Eva Merrell Among Top Qualifiers at Day 3 Prelims of Winter Juniors West

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Competition continued with some swift swims at the 2016 Speedo Winter Junior Championships West as 14-year-old Regan Smith took down the 13-14 National Age Group record in prelims of the women’s 100 fly.

Women’s 400 IM:

Regan Barney of Longhorn Aquatics topped the competition in prelims of the women’s 400 IM with a qualifying time of 4:14.88.

BREA Aquatics’ Mikki Thompson picked up the second place seed with a time of 4:15.79, while Scottsdale Aquatics’ Natalia Jaspeado finished third in prelims with a time of 4:16.51.

Kate Krolikowski of the Aquazots turned in a time of 4:16.59 to quality fourth, ahead of teammate Katie Glavinovich’s 4:17.53.

TWST’s Zoe Gawronska (4:17.63), Sandpipers’ Reese Hazan (4:17.88), and Texas Ford’s Gabrielle Kopenski (4:18.24) completed the top eight qualifiers.

Men’s 400 IM:

Jeffco Hurricane’s Michael Zarian grabbed the top seed in the men’s 400 IM, stopping the clock at a time of 3:50.21.

Alex Liang of Palo Alto Stanford picked up a close second seed with a time of 3:50.78, followed closely by North Texas’ Colter Carman and his time of 3:50.91.

Lane Four Aquatics’ Caleb Aman turned in a time of 3:51.35 for the fourth place seed, while Alamo Area’s Mikey Calvillo took fifth with a 3:53.24.

Sandpipers’ Mihail Amiorkov (3:53.69), Edina’s Johnthomas Larson (3:54.68), and La Mirada’s (3:55.12) finished sixth through eighth.

Women’s 100 Fly:

Regan Smith of Riptide smoked the competition in prelims of the women’s 100 fly with a qualifying time of 52.22. Smith’s time overturns the National Age Group record of 52.97 set by Tristen Ulett earlier in 2016.

Eva Merrell of the Aquazots turned in a 52.64 to return as the top seed, while BREA Aquatics’ Alexis Margett finished third in prelims with a 52.38.

Quicksilver’s Lauren Green picked up the fourth place seed with a time of 53.41, followed by FAST’s Coleen Gillilan’s 53.47.

Austin Swim Club’s Dakota Luther (53.50), SOCAL’s Elise Garcia (53.68), and Razorback’s Taylor Pike (53.70) rounded out the qualifiers.

Men’s 100 Fly:

Ryan Hoffer continued to throw down quick times in prelims of the men’s 100 fly with a top showing of 46.69. He was the only swimmer to post a sub-47 second swim of the morning.

Alvin Jiang of Lakeside Aquatics finished second overall in prelims with a time of 47.68, followed by North Texas’ Jack LeVant and his time of 47.79.

Shaine Casas, swimming unattached, picked up the fourth place seed with a time of 48.09, while Clayton Bobo of Dads Club Swim finished fifth with a time of 48.13.

Terrapins’ Andrei Minakov (48.14), Sierra Marlins’ Bryce Mefford (48.26), and Mission Viejo’s Daniel Kim (48.27) completed the top eight qualifiers.

Women’s 200 Free:

Mission Viejo’s Samantha Shelton grabbed a first place seed in the women’s 200 free with a top time of 1:46.08.

Julia Cook of Aggie Swim Club turned in a time of 1:46.92 to return as the second place seed, just ahead of Mission Viejo’s Ella Ristic (1:47.03).

Evie Pfeifer of CSP Tideriders took fourth in prelims with a 1:47.32, followed by the Waves Bloomington duo of Grace Ariola (1:47.46) and Melissa Pish (1:47.53).

Mansfield Aquatics’ Haley Yelle and Austin Swim Club’s Dakota Luther took seventh and eighth with times of 1:48.11 and 1:48.15 respectively.

Men’s 200 Free:

Quick times were posted in prelims of the men’s 200 free prelims as the top four qualifiers finished within .71 seconds of each other. Jack LeVant of North Texas posted the fastest time at a 1:36.08, followed by Terrapins’ Alexie Sancov and his time of 1:36.32.

Lakeside Aquatic’s Alexander Zettle picked up the third place seed with a 1:36.37, just ahead of Trident Aquatics’ Patrick Callan’s 1:36.79.

Austin Swim Club’s Matthew Willenbring (1:37.28), Sierra Marlins’ Bryce Mefford (1:37.50), Irvine Novaquatics’ Owen Kao (1:37.94), and Pikes Peak’s Daniel Carr (1:38.17) finished fifth through eighth.

Women’s 100 Breast:

Zoe Bartel of Fort Collins dashed ahead of the competition in prelims of the women’s 100 breaststroke, turning in the only sub-1:01 finish. Bartel finished over a second ahead of the competition to pick up the first place seed with a 1:00.24.

Palo Alto Stanford’s Grace Zhao took second overall with a time of 1:01.29, while Crow Canyon’s Zoie Hartman finished third with a time of 1:01.55.

Claire Grover of Scottsdale Aquatic Club posted a fourth place qualifying time of 1:01.66, followed by North Bay’s Halle Morris’ 1:01.77.

Davis Aquadarts’ Halladay Kinsey (1:01.85), Texas Ford Aquatics’ Rachel Ramey (1:01.92), and Buenaventura’s Alicia Harrison (1:01.96) return as sixth through eighth.

Men’s 100 Breast:

MJ Mao of Sun-shine Aquatics turned in the top seed time of the men’s 100 yard breaststroke, stopping the clock at a time of 54.51. Mao was joined beneath the 55-second mark by Sandpipers’ Zane Beckes and his time of 54.98.

Daniel Roy, swimming unattached, picked up a third place qualifying time of 55.04, while Nitro’s Ryan Geheb finished fourth with a time of 55.21.

Mission Viejo’s Trent Pellini qualified fifth for finals with a time of 55.24, just ahead of St. Croix’s Shane Blindman’s 55.50.

Elijah Warren of Denver Swim Academy and Adam Zimmer of Missoula Aquatics took seventh and eighth in prelims with times of 55.55 and 55.62 respectively.

Women’s 100 Back:

Regan Smith of Riptide grabbed another top seed in the women’s 100 backstroke, flirting with a new NAG record. Smith posted a qualifying time of 51.70, finishing a slim .08 seconds off Alex Walsh’s NAG record of 51.62.

Aggie Swim Club’s Julia Cook picked up the second place seed with a time of 52.87, while Waves Bloomington’s Grace Ariola finished third overall with a 53.04.

Eva Merrell of the Aquazots clocked a 53.33 to return as the fourth place seed, followed by Chloe Clark of the Sierra Marlins and her time of 53.46.

Fort Collins’ Bayley Stewart (53.71), Fort Collins’ Zoe Bartel (54.00), and Santa Clara’s Nicole Oliva (54.05) grabbed the sixth through eighth place seeds.

Men’s 100 Back:

Ryan Hoffer of Scottsdale Aquatic Club and Noah Henry of Tigershark Swim Club turned in close qualifying times of 47.02 and 47.15 to return as the first and second place seeds respectively.

Pikes Peak’s Daniel Carr finished third in prelims with a time of 47.46, ahead of Sierra Marlins’ Bryce Mefford and his time of 48.33.

Nitro’s Isaac Gwin (48.78), Shaine Casas (48.83), Lakeside’s Alvin Jiang (49.08), and Orinda’s Jolen Griffin (49.10) picked up the fifth through eighth place seeds for finals.

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