Canyons’ Abbey Weitzeil Sweeps Sprint Frees With 50 Victory at Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions

Abbey Weitzeil

MISSION VIEJO, California, June 28. THERE were plenty of standout performers tonight at the Fran Crippen Memorial TYR Swim Meet of Champions, but Canyons’ Abbey Weitzeil put an exclamation point on what has been a transcendent few months.

After sweeping the national high school records in the 50 and 100-yard frees at her CIF meet, she took down Olympic gold medalist Jessica Hardy in two head-to-head battles here in Mission Viejo. After winning the 100 free last night, Weitzeil took home the 50-meter free in 25.37. That’s her second-fastest time ever, behind only her lifetime best of 25.27 from Junior Nationals last summer. Her previous in-season best had been a 25.56 from sectionals in July of last year. Hardy, meanwhile, took second in the finale with a 25.39, while Murez placed third with a 25.88.

Terrapins’ Chelsea Chenault edged Andi Murez, 1:59.41 to 1:59.76, for the women’s 200-meter freestyle finale. That’s within striking distance of Chenault’s in-season best of 1:58.85 from the 2012 Santa Clara International meet, while Stanford’s Murez cleared 2:00 for the first time. Her previous best had been a 2:00.16 as a relay leadoff at the World University Games last summer. Minnesota’s Kiera Janzen wound up third in the finale with a 2:00.86.

USC’s Cristian Quintero powered his way to a 1:49.99 to win the men’s 200-meter free. That’s his second freestyle victory of the meet as he already topped the 100 free last night. The time edged his previous in-season best of 1:50.01 from the Speedo Grand Challenge last month. Island’s Jeremy Bagshaw touched the wall second in 1:50.55 with teammate Keegan Zanatta finishing third in 1:51.77. Notably, Trojan’s Dylan Carter had a strong B final swim with a 1:51.68 that would have finished third in the championship heat.

Liquid Lightning’s Kierra Smith cruised to victory in the women’s 200-meter breast with a time of 2:26.70. That’s her third-fastest time ever, and crushed her previous in-season best of 2:27.36 set at the Canet stop of the Mare Nostrum circuit in 2012. She’s only had two faster times with a 2:25.78 at the 2012 Junior Pan Pacs and a 2:26.59 at this year’s Canadian Trials. Smith’s former Minnesota teammate Halye Spencer checked in with a second-place effort of 2:28.14, while Canyon’s Andrea Kropp raced her way to third in 2:29.20.

California’s Josh Prenot put together a strong effort in the men’s 200-meter breast as he crushed the rest of the field. Prenot checked in with a 2:12.79 for the win, just his fourth 2:12 ever. His lifetime best is a 2:12.21 from the 2012 Olympic Trials. He cut half-a-second off his in-season best of 2:13.17 from the Austin stop of the Arena Grand Prix this year. NCAP’s Chuck Katis finished a distant second in 2:17.75 with Trojan’s Azad Al-Barazi clinching third in 2:18.86.

Redlands’ Joey Hale trumped the men’s 50-meter free field with a winning time of 22.79. He won by the slimmest of margins as Utah’s Nick Soedel took second in 22.80. Cascade’s Yuri Kisil clinched third in 22.96, while 200 free winner Cristian Quintero took fourth in 23.10.

16-year-old Emily Overholt overhauled the field in the women’s 400-meter IM by more nearly double-digits with a 4:43.57. That dropped more than six seconds off her prelim swim, and torched the rest of the field. Ella Eastin took second in 4:51.90 with Breanne Siwicki placing third in 4:52.90.

Aquazots’ Corey Okubo dominated the men’s 400-meter IM with a time of 4:20.39. That’s his sixth-fastest career time. He wasn’t able to replicate his lifetime best speed from a month ago when he put up a 4:18.90 at the Speedo Grand Challenge, but it was good enough to deliver a third title at the meet so far. Zac Dalby finished second in 4:26.80 with Okubo’s teammate Alex Peterson taking third in 4:28.78.

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