2020 SOUTHERN PREMIER MEET
- March 6th-8th, 2020
- Georgia Tech – McAuley Aquatic Center
- SCY (25y) Pool
- Results on Meet Mobile “2020 Speedo Southern Premier”
There were quite a few highlight swims in Atlanta on Saturday, which featured some of the nation’s top junior swimmers. Nashville Aquatic Club’s Gretchen Walsh put up a lifetime best in the 50 free on night 2 of the 2020 Southern Premier. Walsh raced to a 21.50, taking 9 hundredths off her best from the TISCA Championships last month. Walsh, 17, has now moved ahead of Kate Douglass as the 3rd fastest ever in the 17-18 age group. She’s behind only Olympic gold medalists Simone Manuel and Abbey Weitzeil.
Walsh, a Virginia commit, was also a member of Nashville Aquatic Club’s winning 200 medley relay (1:38.98). Lauren Hurt led them off with a 26.11 back split. Older sister Alex Walsh, also a UVA commit, came through with a 26.91 breast split, handing off to Alex Massey for a 24.71 on the fly. Gretchen then anchored in 21.25.
Taking 2nd in the women’s 50 free final was Olympic medalist Amanda Weir of SwimAtlanta in 22.62. In the men’s race, SwimAtlanta’s Jack Aikins swam a lifetime best 19.68 in prelims. Aikins, a UVA commit, went on to win the final in 19.99. He swam the 200 IM shortly after, winning in 1:47.77. Aikins broke 1:49 for the first time today.
Weir, typically known for her sprint talents, went on to swim the 500 free. She won in 4:49.47, her 5th fastest in her career and fastest since 2017. SwimAtlanta’s Jake Magahey, a Georgia commit, was within a few tenths of his best in the men’s 500 free. He was body lengths ahead of the field as he won it in 4:13.19, his 2nd fastest performance ever.
Dynamo’s Tristen Ulett clipped her lifetime best in the 200 fly. Her 1:55.74 was a best by 3 hundredths, topping her former best from this meet in 2019. Teammate Avery Bargeron dropped over 3 seconds today, breaking 2:00 for the first time with a 1:59.97 in the final. Auburn commit Evan McInerny won the men’s race, clipping his best from Winter Juniors in 1:46.21. FSU commit Tommy Eaton was closely behind in 1:46.44, taking nearly 3 seconds off his best throughout the day.
The Walsh sisters and Ulett returned in the 200 IM. Alex Walsh dominated the race, winning by nearly 3 seconds in 1:55.29. That’s her 4th fastest performance in the event and her fastest since 2018. Gretchen walsh was 2nd, clipping her best time in 1:58.12. Ulett, a Louisville commit, was 3rd there in 1:58.65. Her younger sister, 15-year-old Rye Ulett, was within hundredths of a best time as she took 4th in 1:59.42.
The medley relay was another NAG 17-18. That’s 2 in 2 days
Ulett has also committed!
I’ll add that in, thanks!