Alex Walsh Shatters 17-18 LCM 200 IM NAG with 2:09.01

by Spencer Penland 14

December 05th, 2019 Club, News, Previews & Recaps

2019 U.S. OPEN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Alex Walsh broke the 17-18 National Age Group Record in the women’s 200 IM tonight at the US Open. Walsh came in 2nd in the A final, touching in 2:09.01, just .17 seconds behind champion Melanie Margalis. Walsh’s previous best of 2:11.24 already ranked her 5th all-time in the 17-18 rankings. She shattered the NAG, which stood at 2:10.02 from Elizabeth Pelton back in 2011.

Here is a split comparison between Walsh’s record time tonight, her previous best, and Pelton’s NAG from 2011:

SWIMMER Alex Walsh 2019 US Open Alex Walsh 2019 Pan Ams
Elizabeth Pelton 2011 US Winter Nats
Fly 28.26 28.21 27.86
Back 33.03 (1:01.29) 33.19 (1:01.40) 32.56 (1:00.42)
Breast 37.42 (1:38.71) 37.97 (1:39.37) 38.80 (1:39.22)
Free 30.30 31.87 30.80
FINAL TIME 2:09.01 2:11.24 2:10.02

The biggest difference between Walsh tonight and her performance at this past Summer’s Pan American Games is that she came home much faster tonight. She was just .11 seconds faster on the first 100 tonight than she was in Peru, but she came back a whopping 2.12 seconds faster, largely thanks to her 30.30 on the free leg compared to 31.87 at Pan Ams. When Pelton set the NAG, she took the race out considerably faster than Walsh has before in her career, but lacked the back end speed Walsh has shown.

In This Story

14
Leave a Reply

Subscribe
Notify of

14 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
OG Prodigy
4 years ago

When’s the last sibling combo been at the Olympics for USA? I recall many moons ago: Kellers, Piersols, Kirks, I’m sure I’m missing obvious ones here. Walsh and Foster 2020? That’d be neat.

2 Cents
Reply to  OG Prodigy
4 years ago

Margalis maybe? If you mean same olympics that might not be the case.

Edit: never mind.. he was Pan Ams not Olympics…. still a Nat team member though

dmswim
Reply to  OG Prodigy
4 years ago

The Anderson sisters as well.

Lane 8
4 years ago

Congratulations Alex! So many records tonight!

Taa
4 years ago

If Baker doesn’t swim this at trials then Walsh is now in position to make the team

OG Prodigy
Reply to  Taa
4 years ago

If Baker swims this at Trials…Walsh will still be in position to make the team.

Taa
Reply to  OG Prodigy
4 years ago

3rd place doesn’t make the team last I checked.

Ferb
Reply to  Taa
4 years ago

Last I checked, they don’t award the places until after the race.

Swimmerj
4 years ago

Is that a WJR?

Jaguar
Reply to  Swimmerj
4 years ago

Yes

Rachel Wander
Reply to  Swimmerj
4 years ago

My guess is that she’s too old. Usually girls are by the time they are seniors in high school. I think she has still be 17 by Jan 1.

MY MOM!
Reply to  Swimmerj
4 years ago

No, 17 is max age for female WJR.

Lane 8
Reply to  Swimmerj
4 years ago

No, she turned 18 in July

Texas Tap Water
Reply to  Swimmerj
4 years ago

No. she has to be 17 until the end of year.

She’s 18 already