Jrs East: Alex Walsh Scratches Breast; Carson Foster Scratches Back

2018 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – East

• December 5-8, 2018
• Greensboro, NC
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

Day 3 finals at 2018 Speedo Winter Juniors – East will be devoid of two of the East’s biggest stars in some of their strongest events: Alex Walsh of Nashville Aquatic Club (100 breast) and Mason Manta Rays’ Carson Foster (100 back). Laker Swim’s Isabel Ivey, on the other hand, is seeded in the top-2 in 3 events (200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back) and will race in all three finals.

Walsh, the meet record-holder in the 100 breast, swam a field-leading 59.86 in prelims, the only sub-minute in the morning. She gave up her spot in lane 4 of the A final, however, to concentrate on the 100 back where she is also seeded first. Walsh was only 3/10 off her PB in morning heats of the backstroke; she swam a 51.76 and will contest that final, as well as the 200 free relay, tonight. With Walsh ceding her spot in the breaststroke final, #9 Sophia Zhang of Asphalt Green (1:02.18) will move into the A, both Ella Bathurst of Greater Tampa and Claudia Butterfield of Cincinnati Marlins (tied for 16th in heats with 1:02.56) will swim in the B, and #25 Hannah Ownbey of Y Spartaquatics (1:03.01) will contest the C final.

Caitlin Brooks of Gator Swim Club, who finished 18th in the 100 fly with 54.74, scratched out of the C final, moving #25 Abby Hay of Lake Erie Silver Dolphins (54.97) into lane 8. Brooks made the A final of the 100 back and will concentrate on that race.

Foster, despite notching the morning’s fastest 100 back time (47.57, 0.50 off his PB), gave up his spot in the A final to focus on the 400 IM, where he is seeded 2nd (3:47.16) behind his brother Jake Foster (3:44.69). Both brothers have a shot at the meet record of 3:43.64, set by Ridgefield Aquatic Club’s Kieran Smith in 2017. Jake Foster is also seeded #1 in the 100 breast; the brothers are also expected to swim Mason’s 4×50 free tonight, in their quest to sweep all 5 relays at the East meet (they have already won the first 3). Foster’s absence in the 100 back will move Carmel Swim Club’s Wyatt Davis into the A final; he tied for 9th with Enfinity Aquatic Club’s Thomas Hamlet (48.49). #17 Zach Franklin of Stingrays, who dropped .96 in prelims to go 49.01, will move into the B final. #25 John-Michael Gordon of Lynchburg YMCA will contest the C final from lane 8 after dropping .50 in prelims to notch his first sub-50 (49.67).

Carmel’s Davis scratched out of the 400 IM after finishing 17th in prelims; as mentioned above he will be in the A final of the 100 back. 14-year-old Josh Zuchowski of Flood Aquatics, 25th out of heats, declined his spot in the C final of the 400 IM. #26 Mike Jeschke of Aiken-Augusta Swim League (3:57.49) will get a second swim in tonight’s C final.

Finals begin at 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time.