Katharine Berkoff Hits Best in 100 Free to Close Out Washington Open

2019 WASHINGTON OPEN

• January 17th-20th, 2019
• King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, Washington
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results

Katharine Berkoff of the Missoula Aquatic Club had two great swims on the final night of the 2019 Washington Open.

Berkoff, who recently announced her commitment to NC State for this coming fall, started things off with a victory in the 100 back. She was 51.47, splitting 25.03 / 26.44 and winning by a whopping four seconds. She was a bit off of her lifetime best in this, a 50.72 from the 2018 Winter Jr Champs – West last month. Later, in the 100 free, she was the only finisher under 50 seconds to win at 48.90. That was a hundredth faster than her old personal best.

King Aquatic Club’s Ethan Dang dominated the 200 breast, winning by six full seconds. The 16-year-old was 1:56.00, less than a second off of his lifetime best, which is a 1:55.26 from last month which ranks #3 all-time in the 15-16 age group.

Former University of Alabama swimmer Chris Staka of Aptos Cabrillo Swim Club in California won the 100 free in 44.37 ahead of 16-year-old Kai Crews of Truckee Tahoe Swim Team (44.69). For Staka, who spent two years at Alabama but left after the 2017-18 season and is currently looking for a new school to attend, that’s a lifetime best by over a tenth. Staka, who didn’t make the 2017 NCAA roster for the Crimson Tide, competed at NCAAs in 2018 and then this summer finished 7th at U.S. Nationals in the 50 back.

He also swam a 46.39 in prelims of the 100 back, the fastest time of the day, though he was just 4th in 50.69 in finals.

Meanwhile, that was a huge swim for Crews, who took nearly a full second off of his old best from a month ago with this morning’s 44.81 (and he set a new PR tonight with his time). Crews also won the 100 back (48.79), which was another best, in a time that ranks 9th amongst 15- to 16-year-olds in the country this season (from September 2018 to now).

OTHER WINNERS

• Santa Maria Swim Club’s Parker Reynolds won the men’s 1650 in 15:32.08. Reynolds, who is just 14, went under 16 minutes for just the 2nd time ever in his young career, and took over 20 seconds off of his old best time. After not being in the top 100, Reynolds vaults to 17th in the 13-14 age group historical rankings.
• Jaime Chen of the Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club was 2:00.53 to win the women’s 200 fly.
• The men’s 200 fly went to Isaac Giordano at 1:51.28.
• Kaitlyn Dobler of The Dolphins Portland Swimming was 2:12.08 to win the women’s 200 breast, just off of her best time.
• Francesca Criscione of Corvallis Aquatic Team took 14 seconds off of her old best to win the women’s mile at 17:00.58.