Despite the fact that the past two weekends bookended spring break (for some, anyway), we seem to have had more big meets over the weekends of March 27-30 and April 4-6 than in the last few weeks. See who made the list of our AgonSwim Weekly Wonders for March 27-April 6, 2015:
Kierstin Godfrey, 13, Tide Swimming: 50y free (23.15) – Godfrey dropped 1.4 seconds in the 50 and earned her first-ever Winter Nationals cut swimming in the Time Trials at the NASA Junior National Championship Cup in Clearwater, Florida. That swim rocketed her up to the Number Two spot in the country for 13-year-old girls so far this season. Godfrey also picked up a new time in the 100 fly.
Cameron Craig, 17, Southern Michigan Aquatic Club: 100m free (51.05) – Craig placed second in the 100m free at Speedo Sectionals at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Craig swam the 100 three times, including as leadoff for SMAC’s 400 free relay, and all three were faster than his seed time. Craig finished the weekend with new times in the 50 free, 50 back, and 100 fly, and got his first Olympic Trials cut in the 100 back leading off the 400 medley relay.
Andrew Abruzzo, 15, Germantown Academy Aquatic Club: 200y free (1:39.03) – Competing at the Middle Atlantic Short Course Senior Championships at Graham Aquatic Center in York, Pennsylvania, Abruzzo won the men’s 200/1000/1650 free, and 400 IM, all with best times by a ton. He was second in the 500 free and 200 fly, third in the 200 back and fourth in the 200 IM, with best times in all the events.
Abbey Erwin, 15, Boise YMCA Swim Team: 500y free (4:45.83) – At the YMCA Short Course National Championships, Erwin posted a best time by nearly 3 seconds to lead the qualifiers for finals. She ended up finishing seventh, although her prelims time was the third-fastest of the meet.
Brooks Fail, 15, TJCC Stingrays Swim Team: 1000y free (9:06.41) – Fail improved by 11 seconds over his seed time, and was 28.4 seconds faster than he was a year ago when he placed third in the 1000 free at the Speedo Champions Series in Austin. Fail also earned PBs in the 200 free, 500 free, 1650 free, and 200 back.
Meghan Small, 16, York YMCA: 200y back (1:51.74) – Small had a phenomenal meet at YMCA Short Course Nationals, winning all four individual events she swam and setting records in each of them. Small won the 100/200 back and 200/400 IM, and clocked PBs in all of those plus the 50 and 200 freestyles.
Marget Shelly, 15, Chambersburg Chargers: 200y back (1:58.77) – Also excelling at YMCA Nationals was Shelly, who dropped almost 5 seconds in her 200 back to make top-eight and earn her first-ever national time standard. Shelly also improved nearly 4 seconds in her 200 IM.
Olivia Jack, 14, Clifton Park-Halfmoon Piranhas: 100m breast (1:11.79) – Jack had a breakout meet at the Speedo Champions Series Long Course Meet in Buffalo, New York. She came in with a seed time of 1:20.63, went 1:14.45 in prelims, then 1:11.79 in finals to place second and earn her first national cut in meters. Additionally, Jack registered PBs in the 50/100 free, 200 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM.
Mariah Gassaway, 17, South Davis Aquatics Team: 200y breast (2:15.18) – Gassaway crushed her previous best 200 breast time at the Speedo Champions Series in Austin, dropping nearly 7 seconds between her prelims and finals swims. She won the event by 4/10 and picked up her first national cut in the 200. Her twin sister Mckenna also went a best time, finishing 11th overall.
Maximilian Pokutta, 15, Unattached (Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics): 200y breast (2:02.23) – Pokutta dropped 4.5 seconds in the 200y breast in prelims at NASA Junior National Championship Cup to get his first national cut, then repeated his success in finals. There he improved his 200m breast time by 7.4 seconds, again earning his first entry to a national meet.
Mark Jurek, 17, Arizona Gold Swimming: 200y fly (1:43.72) – Jurek won the 200 fly by over 3 seconds at Speedo Champions Series in Austin. It was his best time by 2 seconds. He also notched new personal bests in the 50/100/200/500 free, 200 breast, and 400 IM.
Colin Monaghan, 17, Lanier Aquatics: 200y IM (1:47.62) –Monaghan improved his time by 1.5 seconds and won the 200 IM at the Georgia Northeastern Divisional Champions in Athens. Monaghan finished the weekend with newt times in the 50 free, 100/200 breast, 100 fly, and 200/400 IM.
