Here are the Weekly Wonders for the weekend of May 26-28, 2017:
Naeleah Hadford, 18, iNspire Swim Team: 50m free (27.11) – Hadford took the girls’ 15-and-over 50 free at the 60th Annual Air Capital Invitational hosted by Wichita Swim Club, posting her second-best time and winning by 1 second. She was runner-up in the 100 back and won the consolation final of the 100 free with the day’s second-fastest time.
Chloe Stepanek, 15, Long Island Aquatic Club: 100m free (56.82) – Stepanek won the women’s open 100 free by .12 at the Memorial Day Invitational hosted by Berkeley Aquatic Club. She dropped 1.9 seconds and was 3.5 seconds ahead of last year’s time, posting the #2 time in the country for 18-and-under girls. She also earned her first national cuts in the event; a Winter Nationals in prelims and a U.S. Open in finals. Stepanek left the meet with new PBs in the 50/100/200/400 free and 100 fly.
Joshua Cho, 14, Park City Swimming: 200m free (2:00.61) – Swimming at the 7th Annual Speedo Arizona Invitational hosted by Mesa Aquatics Club, Cho dropped 6.5 in the 200 free and catapulted to #11 in the U.S. for 13-14 boys this season. Cho was fully 12.2 seconds faster than he’d been a year ago. He also updated his times in the 400 free, 1500 free, 100 back, and 200 IM.
Madelyn Donohoe, 15, The Fish: 400m free (4:15.50) – Representing Team USA at the 54th Annual Mel Zajac Jr. International, Donohoe dropped 0.6 in prelims to register her first-ever sub-4:16, and the #2 time in the U.S. for 18-and-under girls for the weekend. She also snagged a new PB in the 50 free. Donohoe competed in the 50/100/200/400/800/1500 free and 50/100/200 back.
Sophia Ribeiro, 12, El Paso Aqua Posse: 800m free (9:51.55) – Ribeiro lopped 21.7 seconds off her 800 free at the MAC Speedo Arizona Invite, crashing through the 10-minute barrier. She also had big drops in the 50 free (-0.41), 100 free (-1.4), 200 free (-2.3), 50 breast (-0.9), 100 breast (-3.9), and 200 breast (-5.9).
Aislin Farris, 12, Bluefish Swim Club: 200m back (2:24.69) – The only 12-year-old in the A, B or C final of the 200 back at the BAC Memorial Day Invitational, Farris won the B final with a PB by 2.9 seconds. She was an astounding 24.6 seconds faster than she’d been last year at this time. She also earned PBs in the 400 free, 200 fly, and 200 IM.
Caspar Corbeau, 16, Tualatin Hills Swim Club: 100m breast (1:03.76) – Corbeau scored the bronze medal in the 100 breast at the Mel Zajac Jr. International. He dropped 1.5 seconds off his previous best time to notch the #1 time in U.S. for 18-and-under boys for the weekend. Corbeau came in third in the 50 breast, fourth in the 200 breast, 9th in the 50 free, and 14th in the 100 free. He took home new PBs in all five events.
Harrison Clinton, 14, Coastal Aquatic Club: 100m breast (1:12.38) – Swimming at the May Breakout LC Meet hosted by Carolina Aquatics, Clinton placed fourth in the boys’ open 100 breast with a new PB that was his best by 9/10 and 9.6 seconds faster than last year at this time. He was runner-up in the 200 breast, seventh in the 800 free, and eighth in the 400 IM. He earned new PBs in the 200 free and 800 free, in addition to the 100 breast.
Reminder: The Weekly Wonders column is a celebration of age-group swimming, where new champions are made every day. Anyone can look up the top swims of the week. That’s not what we’re doing here. If we were only reporting on the week’s top swims we would feature the same handful of athletes every Wednesday. Instead, this is an opportunity to introduce the swimming community to athletes who have made great strides in the context of their own particular swimming worlds. By association, it also celebrates their coaches and their teams. The Weekly Wonders column, therefore, amounts to a pat on the back for a job well done, and hopefully encourages swimmers of all levels to continue to reach from within to get to that next level.
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