever 200 breast by 2.2 seconds and just out-touched Katie Drabot for the win. In winning the Women’s Senior 200 Breast she broke the meet record of 2:15.62 set in 2004 by Alicia Jensen of Foxjet.

Noah Brune and Joshua Lee, both 12, both Canyons Aquatic Club: 100 fly – Brune (55.50) and Lee (55.58) share the honors for the 100 fly of the week. Their swims at this weekend’s Canyons’ Cranberry Classic represent huge year-to-year drops: in November 2012 Brune went 1:05 and Lee went 1:08.

Grant House, 15, Unattached: 200 IM (1:50.88) – House set the meet record at the Mark J. Braun Fall Classic with his 1:50.88 200 IM. Last year at this time he went 2:02. House also swims for Countryside YMCA.

Christin Rockway, 13, Tampa Bay Community Aquatics: 400 IM (4:24.13) – Rockway won the 400 IM at the Sarasota Y “Tom Herrington” Invitational. She also won the 200 free (1:55.40), 100 fly (58.30), and 200 IM (2:07.91). She was third in the 200 fly (2:06.77).