Fast Times at Irvine High During Junior Nationals

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 10. WHILE no one at the 2006 Speedo USA Swimming Junior National Championships would resemble Jeff Spicoli of Fast Times at Ridgemont High fame, Irvine High School played host to plenty of fast times during the junior meet. Overall, 27 Olympic Trial cuts went down in the ledger as well as every individual event meet standard fell during the fourth day of competition on Thursday.

Women’s 100-meter Backstroke
Boilermaker Aquatics' Jennifer Connolly posted a meet-record Olympic Trial cut time of 1:03.47 to capture the gold medal in the event. She erased the previous standard of 1:03.89 set by Atlantis Aquatics' Kristen Shickora last year. Meanwhile, Badger Swim Club's Elizabeth Pelton snared silver in 1:04.82, while Atlantis Aquatics' Jessica Guro took third in 1:04.89.

Men’s 100-meter Backstroke
Dallas Mustang Matthew Thompson surpassed his own meet record set during prelims with a 57.18 to claim the title in the 100 back. Meanwhile, Fast Swim Team's Tyler Clary garnered silver in 57.61, while Dallas Mustang Max Murphy rounded out the top three with a 58.34. The top two times cleared the Olympic Trial threshold.

Women’s 400-meter Freestyle
Swim Pasadena's Samantha Vanden Berge came up just shy of a meet record with a 4:15.77, .11 seconds shy of Tampa Bay Aquatics' Chelsea Nauta’s 4:15.66 set last year, to capture the 400 free title. Additionally, Club Wolverine's Kristyne Cole placed second in 4:15.83, while Nauta took third in 4:16.80. Overall, eight swimmers clocked Olympic Trial cuts.

Men’s 400-meter Freestyle
Mission Viejo's Chad La Tourette pocketed a meet record with a 3:56.17 en route to winning the 400 free gold medal. His time surpassed the 3:57.62 set by second-place Fast Swim Team's Tyler Clary during prelims. Clary touched a mere .02 seconds behind La Tourette with a 3:57.19, while Corvallis Aquatics' Logan Storie closed out the medal-winners with a third-place 3:57.87. Notably, six swimmers garnered Olympic Trial cuts.

Women’s 100-meter Breaststroke
Terrapins Swim Team's Kasey Carlson kept the meet-record train rolling with a 1:10.77 to win the 100 breast. Her time eclipsed the 1:11.12 posted by City of Pembroke's Alia Atkinson during prelims. Meanwhile, Atkinson placed third in 1:10.95, while Ithaca Aquatics' Lindsey Norberg split the difference for second in 1:10.92. Notably, Southeastern's Lindsay Rogers scored an Olympic Trial cut as the C-final winner, while six total swimmers earned Olympic Trial cuts of their own.

Men’s 100-meter Breaststroke
Irvine Novaquatics' John Criste knocked down his own meet record in the 100 breast in front of a home crowd with a 1:04.12, which went under the 1:04.54 he clocked during prelims. Meanwhile, Barracuda Swim Team's Bradley Craig turned in a second-place 1:04.14, while King Aquatics' Kevin Munsch snagged third in 1:04.70. The top two times eclipsed the Olympic Trial cut threshold.

Women’s 100-meter Butterfly
Kerr-McGee's Samantha Woodward dropped her own meet record in the 100 fly with a 1:00.47 to lower the 1:00.72 she registered last year. Meanwhile, Hershey Aquatics' Katie Nolan earned second in 1:01.36, while Arizona Desert Fox Katherine Raatz took third in 1:01.56. Overall, five swimmers recorded Olympic Trial cuts.

Men’s 100-meter Butterfly
Storm Aquatics' Tyler McGill became the first junior national competitor to ever post a sub-55-second time in the 100 fly as he clocked a 54.96 en route to winning the event. Meanwhile, Westerville Aquatics' Austin Staab nabbed silver in 55.39, while Fleet Swimming's Neil Caskey acquired bronze in 55.54. All three swimmers garnered Olympic Trial cuts.

Women’s 400-meter Freestyle Relay
Club Wolverine’s contingent of Leigh Cole, Adrienne Woods, Elizabeth Koselka and Allison Schmitt captured a wire-to-wire triumph in the 400 free relay with a 3:52.30. That meet-record performance surpassed the 3:53.81 put up by Arizona Desert Fox last year.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Community Aquatics’ team of Margaret Anderson, Brittany Nauta, Marjorie Chamberlin and Chelsea Nauta claimed silver in 3:52.45. Sun Devil Aquatics’ squad of Emily Barton, Haley Krakoski, Whitney Lopus and Traycie Swartz closed out the top three with a 3:53.75.

Men’s 400-meter Freestyle Relay
Longhorn Aquatics’ David Zolno, Kevin Swenson, Titus Knight and Alexander Martin came from nearly two seconds behind to stop the clock in a first-place time of 3:32.08. That meet-record effort cleared the 3:32.58 clocked by Badger Aquatics last year.

Meanwhile, Barracuda Swim Team’s Gabriel Strickler, Jonathan Larocque, Morgan Priestley and Bradley Craig posted a quick front half, before closing out silver in a 3:32.25. Additionally, Schroeder YMCA’s Kevin Baseheart, Christopher Richard, Gregory Zupek and Caleb Gottinger placed third in 3:32.99.

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