At long last, it’s really summer. School is over, or will be in a week or so, long-course training is upon us, and WWAGS is now focusing on the most noteworthy meters swims of the week. Below are the Daring Dozen for May 23-25, 2014.
Kaitlyn Albertoli, 17, San Clemente Aquatic Team: 50m free (25.99) – Albertoli, fresh off a very successful CIF-SS championship, made the move to long course seamlessly. She went her third-fastest time winning the “B” final of the 50 free at Speedo Grand Challenge in Irvine, CA, and was 3/10 faster than at the same time a year ago.
Braeden Knight, 11, Episcopal AmberJax: 100m free (1:02.81) – Knight took 2 seconds off his best time to finish second in the boys’ 11-12 100 free at EAJ’s Midnight Madness LC Meet in Jacksonville, FL. At this same meet last year he went a 1:10-mid. Knight also went best times in the 800 free and 50 fly.
Aukai Lileikis, 16, Punahou Aquatics: 200m free (1:53.98) – Competing at the 10th Oceania Swimming Championships, Lileikis took 1.4 seconds off his prelims time to finish fourth in the men’s 200 free final. He also came home with new personal bests in the 50 (24.04) and 100 (52.85) frees.
John Nunez, 17, Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics: 400m free (4:00.76) – Nunez went a best time by 1.9 seconds and finished third in the championship final (of only four swimmers) at the Speedo Grand Challenge.
Gillian Caverly, 13, Team Santa Monica: 800m free (9:06.64) – Almost a full minute faster than she was a year ago, Caverly dropped two seconds in prelims to make the women’s 800 final at Speedo Grand Challenge, then dropped another two in finals to finish seventh.
Kensey McMahon, 14, Bolles School Sharks: 1500m free (18:02.19) – McMahon came up with a personal best at her first meet of the long course season, dropping 29 seconds from where she was a year ago at this time. She also got best times in the 200 fly and 200 IM.
Lainey Visscher, 15, Oregon City Swim Team: 100m back (1:04.41) – Visscher’s personal best of 1:04.41 in prelims at Mel Zajac Jr International, was good enough to get her into the “A” final of the 100 back with Missy Franklin, Rachel Bootsma, and Elizabeth Pelton. She also came home with best times in the 50/100/200 free.
Thomas Smith, 17, Aquazot Swim Club: 200m back (2:02.97) – Seeded ninth at Speedo Grand Challenge with a 2:06.30, Smith dropped nearly three seconds in prelims and qualified first. He then lopped off another half-second in finals and finished second behind USC’s Yacov Toumarkin, a 2012 Olympian for Israel. Newly 17, Smith broke the Southern California LSC record in the boys 15-16 200y back in February with 1:43.71.
Andy Lee, 12, La Guardia Aquatic Club Twisters: 100m breast (1:15.56) – At the May Extravaganza Invitational hosted by Long Island Express, Lee won the boys 11-12 50/100 free, 50 back, 50/100 breast, and 50 fly. He set club records in the 50/100/200 breast, and a new Metropolitan Swimming record in the 200 IM by two seconds (2:23.68).
Julio Horrego, 15, City Of Hialeah Storm Swim Team: 200m breast (2:23.87) – Horrego has been chipping away at the 200 breast with every meet he’s swum so far this season. At Gulliver Long Course Invitational he dropped another second in winning the boys 13-and-over race. He also came out on top in the 400 free and 200/400 IM.
Remedy Rule, 17, Shenandoah Marlins Aquatic Club: 200m fly (2:12.38) – Rule won the 200 fly at Speedo Grand Challenge, only a second off her lifetime best and about 3.5 ahead of her time from last June. Rule did, however, go back to Virginia with a new time in the 200 IM: 2:20.91.
Darius Truong, 11, Nation’s Capital Swim Club: 200m IM (2:30.06) – In April, Truong dropped two seconds from his 2013 personal best in the first long-course meet of the 2014 season. Last weekend at the Virginia LC State Championships he dropped another five and finished second in the boys 11-12 IM by a mere .07. Truong also won the 100/200 breast and 100 fly.
Special thanks to Lyle Campbell for his assistance in putting this list together.
Yea Kensey! GO BOLLES!
Im there ! Thank you!!!
No one has noticed this, but Danning Hu from New Jersey Swimming turned 12 in February and was a 4:36 in the SCY 400 IM in January at 11. At age 12 during the Eastern Zone Championships when Alex Walsh and Katie Mack were breaking some NAGs, Hu took 2nd to Walsh with a 2:08.8 in the 200 IM and won the 100 IM with a 59.9. She also was a 2:06.6 for the 200 back and a 1.07 for the 100 breast.
Carsten had the best age group swim of the past couple weeks with that 1:02.2 hands down. Only .3 off his lifetime best! Alex Valente, who is a very impressive & up and coming fly swimmer, in second with his 53.4 100 fly. At this point in the season both are incredible times.
Chase Travis
I first learned about this little ten year old at the NASA Showcase Classic, she swims for the Delaware Swim Team, great team….great coach. Chase went under 5 minutes in her 400FR last month to start the LC season, look for this little one….lots of heart.
Way to go Braeden!
I will give one up for the LSC, way to go Braeden up their in Jacksonville!!
congratulations remedy!
Best age group swim of the week for 17-year-old Carsten Vissering from NCAP in my opinion
1.02.26 in the 100 breast
Other mentions
9-year-old Nicholas Arndt from The Fish
1.14.82 in the 100 fly
10-year-old Joy Jiang from Westchester Aquatic Club
1.11.89 in the 100 back
9-year-old Jeremiah Lhea Tandigan from Santa Clara Swim Club
1.26.79 in the 100 back
10-year-old Keane Alejandro fom Canyons Aquatic Club
2.46.45 in the 200 breast
As Lane 0 mentioned above,
14-year-old Sean Lee from Swim Pasadena
1.54.75 in the 200 free
and 17-year-old Alex Valente
53.43 in the 100 fly
18-year-old Corey Okubo from Aquazot Swim Club
4.18.90 in the 400 IM
14-year-old Isabella Rongione from NCAP
4.14.97 in the 400 free
1:11 in the 100BK in LC, at 10! That’s exciting. Way to go Joy.