Bella Sims, Katie Grimes Lead Sandpipers to 800 Free Relay Domination at Austin Juniors

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Bella Sims -- Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Bella Sims, Katie Grimes Lead Sandpipers to 800 Free Relay Domination at Austin Juniors

At this summer’s Olympic Trials, the Sandpipers of Nevada placed three swimmers on the Olympic team. One was no major surprise as Erica Sullivan had been rising in the ranks in the women’s 1500-meter freestyle for years, but few predicted that 16-year-old Bella Sims or 15-year-old Katie Grimes would join Sullivan in Tokyo. But Sims finished fifth in the 200 free at Trials, and Grimes took second in the 800 free after nearly catching Sullivan for second place in the 1500.

Now, less than 24 hours after the pair celebrated their accomplishments at USA Swimming’s Golden Goggles, they represented their club during the first session of the western edition of Winter Junior Nationals in Austin. It was no surprise to see the Olympian-led Sandpipers squad win the women’s 800 free relay. Grimes led off in 1:44.96, and Sims, who recently committed to swim at the University of Florida beginning in the fall of 2023, anchored in an impressive 1:43.56. Claire Weinstein and Paige Kuwata provided the middle legs as Sandpipers won in 7:02.90.

That time crushed the previous Junior Nationals record of 7:05.85 set in 2017 by a team of Nashville Aquatic Club swimmers that have all gone onto big things on the college and national level, Allie RaabGretchen WalshElla Nelson and Alex Walsh. The time was so quick that it would have scored in the top-16 at last year’s NCAA Championships.


1 Sandpipers Of Ne-CA  'A'            7:03.69    7:02.90*  40  
     1) Grimes, Katie 15              2) r:+0.43 Weinstein, Claire 14 
     3) r:+0.09 Kuwata, Paige 17      4) r:+0.32 Sims, Bella 16       
    r:+0.63  24.49        51.06 (51.06)
      1:17.96 (1:17.96)   1:44.96 (1:44.96)
        2:09.91 (24.95)     2:36.28 (51.32)
      3:03.15 (1:18.19)   3:30.36 (1:45.40)
        3:55.42 (25.06)     4:23.16 (52.80)
      4:51.50 (1:21.14)   5:19.34 (1:48.98)
        5:43.28 (23.94)     6:09.54 (50.20)
      6:36.20 (1:16.86)   7:02.90 (1:43.56)
  2 Irvine Novaquati-CA  'A'            7:18.06    7:14.79   34  
     1) Schalow, Maggie 17            2) r:+0.41 O'Dell, Teagan 15    
     3) r:+0.48 Ervin, Lindsay 17     4) r:+0.40 Ribeiro, Sophia 17   
    r:+0.72  25.40        52.98 (52.98)
      1:20.23 (1:20.23)   1:47.96 (1:47.96)
        2:11.79 (23.83)     2:38.40 (50.44)
      3:05.42 (1:17.46)   3:32.45 (1:44.49)
        3:57.17 (24.72)     4:25.20 (52.75)
      4:54.65 (1:22.20)   5:23.77 (1:51.32)
        5:49.58 (25.81)     6:17.63 (53.86)
      6:46.13 (1:22.36)   7:14.79 (1:51.02)
  3 Elevation Athlet-CO  'A'            7:27.10    7:19.13   32  
     1) Lukinac, Morgan 18            2) r:+0.36 Bank, Karolina 17    
     3) r:+0.53 Armon, Indigo 17      4) r:+0.22 Codevilla, Mary 17   
    r:+0.64  26.56        53.81 (53.81)
      1:21.10 (1:21.10)   1:49.13 (1:49.13)
        2:14.87 (25.74)     2:42.47 (53.34)
      3:10.35 (1:21.22)   3:38.49 (1:49.36)
        4:04.18 (25.69)     4:31.93 (53.44)
      5:01.37 (1:22.88)   5:31.38 (1:52.89)
        5:55.71 (24.33)     6:22.87 (51.49)
      6:50.84 (1:19.46)   7:19.13 (1:47.75)

The Sandpiper Olympians also swam on the 200 medley relay, with Grimes leading off in a 25.58 backstroke leg and Sims swimming fly in 24.02, but that group finished second in 1:40.33. The University of Denver Hilltoppers won with Charlotte WilsonEma WeberLexi Greenhawt and Lawson Ficken combining for a time of 1:39.41. DART Swimming took third in 1:40.41.

