Speedo Winter Junior Championships – West: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2021 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WEST

• December 8-11, 2021
• Jamail Texas Swim Center, Austin, Texas
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Prelims: 9 am (ET)
• Finals: 5 pm (ET) – Wed. relays at 6 pm
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream

**Note: The live stream link will pull up the girls live stream. To get to the boys live stream, click the PIP in the corner of the screen.

Thursday Girls Heat Sheet

Thursday Boys Heat Sheet

Day 2 of the Speedo Winter Junior Championships is here, bringing us the first prelims session of the meet. We’ll ease into it today, with the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free on the schedule. Tonight, the 400 medley relays will also be competed in finals.

We have a few notable scratches before we get into the preview. #8 seed in the men’s 200 IM, Zhier Fan of Metroplex Aquatics, has scratched the event. Fan is coming off a highly successful summer of LCM swimming. Bella Sims, who was on the Sandpipers of Nevada’s winning women’s 800 free relay last night, has scratched the women’s 50 free this morning. Sims was the #7 seed.

As to what we can look forward to this morning, let’s start with the women’s 500 free, where the entire Sandpipers 800 free relay from last night will be competing. Bella Sims is the top seed in the event, and 14-year-old teammate Claire Weinstein will be in the lane next to her in the fastest heat. Katie Grimes is the #2 seed in the event, putting her in the 2nd-to-last heat, where Paige Kuwata will be racing next to her.

Sims and Grimes have a busy morning, as they’ll both be racing the women’s 200 IM as well. Coincidentally, the girls are tied for the #1 seed with their times of 1:56.12. Sims is set to race in the fastest heat, while Grimes will again be in the penultimate heat. They’ll be up against some stiff competition in the event, as Fox Valley Park District’s Leah Hayes comes in with a 1:56.38, and Fort Collins Area Swim Team’s Lucy Bell has a 1:56.54.

As things stand right now, Rose Bowl Aquatics’ Rex Maurer (4:17.52) and FAST Swim Team’s Matthew Chai (4:17.62) appear to be the class of the boys 500 free. They’re the only swimmers entered under 4:22, so we’ll probably get an exciting race out of the pair tonight.

Nate Germonprez of iNspire Swim Team is seeded first in the men’s 200 IM by a comfortable margin of 1.7 seconds. We’ll see if anyone rises up to challenge the 17-year-old this morning. Keep your eye on 16-year-old Diggory Dillingham in the boys 50 free. Dillingham, who swims for Bend Swim Club, swam a 19.88 50 free last weekend, breaking 20 seconds for the first time in his career.

GIRLS 500 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Regan Smith – 4:37.10 (2018)
• West Meet Record: Regan Smith – 4:37.10 (2018)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Bella Sims (SAND) – 4:39.47
2. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 4:39.82
3. Hayden Miller (CFSC) – 4:40.95
4. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 4:42.27
5. Jillian Cox (UN-ST) – 4:42.34
6. Elise Clift (MAC) – 4:45.68
7. Paige Kuwata (SAND) – 4:47.30
8. Kathryn Hazle (NCA) – 4:47.82

Katie Grimes showed up in her first of two races this morning, wasting no time pulling away from the field in heat 10. Grimes clocked a 4:39.82 this morning, only 2.46 seconds off her personal best. She split the race very well this morning, swimming a 2:19.27 on the first 250, and coming home in 2:20.65. Interestingly, Grimes’ slowest 100 split of the race was the 2nd 100, where she split 57.23.

Paige Kuwata, Grimes’ fellow Sandpiper, held on to take 2nd in the penultimate heat, doing her job to get into the A final tonight.

In the final heat, Sandpiper teammate and fellow U.S. Olympian Bella Sims paced the field, turning in a 4:39.47 to pick up the top seed for tonight. The swim was 7 seconds off Sims’ personal best, but she also has to get back in the pool for prelims of the 200 IM very shortly. Sims was incredibly consistent in her race this morning, splitting 56.96, 56.87, and 56.91 on the her middle 3 100s.

Cypress Fairbanks Swim Club 17-year-old Hayden Miller had a great swim this morning, establishing a new personal best of 4;40.95, and landing herself a middle lane for tonight. Miller swam next to Sims this morning, and after Sims established a body-length lead early, Miller stayed right on Sims’ feet, essentially matching splits with the Olympian.

Sandpipers 14-year-old Claire Weinstein didn’t waste an opportunity to race this morning, posting a new personal best of 4:42.27. The swim makes Weinstein the #11 performer all-time for 13-14 girls.

BOYS 500 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Jake Magahey – 4:12.72 (2019)
• West Meet Record: Jack Levant – 4:14.40 (2017)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Matthew Chai (FAST) – 4:18.42
2. Rex Maurer (ROSE) – 4:19.40
3. Cooper Lucas (LAC) – 4:20.60
4. Alec Enyeart (TST) – 4:21.55
5. Keaton Jones (NEP) – 4:22.21
6. Brice Barrieault (SAND) – 4:24.28
7. Anders Aistars (NOVA) – 4:24.48
8. Truman Armstrong (UN-ST) – 4:24.72

Matthew Chai of FAST Swim Team and Rex Maurer of Rose Bowl Aquatics maintained their sub-4:20 speed this morning, taking the top 2 spots for tonight’s final. The battle tonight is expected to be between the pair, but Lakeside Aquatic Club 16-year-old Cooper Lucas dropped 3 seconds to get down to 4:20, entering himself into the equation.

