2021 SRVA Shamrock Showdown
Vanessa Chong of the New-York-based Badger Swim Club lowered her own Metro LSC record in the 17-18 girls 200 yard butterfly for the third time, winning the event 1:57.13 this weekend at the Senior Shamrock Showdown in Richmond, Virginia. After first bettering the previous standard of 1:58.26–set in 2019 by Morgan Rinn–in December with a 1:57.99, Chong clocked a 1:57.64 in January in a Badger-hosted time trial meet.
Overall, Chong has now knocked nearly 3 seconds off her 200 butterfly time in the past 4 months; her best time prior to her December swim was 1:59.96 from March 2019. She also grabbed two other wins for the weekend in the 100 butterfly (54.23) and 200 IM (2:01.01, edging her previous personal best of 2:01.10).
16-year-old Princeton commit Sabrina Johnston of BGNW Marlins had a stellar meet of her own, winning all three of her individual events in lifetime best times. Johnston started off the weekend with a 53.77 100 backstroke and 22.85 50 freestyle on Saturday, marking the first time she broke 54 seconds and 23 seconds, respectively. She then came back Sunday to break 50 for the first time in her career, finishing in 49.80.
Bucknell commit Justin DiSanto won two events and notched lifetime bests in all three finals events in which he competed. DiSanto came away with wins in the boys 50 freestyle (20.69, with a 20.61 prelims swim) and 100 breaststroke (55.83), as well as a second place finish in the 100 freestyle where he broke the 46-second barrier for the first time (45.45).
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
- 13-year-old Sara Czirjak of Virginia Gators dropped more than five seconds from her previous best to clock a 2:19.35 in the 200 yard breaststroke. Czirjak has dropped 20 seconds overall this season in the event, and currently sits 9th-fastest nationally among 13-and-under girl swimmers
- Arie Ioselevich, a 15-year-old from Trident Aquatic Club, finished 3rd in the open 100 breaststroke (56.64) and 1st in the open 200 breaststroke (2:02.45). Both times were well under his personal bests of 57.67 and 2:03.30, respectively, and are top 20 times nationally among 15-and-under boys
