Thanks to blueseventy, our presenting partner for Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming (August 9-11, 2019).
Grace Morgan, 13, Winchester Swim Team (WST-VA): 1500 free, 18:03.22: This long course season, 13-year-old Grace Morgan has swum a whopping five 1500 free races. Heading into the season, she had swum it four times ever, with a best time of 18:52.25. In her first 2019 attempt, she dropped to 18:36.76; in her second, 18:11.16; in her third, 8:09.52; in her fourth, 18:04.35; and last weekend, 18:03.22. She now owns the quadruple-A cut and was the third-fastest 13-year-old girl in the country last weekend.
Raymond Welgosh, 15, Suburban Seahawks Club (SSC-MA): 400 IM, 4:44.10 – A then-14-year-old Raymond Welgosh wrapped up the 2018 long course season with a best time of 5:03.74 in the 400 IM. He only swam it twice this year, but made both swims count: in his first attempt, he went a solid lifetime best of 5:01.83, then in his season swim, blew that time away with a 4:44.10. Welgosh was one of just three 15-year-old boys in the nation to swim the long course 400 IM last weekend and that time was good for a triple-A cut.
Erin Cavanagh, 16, Jersey Wahoos (JW-MA): 200 free, 2:02.73 – After a couple 2:05s and 2:06s early in the 2019 long course season ended the season with a best-time-shattering swim. She was 2:04.67 entering the summer, and then in her first swim last weekend at the 2019 Speedo Junior National Championships, went 2:04.37. But in her second swim, she was 2:02.73, making her the fastest 16-year-old girl in the country last weekend. Cavanagh also went best times in the 200 and 400 IM at Juniors, going 2:20.25 and 4:53.74.
Anthony Sebastian, 14, Quicksilver (GSS-PC): 200 breast, 2:24.99 – After entering the summer 2019 season with a lifetime best of 2:29.02 in the 200 breast, 14-year-old Anthony Sebastian swam a number of races in the 2:26-high to 2:28 range, before having a breakthrough swim last weekend. His best time of 2:26.38 was just done in mid-July, but Sebastian skipped the 2:25 mark and went 2:24.99 at the 2019 Western Zone Age Group Championships. Sebastian’s time qualifies him for 2019 Winter Juniors.
Beth McNeese, 18, Katy Aquatic Team for youth (KATY-GU): 400 free, 4:16.87 – 18-year-old Beth McNeese swam the 400 long course free just three times this summer – two of which were on the same day – but made those swims count. Her best time coming into the season was 4:18.64, but in early June, she went 4:26.15. Then, last weekend at the 2019 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships, she went 2019 4:19.34 in prelims and 4:16.87 in finals. With that time, she hit her first 2020 Olympic Trials cut.
Talan Hickman, 12, Roadrunner Aquatics (RA-CC): 100 fly, 1:05.20 – Twelve-year-old Talan Hickman had not swum a long course 100 fly before 2019 and has raced eight of them this summer alone. In his first attempt, in May, he was 1:09.19, and by early July, 1:08.75. In late July, Hickman went 1:05.39, and then last weekend at the 2019 Western Zone Age Group Championships, went 1:05.20. At the same meet, we went best times in the 50 through 400 free, as well as the 50 fly.
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