  1 Univ of Denver H-CO  'A'            3:38.34    1:39.41   40  
     1) Wilson, Charlotte 15          2) r:+0.21 Weber, Emma 17       
     3) r:+0.37 Greenhawt, Lexi 16    4) r:+0.32 Ficken, Lawson 17    
             25.30        52.79 (27.49)
        1:16.98 (24.19)     1:39.41 (22.43)
  2 Sandpipers Of Ne-CA  'A'            3:41.17    1:40.33   34  
     1) Grimes, Katie 15              2) r:+0.06 Yu, Audrey 17        
     3) r:+0.33 Sims, Bella 16        4) r:+0.16 Weinstein, Claire 14 
             25.58        53.71 (28.13)
        1:17.73 (24.02)     1:40.33 (22.60)
  3 DART Swimming-SN  'A'               3:46.62    1:40.41   32  
     1) Meraz, Iz 17                  2) r:+0.23 Leacox, Makena 16    
     3) r:+0.14 Bennetts, Sarah 16    4) r:+0.33 Rosendale, Chaotte 17
             25.99        53.99 (28.00)

The men’s 200 medley relay went to Nitro Swimming’s Logan WalkerThomas WuGeorge Flanders and Jeremy Kelly in 1:28.87, with Coronado Swim Association (1:29.14) and Rose Bowl Aquatics (1:29.28) finishing just behind.

  1 Nitro Swimming-ST  'A'              3:21.98    1:28.87   40  
     1) Walker, Logan 16              2) r:+0.32 Wu, Thomas 17        
     3) r:+0.14 Flanders, George 17   4) r:+0.19 Kelly, Jeremy 15     
             22.49        47.77 (25.28)
        1:09.21 (21.44)     1:28.87 (19.66)
  2 Coronado Swim As-SI  'A'            3:24.58    1:29.14   34  
     1) Ladman, Adam 18               2) r:+0.14 Gilsenan, Max 18     
     3) r:+0.01 Quarles, Samuel 16    4) r:+0.17 Brown, Lucius 17     
             22.80        48.36 (25.56)
        1:09.76 (21.40)     1:29.14 (19.38)
  3 Rose Bowl Aquati-CA  'A'            3:15.13    1:29.28   32  
     1) Park, Tommy 18                2) r:+0.28 Li, Daniel 15        
     3) r:+0.33 Dalmacio, Ronald 17   4) r:+0.35 Larrick, Zach 17     
             22.39        47.42 (25.03)
        1:08.69 (21.27)     1:29.28 (20.59)

Rose Bowl Aquatics won a tight showdown with Lakeside Aquatic Club (Texas) by just nine hundredths in the men’s 800 free relay. Rex MaurerRonald Dalmacio and Maru Kim had Rose Bowl in second through three legs, but anchor  swimmer Zach Larrick split 1:35.99 to run down Lakeside at the finish. Rose Bowl finished in 6:29.57, while Lakeside’s four swimmers completed their race in 6:29.66.

Lakeside got a sensational second leg from Cooper Lucas (1:35.29), but Conor McKenna touched just behind Larrick on the anchor leg despite a valliant effort. Finishing well back in third was First Colony Swim Team in 6:34.16.

  1 Rose Bowl Aquati-CA  'A'            6:33.22    6:29.57*  40  
     1) Maurer, Rex 17                2) r:+0.34 Dalmacio, Ronald 17  
     3) r:+0.23 Kim, Maru 17          4) r:+0.37 Larrick, Zach 17     
    r:+0.72  22.60        47.17 (47.17)
      1:12.21 (1:12.21)   1:37.35 (1:37.35)
        1:59.44 (22.09)     2:24.03 (46.68)
      2:49.66 (1:12.31)   3:15.19 (1:37.84)
        3:37.23 (22.04)     4:01.86 (46.67)
      4:27.29 (1:12.10)   4:53.58 (1:38.39)
        5:15.07 (21.49)     5:38.95 (45.37)
      6:03.81 (1:10.23)   6:29.57 (1:35.99)
  2 Lakeside Aquatic-NT  'A'            6:35.99    6:29.66   34  
     1) Zettle, Andrew 17             2) r:+0.15 Lucas, Cooper 16     
     3) r:+0.29 Pishko, Jacob 18      4) r:+0.41 McKenna, Conor 18    
    r:+0.71  22.42        47.03 (47.03)
      1:12.18 (1:12.18)   1:37.28 (1:37.28)
        1:58.34 (21.06)     2:22.51 (45.23)
      2:47.53 (1:10.25)   3:12.57 (1:35.29)
        3:35.39 (22.82)     4:00.49 (47.92)
      4:26.61 (1:14.04)   4:52.59 (1:40.02)
        5:14.70 (22.11)     5:39.65 (47.06)
      6:04.76 (1:12.17)   6:29.66 (1:37.07)
  3 First Colony Swi-GU  'A'            6:42.74    6:34.16   32  
     1) Lee, Andrew 17                2) r:+0.24 Bellotti, Hayden 17  
     3) r:+0.22 Fu, Alex 17           4) r:+0.25 Brown, Logan 16      
    r:+0.62  22.95        48.11 (48.11)
      1:13.93 (1:13.93)   1:40.49 (1:40.49)
        2:02.77 (22.28)     2:27.19 (46.70)
      2:52.29 (1:11.80)   3:17.23 (1:36.74)
        3:39.32 (22.09)     4:03.82 (46.59)
      4:29.31 (1:12.08)   4:55.75 (1:38.52)
        5:18.31 (22.56)     5:43.35 (47.60)
      6:08.91 (1:13.16)   6:34.16 (1:38.41)

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