Presenting our Weekly Wonders from June 21-23, 2019:
Michael Robinson, 13, Mississippi Makos Aquatics (MMST-MS): 100 free, 55.29 – A then-12-year-old Michael Robinson ended the 2018 long course season with a best time of 56.56 in the 100 free. Very early in the 2019 season, in March, he was 57.02, and then in May, a best time of 56.31. But last weekend, took off over a full second, going 55.29 at the 2019 ATAC Long Course Open. Robinson also went a best time in the 50, 200, and 400 free, as well as 50 breast and 200 fly.
Zoe Summar, 14, Excel Aquatics (XCEL-SE): 200 IM, 2:23.34- In August 2017, then-12-year-old Zoe Summer went 2:24.20 in the 200 breast, which stood as her best time until last weekend. In eight attempts in 2018, she was under 2:25 just once. In her first swim of 2019, Summar went a best time of 2:23.34 at the 2019 Firecracker Invite. She also hit best times in the 100 and 200 back.
Jillian Cox, 13, Austin Trinity Aquatics (ATAC-ST): 400 free, 4:16.27 – Thirteen-year-old Jillian Cox‘s best time in the 400 free through 2018 was 4:30.63. In her first attempt of the 2019 long course season, back in March, she dropped all the way to 4:23.27; in April, she took it to 4:19.95. Cox hit that time again in early June, and then last weekend, posted another massive drop at 4:16.27. That time, swum at the 2019 Mission Viejo Swim Meet of Champions, makes her the third 13-year-old qualifier for 2020 Olympic Trials
David Johnson, 17, Rockwall Aquatic Center of Excellence (RACE-NT): 1500 free, 16:07.68 – David Johnston ended the 2019 summer long course season with a best time of 17:12.91 in the 1500 free. In November, he took that down to 17:08.14. Five months later, in April, he went 16:41.65, and then just two months after that, 16:07.68, good for a 2019 Winter Juniors cut. He also went a best time in the 200 and 400 free, as well as 200 breast and 200 fly.
Amanda Wager, 18, YMC of the North Shore (YNS-NE): 200 breast, 2:37.35 – In August 2017, Amanda Wager, then 16, had a best time of 2:43.65. By July of last year, she was down to 2:39.91. In her first attempt of 2019, Wager was 2:42.84, and then later the same day, 2:37.35 — good for a Summer Juniors cut. She also dropped three-quarters of a second in the 100 breast, going 1:14.65 for a quad-A cut.
Sam Hoover, 15, North Carolina Aquatic Club (NCAC-NC): 200 free, 1:52.29 – As a 13-year-old, Sam Hoover ended the 2017 long course season with a 2:14.01 in the 200 free. By the end of the 2018 season, he was 1:57.51. Early this season, in May and June, Hoover raced the 200 free three times, never going under his previous best, but last weekend at the 2019 Richard Quick Invitational, he blew his old time away, going 1:53.55 in prelims and 1:52.29 later in the day. With those swims, he hit 2019 Summer Nationals and Winter US Open cuts.