GIRLS 200 IM – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Alex Walsh – 1:53.69 (2018)
• West Meet Record: Zoie Hartman – 1:54.62 (2018)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Leah Hayes (TIDE) – 1:56.39
2. Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 1:56.88
3. Bella Sims (SAND) – 1:56.94
4. Lucy Bell (FAST) – 1:57.65
5. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 1:57.97
6. Kennedy Noble (PSC) – 1:58.06
7. Justina Kozan (UN-CA) – 1:58.50
8. Piper Enge (BC) – 1:59.35

Fox Valley Park District’s Leah Hayes led the way this morning, swimming a 1:56.39 to touch just 0.01 seconds off her personal best. Hayes ‘ strength in the IMs comes from her versatility. This morning, she posted some of the fastest splits in the field on each of the strokes. She split 25.46 on fly, 29.13 on back, 34.32 on breast, and 27.48 on free.

15-year-old Teagan O’Dell blasted a huge new personal best of 1:56.88 to take 2nd this morning, getting herself a lane next to Hayes for tonight. O’Dell entered the meet with a best time of 1:58.92, marking an improvement of over 2 seconds this morning.

Tonight’s A final is set up to be a thrilling race. With O’Dell swimming her 1:56 this morning, the field will now have 5 swimmers in it who have a personal best of 1:56. Bella Sims and Katie Grimes are two of those swimmers, and both managed to make the A final shortly after racing the 500. Lucy Bell also qualified, and will be one to watch out for tonight.

Like the other Sandpiper girls from the 500 free, Paige Kuwata swam the 200 IM as well, swimming a personal best of 2:03.09. Kuwata’s previous best time was a 2:04.78. Claire Weinstein also raced, swimming a 2:03.38, just off her best of 2:03.15. Notably, Hayden Miller, the #3 finisher in the 500 this morning, was slated to race the 200 IM as well, but DFS the race.

BOYS 200 IM – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Carson Foster – 1:42.43 (2019)
• West Meet Record: Michael Andrew – 1:42.77 (2015)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Max Williamson (NTN) – 1:44.75
2. Nate Germonprez (ISWM) – 1:45.94
3. Kyle Brill (UN-CA) – 1:46.40
4. Zachary Tan (DART) – 1:46.77
5. Logan Brown (FCST) – 1:46.94
6. Holden Smith (UN-CA) – 1:47.04
7. Nick Simons (LOSC) – 1:47.21
8. Max Kleinman (NEP) – 1:47.27

Following his 1:35.70 200 free last night, North Texas Nadadores 15-year-old Maximus Williamson took the top seed for tonight’s final with a massive new personal best of 1:44.75. The swim was massive, taking over 3 seconds off his previous best of 1:47.88. Williamson had great splits on the first 3 50s, splitting 23.29, 25.46, and 31.40 respectively, but where he really shined was on free, as he tore home in 24.60.

With the swim, Williamson is now the #7 performer all-time in the 15-16 age group at just 15 years old, and he’s now the fastest 15-year-old of all-time by a huge margin.

Nate Germonprez, the top seed coming into the day, came in 2nd with a 1:45.94, just half a second off his best time. Also of note, every swimmer who qualified for the A final, outside of Germonprez, swam a personal best this morning.

GIRLS 50 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Abbigail Weitzeil – 21.49 (2014)
• West Meet Record: Abbigail Weitzeil – 21.49 (2014)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Casaundra Moses (SPA) – 22.48
2. Sydney Brakebill (NBA) – 22.67
3. Caroline Larsen (FOXJ) – 22.69
4. Meghan Donald (ACAC) – 22.75
5. Tyler Driscoll (FAST)/Charlotte Rosendale (DART) – 22.85
6. –
7. Emma Kern (AQJT) – 22.86
8. Audrey Yu (SAND) – 22.89

Springfield Aquatics Casaundra Moses took nearly half a second off her previous best to take the top seed for tonight’s A final. Sydney Brakebill (North bay Aquatics) also swam a personal best of 22.67 to take 2nd. Flying Fish Arizona 16-year-old Tyler Driscoll dropped 0.51 seconds to break 23 seconds and qualify for the A final.

Sandpipers of Nevada narrowly picked up another A final qualifier, with Audrey Yu taking 8th this morning.

BOYS 50 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: Ryan Hoffer – 18.71 (2016)
• West Meet Record: Ryan Hoffer – 18.71 (2016)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Quintin McCarty (PPA) – 19.66
2. Diggory Dillingham (BEND) – 19.83
3. Alex McMahon (AQUA) – 19.93
4. Lucius Brown (CSTE) – 20.00
5. Ben Scholl (CFSC) – 20.02
6. Eric Anderson (UN-ND) – 20.09
7. Samuel Bork (MWWM) – 20.14
8. Matthew Elliott (QSS) – 20.19

in a speedy morning 50 free, it took a 20.19 to make it into the A final. 3 swimmers were under 20 seconds this morning. Pikes Peak Athletics 18-year-old Quintin McCarty led the way, swimming a 19.66 to touch just 0.05 seconds off his personal best. Bend Swim Club 16-year-old Diggory Dillingham made waves last weekend when he swam a 19.88 50 free. Well, Dillingham doubled down this morning, taking another 0.05 seconds off his time.

Aquawolves Swimming 18-year-old Alex McMahon swam a 19.93, touching 0.11 seconds off his personal best. Coronado Swim Association’s Lucius Brown, 17, swam a personal best this morning, nearly breaking 20 seconds with a 20.00. Brown will have another shot at breaking the 20 second barrier tonight.