Katie Grimes Goes 15:34 for 9th All-Time in 1,650; Claire Weinstein Sets 13-14 NAG record

Katie Grimes; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Katie Grimes Goes 15:34 for 9th All-Time in 1,650; Claire Weinstein Sets 13-14 NAG record

Katie Grimes obliterated the field at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships West meet in Austin, Texas, though she wasn’t the one to set a national age-group record.

The eventful final of the 1,650 freestyle brought accolades for both Grimes and Claire Weinstein. Grimes won in 15:34.72, the meet record and a time that is second only in her age-group to Katie Ledecky. It also enters the top 10 times ever, turned in by a 15-year-old.

Second was Weinstein, her Sandpipers of Nevada teammate, in 15:52.84, taking down the 13-14 NAG.

First Grimes, who won by that margin of 18 seconds. The meet record had belonged to Gabrielle Kopenski at 15:56.39 since 2014. The event was won in 2019, the last time the meet occurred, by Ashley Strouse in 16:14.84.

Grimes annihilated those times by almost comical – shall we say, Ledeckyan? – margins. The final margin on the Junior Nationals West record was nearly 22 seconds.

Grimes’ splits:

Event 25  Women 1650 Yard Freestyle
=========================================================================
     Jrs West: * 15:34.72  12/11/2021Katie Grimes, Sandpipers Of Ne
  SC Jrs Meet: # 15:34.72  12/11/2021Katie Grimes, Sandpipers Of Ne
    13-14 NAG:   15:54.46  2012      Becca Mann
    15-16 NAG:   15:15.17  2013      Katie Ledecky
    17-18 NAG:   15:13.30  2014      Katie Ledecky
    Name                  Age Team                 Seed     Finals Points 
=========================================================================
  1 Grimes, Katie          15 Sandpipers Of Ne 16:05.03   15:34.72*  20  
    r:+0.64  25.45        53.54 (28.09)
        1:21.94 (28.40)     1:50.60 (28.66)
        2:19.22 (28.62)     2:47.83 (28.61)
        3:16.57 (28.74)     3:45.28 (28.71)
        4:14.03 (28.75)     4:42.78 (28.75)
        5:11.30 (28.52)     5:39.85 (28.55)
        6:08.41 (28.56)     6:37.03 (28.62)
        7:05.50 (28.47)     7:34.23 (28.73)
        8:02.69 (28.46)     8:31.07 (28.38)
        8:59.41 (28.34)     9:27.89 (28.48)
        9:56.31 (28.42)    10:24.59 (28.28)
       10:52.98 (28.39)    11:21.45 (28.47)
       11:49.90 (28.45)    12:18.25 (28.35)
       12:46.64 (28.39)    13:15.18 (28.54)
       13:43.62 (28.44)    14:12.19 (28.57)
       14:40.21 (28.02)    15:07.97 (27.76)    15:34.72 (26.75)

The only time out ahead of her is the 15:15.17 put down by Ledecky in 2013. Almost as impressive, Grimes turned around minutes later and finished second in the 200 backstroke, her time of 1:52.83 just a tenth off the time of (an almost certainly more rested) Kennedy Noble. Grimes went 1:52.83.

Weinstein doesn’t have Ledecky to aim at, but she took down the NAG target of Becca Mann, who in 2012 had turned in a 15:54.46. Weinstein trimmed nearly two seconds off that.

Weinstein’s splits:

2 Weinstein, Claire      14 Sandpipers Of Ne 16:29.20   15:52.84   17  
    r:+0.82  26.79        55.34 (28.55)
        1:24.02 (28.68)     1:52.95 (28.93)
        2:21.99 (29.04)     2:50.86 (28.87)
        3:19.88 (29.02)     3:48.89 (29.01)
        4:17.89 (29.00)     4:47.16 (29.27)
        5:16.37 (29.21)     5:45.55 (29.18)
        6:14.80 (29.25)     6:44.12 (29.32)
        7:13.13 (29.01)     7:42.00 (28.87)
        8:10.77 (28.77)     8:39.66 (28.89)
        9:08.32 (28.66)     9:37.11 (28.79)
       10:05.76 (28.65)    10:34.68 (28.92)
       11:03.67 (28.99)    11:32.68 (29.01)
       12:01.83 (29.15)    12:31.04 (29.21)
       13:00.31 (29.27)    13:29.56 (29.25)
       13:58.71 (29.15)    14:27.82 (29.11)
       14:57.06 (29.24)    15:25.83 (28.77)    15:52.84 (27.01)

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