Class of 2022 #12 Hayden Miller Swims 4:41-Flat 500 Free at TISCA Gulf Invite

2021 TISCA Invitational – Gulf

• TISCA-Gulf Invite 2021
• Nov 18 – Nov 19
• CISD Natatorium Shenandoah, TX
• Results available on MeetMobile “TISCA-Gulf Invite 2021”

University of Florida-bound Hayden Miller, the No. 12 recruit in the 2022 class, swam a 4:41 flat in the 500 at the TISCA Gulf Invite in Shenandoah, TX on Nov 19th. This TISCA mid-season invite serves as a midseason peak meet for many swimmers, with some resting and suiting up for the meet. 

TISCA is the Texas Interscholastic Swim Coaches’ Association. Each season, they host a series of invitational meets with stiff time standards across the state that serve as important mid-season invites. Teams are usually suited, and often on at least a drop taper, for these meets, though there are no ‘qualifying standards’ for the Texas High School postseason (advancement is done by placement at District, then Regional meets), so there’s no motivation to hit a qualifying standard.

Miller, who was representing Cy Creek High School, would rank 2nd in the 500 on the Florida roster this year (behind Tylor Mathieu’s 4:39.98 at the Georgia Tech Invitational). After not placing any swimmers in the top 8 at the last NCAA Championships, Florida is looking at 3 swimmers with times that are close to making that meet’s final (Mathieu – who finished 11th at NCAAs, Miller, and Elise Bauer). Miller’s time is also the second fastest in the 17-18 age group this season. 

Miller took the 500 out in a 1:50.49 at the 200 mark, and split the race 2:18.91/2:22.09 at the 250s. She held a consistent pace in the middle part of the race, holding a 28.4 for four straight 50s before falling a couple of tenths back leading up to her final sprint to the finish. 

Splits:

Her previous best time in the 500 was a 4:42.73 set in March. At the Gulf Invite she was more aggressive in the first 200, going out 1.31 second faster than her previous personal best (where she went out in 1:51.80 at the 200). 

Miller also won the 200 Free, finishing in 1:46.57. This was just off of her best time of 1:46.37, set back in February at her Regional meet. 

On the team side of things, the Kingwood High School boys and the Woodlands High School girls won the team competition. 

Boys Top Ten Teams : 

1. Kingwood High School – 384
2. The Woodlands High School – 355
3. Clements High School – 200
4. Tompkins High School – 187
5. Taylor High School -178
6. Conroe Grand Oaks – 151
7. Humble Atascocita – 121
8. Klein Cain High School – 120
9. Spring High School Swim Team – 114
10. Oak Ridge High School – 105

Girls Top Ten Teams: 

1. The Woodlands High School – 643
2. Kingwood High School – 301
3. Cy-Fair Swim Team – 184.5
4. The Woodlands College Park – 154
5. Clements High School – 125
6. Taylor High School – 117
7. Seven Lakes – 109.5
8. Humble Atascocita – 107
9. Tompkins High School – 100
10. Kacr – 95

Other notable races: 

• Sophomore Kayla Fu from Clements High School won the 50 free in a best time of 22.93. Fu finished third at the last 6A Girls Texas State Championships with a 23.33. Her 22.93 would have finished second, just behind University of South Carolina-bound Cory Shanks’ 22.82. Fu also won the 100 free, breaking 50 for the first time to go 49.91.
• Bridgeland High School junior Emma Kinsey won the 100 fly in a time of 54.19. She was also third in the event at the 6A Championships, and her 54.19 would have finished second. 
• Senior Alex Fu, a University of Pennsylvania commit, won the 100 fly in 48.53. Fu finished 7th at the 6A Championships, while his 48.53 would have finished third. 
• Junior and University of Virginia commit Hayden Bellotti blasted a 44.87 in the 100 free. Bellotti was the 6A runner-up in the event with a 46.68. His time from the Gulf Invite would have won the championship by almost two seconds. 
• Another junior, Logan Brown, won the 100 breast in 54.84. Brown, who is committed to Texas A&M, dropped almost two seconds from his previous best. Brown’s time would have won the 6A title at the last championship meet. 
• Senior Nick Schmid from Taylor High school swam a best time and was the runner up in the 100 breast with a 55.20, breaking the Taylor school record. His time would have also won the last 6A title in the event. Schmid was also on the Taylor 200 medley and 200 free relays, both of which broke school records (the 200 free relay record was 21 years old).