2022 PRO SWIM SERIES – WESTMONT
- March 2-5, 2022
- FMC Aquatic Center, Westmont, Illinois
- Start Times (CST): 9:00 am prelims / 6:00 pm finals
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Live Stream (USA Swimming)
- All The Links You Need
- Storylines to Watch
- How To Watch
- Saturday Prelims Heat Sheets
16-year old Leah Hayes topped a field of some of the sport’s best in prelims of the 200 IM on Saturday at the PSS-Westmont. In the process, she climbed to 4th place in the all-time 15-16 age group rankings among Americans.
Hayes, who trains locally with the Fox Valley Park District Riptides not far from the FMC Natatorium, swam 2:11.22 in prelims. That undercuts her own previous best time of 2:12.89 that placed her 10th in the semifinals at the 2021 US Olympic Swimming Trials.
The swim is also the fastest in the world in 2022, clearing British Olympian Abbie Wood’s 2:11.32 from the McCullagh International Meet last weekend.
Top 10 Performers all-time, 15-16 Americans, 200 LCM IM:
- Katie Hoff, NBAC – 2:10.41 (2005)
- Dagny Knutson, Unattached – 2:10.79 (2009)
- Liz Pelton, NBAC – 2:11.03 (2009)
- Leah Hayes, Fox Valley Riptides – 2:11.22 (2022)
- Justina Kozan, Unattached – 2:11.55 (2019)
- Elizabeth Beisel, ABF – 2:11.65 (2009)
- Missy Franklin, Colorado Stars – 2:11.69 (2010)
- Torri Huske, Arlington Aquatic Club – 2:11.70 (2019)
- (TIE) Meghan Small, York YMCA, 2014/Alex Walsh, Nashville Aquatic Club, 2018 – 2:11.83
In the fall, Hayes, a sophomore, won the Illinois girls’ high school state title in the 200 IM and 100 free, and then a month later won both, in faster times, at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships – West meet.
In yards, the big drops came through the backstroke and breaststroke legs for Hayes in the fall. In long course, the difference maker was really the breaststroke – and so far, that seems in part improvement in speed, and in part a change in strategy, as she backed off her backstroke leg to get bigger returns on her breaststroke leg.
Hayes’ Splits Comparison:
| Old PB | New PB | |
| Back | 28.72 | 28.50 |
| Breast | 33.15 | 33.80 |
| Fly | 40.19 | 38.14 |
| Free | 30.83 | 30.78 |
| 2:12.89 | 2:11.22 |
Hayes leads a field into finals that includes swimmers like Olympians Leah Smith (2:13.53), Melanie Margalis (2:14.54), Hali Flickinger (2:16.59), and Bailey Andison (2:16.75), as well as one of the top swimmers in the ISL Beata Nelson (2:16.78).
Previously in this meet, Hayes also won the 200 free in a best time of 1:59.14, scratched finals of the 400 IM but also swam a best time of 4:42.97, and was 10th in the 100 free in a best time of 55.29.
on an earlier article about Westmont Finals I posted this conclusion about Leah Hayes.
So impressed with teen Leah Hayes. Remarkable. I had projected her as at least #3 in the class of 2024, but it is looking like she will have made a case for #1
And by the way, you have the IM order wrong in the chart of her split comparisons. You have the medley relay order.
makes me laugh Complexity.
FFS. This is swim web site.
exactly why would they start with back first before the fly LOL
Impressive. If she’s still only a sophomore does that mean she’ll be 16 throughout this summer and will have additional chances to break the 15-16 record?