There was a lot of fast swimming going on during the weekend of November 9-10, 2013, including various high school state championships. (e.g., Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Iowa) SwimSwam chose a few highlights: the Daring Dozen.
Ryan Hoffer, 15, Unattached: 50 free (19.55) – It’s impossible to ignore Hoffer’s National Age Group record for 15/16 boys in the 50 free from prelims at the Arizona High School Division I State Championship. Even though we’ve already reported it here and here, it was simply a phenomenal swim that deserves its place among the Daring Dozen.
Matthew Hirschberger, 15, Unattached: 500 free (4:26.11)/ Kent Haeffner, 17, Unattached: 500 free (4:25.75) – Haeffner and Hirschberger produced the nation’s top two times in the 500 this week at the Florida High School Swimming Championship but what makes them even more special is that a year ago Hirschenberger went a 4:36 and Haeffner went a 4:30; those are 10- and 5-second drops, respectively.
Hannah Moore, 17, Triangle Aquatics Club Titans: 500 free (4:43.93) – Moore dropped an enormous 8 seconds from last fall’s 500 time and went her all-time best by 3.5 at the TAC Titans Big Southern Classic. Next fall she will join the University of Michigan Wolverines, who are most likely thrilled about these early-season results.
Megan Byrnes,15 , Nation’s Capital Swim Club: 1650 (16:32.16) – Byrnes won the mile at Potomac Valley Swimming’s November Open hosted by the FISH. Her 16:32 was a full 30 seconds faster than she went last year at the same meet.
Clara Smiddy, 17, Unattached: 100 back (52.46) – Smiddy went a 52.46 100 back to break the state record and win the Florida High School Swimming Championship. That’s her best time by .5, and it’s a full 2 seconds faster than she went at the same meet last year. It’s also the fastest girls’ 100 back swum so far this year – and that includes college swimmers. A 52-mid in prelims would have landed her in the B final at NCAAs last year. That’s another future Wolverine they’ve got to be smiling about.
Sean Grieshop, 14, Unattached: 200 back (1:50.79) – Grieshop’s 1:50.79 from the TXLA November Unclassified is six seconds faster than last year’s swim and only a second off his personal best. At this meet he also won the 200 free in 1:39.29, dropping 8.5 seconds from last year; won the 100 back, 3 seconds better than last year; finished second in the 200 fly, dropping 8; and second in the 200 IM, going 5 seconds faster than last November.
David Dixon, 14, NOVA of Virginia: 200 breast (2:07.41) – Dixon had a standout meet at the NOVA Senior Classic. His 2:17.41 second-place finish in the 200 breast was 9 seconds faster than last November, and an all-time personal best by 3. He was right at his best time in the 100 and 1000 free; he went his best 100 back by 4; and he won the 200 fly with 1:51.01 – a Winter Juniors cut and an 11.8 second drop from last November.
Lindsey Engel at the 2013 Kevin Perry Senior Invitational (courtesy Anne Lepesant/SwimSwam)2
Lindsey Engel, 17, JCC Waves: 100 fly (54.47) – At the Kevin Perry Senior Invitational in Fullerton, the Stanford-bound Engel won the 100 fly in 54.47. She was only 1.1 off her all-time best from Winter Juniors last December, and 1.5 ahead of her pace from the 2012 KP Invite.
Abby Richter, 14, Boulder City Henderson Swim Team – At the Nevada State Short Course Championships Richter won the 200 IM in 2:04.31; she was 5.1 seconds faster than last November and 2.1 seconds faster than her personal best.
Sean Lee, 14, Team Century Swim: 400 IM (4:01.53) – Lee swam a blistering 400 IM to finish third at the Kevin Perry Senior Invitational in Fullerton, going a full 16 seconds faster than he had nine months ago. He also finished sixth in the 500 free (4:37.74, 25 seconds faster than in February).
You could have also included Mark Jurek in this list as well. At 16 in the same Arizona High School meet, he was 1:48.31 in the 200 IM and 47.80 in the 100 fly.
Ryan Hoffer is a class apart this week. 19.55 for a 15-year-old boy, wow!
Both Sean are to watch in the future. They swim almost the same events. Have the same age. Have the same first name. Grieshop has become known last summer when he swam very close to the 400 IM 13/14 NAG record of Michael Phelps.
At the Florida high school championships.
Freshman Marta Ciesla with a 23.10 in the 50 free.
14-year-old James Daugherty with a 56.72 in the 100 breast.
11-year-old Winn Aung, owner of many 10 and under NAG records on freestyle, destroys his best times with 23.84 in the 50 free and 51.15 in the 100 free.
14-year-old Michael Andrew breaks his… Read more »