By Phillip Whitten
November 19. JULIA Smit, a senior at Mount Sinai High School on Long Island, swam to a national high school record yesterday during the prelims of the New York State High School Girls Swimming & Diving Championships, held at Erie Community College in Buffalo.
"I decided to go for the record in both prelims and finals," she said.
That was a good decision, as the record came during prelims. She went a little slower in the final.
Smit, 17, who recently signed a letter of intent to attend Stanford University, clocked 1:58.29 in the prelims of the 200 IM. The former national public school record was 1:58.86, set by Kristen Caverly of San Clemente (Calif.) High School in May 2001.
Smit's time also broke the national independent school record of 1:58.45, set by Natalie Coughlin of Carondelet High School (Calif.) in May 2000.
Both Coughlin and Caverly went on to become members of the USA's 2004 Olympic Team, with Coughlin winning five medals — the most by any female competitor in any sport in Athens. Caverly went on to Stanford University, where she currently is a senior.
Smit, whose high school does not have a swim team, had already held the state record (1:58.95, set at a sectional meet last weekend) and state meet record (1:59.15 set at last year's state championships).
Asked if she had a specific goal in mind before this weekend's meet, Smit said: "My only goal was to break the national high school record. I knew it would be tough because I only rested for two days for this meet.
Smit, who ranks fourth in her class academically, is coached by Barry Roffer of Three Village Swim Club.
"I've been working on my breaststroke and it's gotten a lot better, so I didn't feel like I had to go all out. I just wanted to get in a good place and try and break the national record."
Freshman Lindsey Norberg of Ithaca broke the state record in the 100 breast with a time of 1:03.83. The previous mark, 1:03.89, was set by Emily Murphy last year.