AgonSwim Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 3/4/2014

We are starting to wind down the short course season, with state championships, short-course prelims/long-course finals formats, and the last of the winter high school championships. Here are the swims that impressed us during the weekend of February 27-March 1, 2015, also known as the AgonSwim Weekly Wonders:

Grace Oglesby, 16, Unattached (Cardinal Aquatics): 50y free (22.92) – Swimming for North Oldham High School at the Kentucky High School Swimming & Diving Championships, Oglesby dropped 4/10 from her best time, broke 23 seconds for the first time, and set a state record while winning the 50 free. Later in the meet she broke the 100 free record, too, lowering the 52.14 mark she had set in prelims with 51.75.

Colin Bone, 17, Crawfish Aquatics: 100y free (45.07) – Only 1/100 off his best time with a prelims swim of 45.07, Bone qualified fourth for finals in the 100 free at the Speedo Sectionals Championship Series hosted by Aggie Swim Club in College Station. He then came back and won the final, swum in long-course meters, with 51.02, a lifetime best by .94.

Josh Walsh, 15, Memphis Thunder Aquatic Club: 200y free (1:40.10) – Walsh has been chipping away at the 200 free all season, dropping about a half-second with every swim. At the Southeastern Championships hosted by Tennessee Aquatics in Knoxville, Walsh finally achieved his first national cut in the event. Walsh also went best times in the 50 free, 500 free, 100 back, and 100 fly.

Michael Brinegar, 15, Unattached (Donner Swim Club): 500y free (4:24.92) – Representing Columbus North High School, Brinegar went a lifetime best by more than 4 seconds and won the state title at the Indiana High School Boys Swimming and Diving Championships at IUPUI Natatorium. Brinegar didn’t seem to be intimidated by being the only freshman in the championship final; he won by nearly half a pool length.

Abbie Sullivan, 12, SOLO Aquatics: 1000y free (10:19.71) – Sullivan improved her time by over 19 seconds and won the girls 12-year-old 1000 free by 39 seconds at the New England 12 & Under Championships, hosted by the Upper Valley Aquatic Center. Sullivan dominated the distance free events, winning the 500 by almost 20 seconds and the 1650 by almost a minute. She took home firsts in the 200 free, 100/200 fly, and 200/400 IM, as well.

Colin Cavanaugh, 18, Clovis Swim Club: 1000y free (9:18.73) – Cavanaugh dropped nearly 6 seconds from his seed time and won the boys open 1000 free by a pool length at the Juanita Allington Memorial Senior Meet hosted by Clovis Swim Club. Cavanaugh also picked up best times in the 200 free and 400 IM during this mid-season meet.

Robert Finke, 15, Saint Petersburg Aquatics: 1650y free (15:09.70) – Finke improved his seed time by more than 24 seconds when he won the boys 14-16 mile at the Florida Spring Senior Championships in Orlando. Finke also won the 1000, and finished the weekend with best times in the 200/500/1000/1650 free, 200 back, and 400 IM.

Jack Thorne, 18, Loveland Swim Club: 100y back (47.11) – Thorne posted the fastest time in the country for the weekend in prelims at the Big 10 Stampede hosted by Lakeside Aquatic Club. The SCY prelims/LCM finals format of the meet gave Thorne the opportunity to finish the weekend with new PBs in the 100/200y back, 200y fly, and 200/400y IM as well as the 50m free, 50/100m back, 200m fly and 400m IM.

Bryce Mefford, 16, Sierra Marlins Swim Team: 200y back (1:46.27) – Mefford went within a half-second of his best time in the 200y back, qualifying fifth for finals at Speedo Sectionals in College Station. He then went a best-ever LCM time for a third-place finish with an Olympic Trials cut of 2:02.72. Mefford came away from College Station with new times in the 100y back, 200y fly, 400y IM, 800m free, 100/200m back, and 100/200m fly.

Colin McHugh, 18, Unattached (Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club): 100y breast (54.77) – Representing St. Augustine Prep at the New Jersey High School Meet of Champions, McHugh won the 100 breast with a new meet record. McHugh also picked up a PB of 1:51.74 with his fourth-place finish in the 200 IM, and split a 25.0 breast on St. Augustine’s 200 medley relay and 21.1 on the end of their 200 free relay.

Easop Lee, 14, North Baltimore Aquatic Club: 200y IM (1:58.75) – Lee dropped more than 3 seconds in her come-from-behind victory in the 200 IM at the Maryland Short Course Senior Championships. She also won the 200/500 free, and 100/200 fly, achieving best times in both frees and the 100 fly.

Kaylyn Schoof, 12, Schroeder YMCA Swim Team: 400y IM (4:26.26) – Schoof went a best time by 7.7 seconds when she won the 400 IM at the Wisconsin 12 & Under Short Course State Championships hosted by Elmbrook Swim Club. Schoof won six individual events (girls 11-12 200 free, 50/100/200 back, and 200/400 IM) and set new state records in the 200 free, 200 back, and both IMs. She left the meet with new PBs in the 50/200 free, 100/200 back, and 400 IM.