Romano Scorches 200 Back, Weitzeil Almost Goes Sub-47 to Close American Short Course Champs

The final session of what has been an electric week of competition at the 2015 American Short Course Championships in Austin, Texas may have been the best yet, with big swims in nearly every race to close the meet.

The tone was set early byย Megan Romano, officially representing the New York Athletic Club but training with the Texas post-grad group, who swam a 1:51.72 to win the 200 backstroke. She beat out a pair of impressive young Austin natives,ย Quinn Carrozza (1:55.53) andย Regan Barney (1:56.23) to win.

That is Romano’s lifetime best in this event by over a second-and-a-half, beating out the 1:53.41 that she did last November at the Minneapolis Grand Prix. This is an event in which Romano has dabbled with off-and-on in long course, and as her freestyles have started coming back around since moving to Austin to train less than a year ago, her leaps in the backstrokes have as well.

In the very next women’s event,ย Abbey Weitzeil of the Canyons Aquatic Club swam a 47.05 to win the women’s 100 yard freestyle. That beat out a trio of Georgia Bulldogs, includingย Allison Schmitt (47.77), Romano (48.30), andย Amanda Weir (48.35). Schmitt has swum very well all weekend long coming down out of altitude, and that’s another lifetime best swim for her in yards.

While that wasn’t a best time for Weitzeil, it was her second-fastest swim ever in that event – continuing a trend of swimming very well at this meet. Maybe more importantly, much as we saw Simone Manuel doing about a year ago, this is a confidence building swim for Weitzeil – beating out a group of Olympians and National Team level swimmers for a high schooler, even at regular-season meets, can start to grow a sprinter’s confidence and help them make the transition from the mentality of the “underdog” to “perennial favorite.”

Weitzeil later split 46.56 on a relay start to combine withย Mik Ranslem (51.57),ย Nikol Popov (49.46), andย Tamara Santoyo (50.71) to win the women’s 400 free relay running-away.

On the men’s side of the pool, the highlight was a 1:54.12 in the 200 yard breaststroke from Missouri seniorย Igor Kozlovskij. That improves upon the 1:55.00 that he did at the SEC Championships and move him up into 14th place in the NCAA this season, which will lock up his invite to the NCAA Championship meet in three weeks.

Other event winners:

  • Longhorn post-gradย Laura Sogar topped the women’s 200 breaststroke, without a ton of competition, in 2:09.53.
  • Irvine Aquazot’sย Sonia Wang won the women’s 200 fly in 1:56.08, beating out NBAC’sย Becca Mannย (1:56.97) and local Longhorn Aquatics 15-year old Dakota Luther (1:57.08). United States women’s 200 butterflying has been in a trough for a long time, but the group at this meet represents the heart of a group that is reviving the event, with five junior-level swimmers going 1:58.1 or better.
  • The men’s side of the pool saw a 1:43.31 200 backstroke fromย Austin Surhoff, beating out Texas A&M freshmanย Brock Bonetti (1:43.58). Bonetti, seeking to improve his 1:42.11 in this event from SEC’s, was unable to push himself off of the bubble and lock up a spot at the NCAA Championships, and will now have to wait for the selection lines to be drawn.
  • NBAC post-gradย Frank Dyer swam a 43.12 in the 100 yard free, beating out high school seniorย Tate Jackson (43.62). Jackson will attend Notre Dame in the fall, which is Dyer’s alma mater.

 

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hswimmer
9 years ago

I think Franklin should swim 200im at OT’s.. I think her breaststroke has gotten better in yards and there’s more of an open field there than 200 free.

weirdo
Reply to  hswimmer
9 years ago

not going to happen. it is the same day as the 200 free

bobo gigi
9 years ago

๐Ÿ˜ฏ
I’ve just read the results of that meet in Austin.
I’m still shocked! ๐Ÿ™‚
I know the pool is very fast in Austin but are the times from Allison Schmitt really real? ๐Ÿ˜†
If yes, that’s the biggest news of this great weekend of swimming. With also MP of course! ๐Ÿ™‚
Where does it come from? There was no indication in the last meets that she would break her best times this week.
1.40/4.32 ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ˜ฏ
Perhaps everything was planned. 2 quiet years after London to refresh mentally and physically and then, slowly, everything returns to normal one year before Rio.
Of course it requires a confirmation in the… Read more ยป

100free
9 years ago

Friis also went a 15:30 in the 1650.

Reply to  100free
9 years ago

That’s real good.

ThatGuy
9 years ago

Isn’t Romano a *Georgia* post grad? Not Texas

bobo gigi
9 years ago

It looks like I’ve missed a lot of swimming news all over the weekend.
Absent only 3 days but I need a complete update and a quick week recap of Pac-12 champs, PV champs, Greensboro sectionals, Austin meet and Marseille Golden Tour meet.
I see Michael Phelps in the headlines with great time trials in Austin! ๐Ÿ˜ฏ It was a well-kept secret! ๐Ÿ™‚

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, โ€ฆ

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