AgonSwim Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 1/21/2014

We are getting caught up here at Weekly Wonders Central, having been inundated with college meets over the last several weeks. There have been a lot of great age-group meets this month, and we are seeing all kinds of new names. Below are the AgonSwim Weekly Wonders for January 16-19, 2015.

Eien McGee, 14, Performance Elite Aquatics: 50y free (21.84) – McGee was on a tear at the Ralph Crocker Classic hosted by Auburn Aquatics. He won the boys 13-14 50 free, 100 free, 200 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, and 200 IM, and he was the fastest 14-and-under boy in the open 500 free. McGee notched personal bests in both the 50 free and 200 IM.

Alex Antonov, 11, Pleasantville Aquatics: 100y free (54.91) – Antonov won the girls 11-12 100 free at the Middle Atlantic Elite Meet held at the Gloucester County Institute of Technology. Although she was just a tick off her best time from the Tom Dolan Invitational, Antonov nonetheless was nearly 5 seconds faster than she had been at the same meet last year. She did, however, leave the meet with new PBs in the 200 free, 500 free, 100 fly, 100 IM, and 200 IM.

Ana Pozder, 14, Triangle Aquatics Club Titans: 200y free (1:51.09) – Pozder won the girls 13-14 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, and 200 IM at the Jumpin’ January BB+ Meet hosted by Poseidon Swimming. At the end of the weekend, Pozder had achieved new times in the 100 free, 200 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, and 200 IM.

Monica McGrath, 17, Lakeside Swim Team: 500y free (4:50.69) – McGrath lopped 6 seconds off her best 500 time and got her first national cut while swimming at Carmel Swim Club’s Winter Invitational. She won both the 200 free and 500 free, and logged best times in the 100 free, 200 free, 500 free, 200 back, and 200 fly during the weekend.

Bailey Grinter, 15, Edwardsville YMCA: 100y back (55.79) – Grinter won the girls 100 back at the CFAC MLK Invitational with a new personal best. She was just a tick faster than what she went at YMCA Short Course Nationals last April, and almost three seconds faster than she had been at this time last year. Grinter also the 50 free and 200 back, and earned new PBs in the 50 and 100 frees.

Dean Farris, 17, Metro Atlanta Aquatic Club: 200y back (1:48.11) – Ferris earned his first national-level cut in the short-course version of the 200 back when he knocked 1.8 seconds off his seed time in a come-from-behind win in the boys’ open event at the Pilot Flying J January Classic in Knoxville, Tennessee. Farris also picked up his first national cut in the 200y IM (1:52.22), dropping 4.8 seconds in the process.

Taylor Williams, 12, Collierville Swimming: 100y breast (1:03.19) – Swimming at the Gabby Rose Classic hosted by Memphis Tiger Swimming, Williams made the “A” final of the men’s 100 breast, 200 breast, 100 back, 200 back, and 200 IM, and the “B” final of the men’s 100 free. He came within .12 of his best 100 breast time and was 5.5 seconds faster than he was a year ago. He did pick up new PBs in the 100 free, 200 back, 200 breast, and 400 IM.

Daniel Roy, 14, Spokane Area Swimming/YMCA: 200y breast (2:05.35) – Roy had a big meet at the 2015 Washington Open in Federal Way, placing second in the open 200 breast and fifth in the 100 breast (57.94). He also finaled in the 200 IM and 400 IM. Roy finished the weekend with best times in the 50 free, 100 free, 500 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM.

Danny Syrkin, 12, Rose Bowl Aquatics: 100y fly (54.08) – At his first senior meet, the SCS Senior Invite hosted by San Clemente Aquatics Team, Syrkin went his best time in the 100y fly by .10 and made finals, posting the third-fastest in the country for 12-year-old boys this year. In finals, which was held in LCM, Syrkin went his best 100m fly by more than 2 seconds (1:01.66), missing the SCS record by .11.

Bebe Thompson, 16, Empire Swimming: 200y fly (2:00.15) – Thompson won the girls 15 & Over 200 fly with a meet record and best time at the January Jump Start hosted by Greensboro Swimming Association. She also won the 500 free, 1000 free, 200 back, 100 fly, and 200 IM (all with meet records), as well as the 200 breast. The 200 breast and 1000 free were also new PBs for Thompson.

Cameron Dafoe, 12, Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club: 200y IM (2:03.42) – Dafoe shaved 2.1 seconds off his best time finishing second to Ethan Dang in the boys 11-12 200y IM at The City Of Plano Swimmers 33rd Annual SPEEDO Greater Southwest Invitational Swim Meet. Dafoe moved up to sixth in the nation in the event. He also picked up best times in 50 free, 100/200 back, 50/100 breast, and 200 IM.

Kate McCarville, 11, Springfield Aquatics: 200y IM (2:15.81) – McCarville dropped 5 seconds and finished second in the 11-12 girls 200 IM at the Neutrogena NWAA Winter Invitational hosted by Northwest Arkansas Aquatics. She finished the weekend with new PBs in the 200 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 50/100 fly, and 200 IM.