Three 14-Year Olds Hit Summer Junior Cuts in 200 Breast at EZ Super Sectionals

2022 Eastern Zone LC Super Sectionals

• May 12-15, 2022
• Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Richmond, Virginia
• Long Course Meters (50 meters), prelims/finals
• Full Meet Results

The third day of the 2022 Eastern Zone LC Super Sectionals meet in Richmond, Virginia featured some of the region’s younger swimmers displaying their talents.

In the girls’ 200 breaststroke final, a trio of 14-year olds swam times that qualify them for the Winter Junior Championships (and the junior field at the Summer Championships) in the event.

14-year old Abigail King of the Westchester Aquatic Club won the race in 2:34.66. That knocked over two seconds off her previous best time in the race, which was set just two weeks ago.

She previously hadn’t swum the race since last summer, where her best was a 2:42. In that same time period, she knocked 12 seconds off her best in the 200 yard breaststroke, and now her long course times are following suit.

King trains with the Westchester Aquatic Club in New York. Led by Carleanne Fierro, that is the same age group program that developed, among others, the fastest 200 yard breaststroker in history, and more recently Claire Weinstein, who qualified for the US team for this summer’s World Championships in the 200 free at just 15.

King already had a Winter Juniors cut in this event, but also finishing in the top 3 were 14-year old Elle Scott from NOVA of Virginia in 2:36.89 and 14-year old Sara Czirjak of Cavalier Aquatics in 2:37.63. Those times were each about a second drop from their previous personal bests.

All three also cleared the Speedo Summer Championships standard for 18 & unders.

Liberty University swimmer Genevieve Joyce finished 2nd in 2:35.14.

King also swam a best time of 1:13.97 in the 100 breaststroke, though there it was Scott who was the higher-placing 14-year old: she was 2nd in 1:11.59. That time for Scott is a new lifetime best and under the Speedo Summer Championships cut for 18 & unders, though she already had cleared that standard.

Also showing out in the meet so far is 13-year old Emerson Callis from Quest Swimming. She placed 2nd in the 100 fly in 1:01.61.

Her previous best in the event was 1:03.35.

That time from Callis already moves her up to 65th-place in the all-time 13-14 rankings, even though she is in the bottom half of that age group. It is also one of the top 10 times by an American 13-year old since at least 2010.

Callis also won the 400 IM in the same session in 4:58.30 and split 1:01.50 on a 400 free relay. On Saturday, she finished 2nd in the 200 fly in 2:16.44, another best time, swam 2:44.39 in the 200 breast, swam 4:29.90 in the 400 free, and split 2:09.58 on an 800 free relay.

Other Highlights from the First 3 Days:

• Junior Princeton commit Eleanor Sun won the women’s 100 fly in 1:01.59 and the 200 fly in 2:15.41. While she has been faster in the 200 fly, that time in the 100 is a new personal best by three tenths. She was the only swimmer to beat Emerson Callis in the butterfly events.
• 16-year old NCAP swimmer Simon Bermudez won the 200 fly in 2:06.49, using a fast final 50 split of 32.52 to overcome NOVA 16-year old Aidan Jacobs and All Star Aquatics 15-year old Kyle Wang. Jacobs’ 2nd-place time of 2:06.63 takes two-and-a-half seconds off his best time. While Wang struggled over his final 50, he is still a relative novice in the event: he finished 3rd in 2:06.91, which was more than a six second drop over his previous best. He has only swum the event a handful of times in the last few years, and so that final 50 should improve with more experience.
• 16-year old Eli Martin of the Arlington Aquatic Club won the 200 breaststroke in 2:25.96. That run started with a best time of 2:31.21 in prelims. Both times cleared his previous best of 2:36-high that was done in January of this year.
• 16-year old Kyle Peck of the Stingrays Swim Team in Virginia won the boys’ 100 fly in 56.46, just out-touching the aforementioned Bermudez (56.51). For Peck, that is a Summer Nationals 18 & under cut, and knocks about seven-tenths of a second off his previous best time. The top three, including Bermudez and JT Schmid (56.71) are all 16.
• Age group superstar Thomas Heilman of Cavalier Aquatics won the 400 IM in 4:34.45. He had no other official results in that event in long course before this meet, though he has been 3:49 in yards – one of the fastest 15-year olds in history. 16-year old Eric Kupsky finished 2nd in 4:33.06. Heilman also won the 200 free (1:52.42), won the B Final of the 100 breast (1:07.71), and split 51.81 on a 400 free relay leadoff leg. Of those, only the 100 breast was a best time.