Eastern Zone Analysis – 6/24

Photo Courtesy: USA Swimming

Each week, the USA Swimming zones release their top 20 times. Swimming World will provide a unique analysis of one specific zone each week and a general recap of the remaining zones. Here, you’ll find the zones’ strengths, top athletes, and top times.

USA Swimming Eastern Zone

LSCs: Adirondack, Allegheny Mountain, Connecticut, Maryland, Maine, Metropolitan, Middle Atlantic, New England, New Jersey, Niagara, Potomac Valley, Virginia

Top Times: http://www.easternzoneswimming.org/records.html

Girls: Meghan Lynch of Greenwich YWCA and Joy Jiang of Westchester Aquatic Club dominate the 11-year old girls age group. The girls’ names are at the top of 13 events in the age group. They each lead the nation in multiple events as well. As a whole, the 11-year old girls of the east are far and away the best in the United States.

The same can be said for the 12-year old girls, who are the only girls in the country to top 140,000 power points. They are strong in nearly every event, particularly the 200-meter IM and distance free and national leader Chase Travis.

The 13-year old girls also have the most power points amongst the zones, but with only a slight edge over the Southern Zone. Much of that can be attributed to their strength and depth in the 50-meter free and the 100-meter back. There’s also a host of national leaders in this age group.

Sitting third amongst the zones in power points are the 14-year old girls, one of two Eastern Zone age groups not first or second in the country. That being said, they are rock solid in the 200-meter fly and are led by the nation’s number one Easop Lee.

The 15-year old girls dominate the 200-meter back, eclipsing 9000 power points in that event alone. As a reference point, breaking 8500 power points is an impressive feat. Erin Earley of Hopkins Mariner Swim Team holds the fastest time in the country in the event at 2:10.91.

Both the 16 and 17-year old girls lead in power points for their respective age groups. Each have a deep top ten in the IMs, led by the fastest 16-year old 200 IMer Meghan Small.

The 18-year old girls age group is elite at the very top, but doesn’t possess the same depth as the other three zones. Their strengths lie in the backstroke and sprint free events.

As an entire zone, the Eastern Zone was surpassed this week by the Southern Zone in overall points. Both zones are highly competitive and a true force in swimming.

Boys: The 11-year old boys are more than 2000 power points behind the Western and Southern Zones in power points. They’re led by stellar depth in the breaststroke events and speed at the top from Johnny Bradshaw and Samuel De Leon.

It’s a similar story for the 12-year old boys. The tenth fastest times in the zone are faster compared to other zones, but there isn’t the same speed at the top of the lists.

The Eastern Zone has accumulated the most power points for the 13-year old boys. They have a number of national number ones including Vinny Marciano, Kimani Gregory, Destin Lasco, and Will Barao.

Perhaps the zone’s weakest age group is the 14-year old boys. There is a significant bright spot in the butterfly events, where Matthew Yish leads the nation in the 100 and 200-meter fly.

The 15-year old boys are a force in the breast and IM events. They’re anchored by the breaststroke phenom Reece Whitley of Penn Charter Aquatic Club. He’s first in the country in the 100-meter breast (1:01.86) and 200-meter breast (2:12.92).

The 16 and 17-year old boys sit third in the power point standings. Both groups have their greatest strengths in the back and IM events. The 18-year old boys, on the other hand, are first in power points. They’re loaded in practically every event with much thanks to Andrew Seliskar of Nation’s Capital and Townley Haas of NOVA.

Like the girls, the Eastern Zone fell to second behind the Southern Zone in total power points. They trail the south by 6000 points, but with many teams nearing championship season, the Eastern Zone could narrow that gap.

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