Speedo Juniors West: Mikayla Tan Downs Lydia Jacoby 200 Breast Meet Record
Mikayla Tan downed a meet record belonging to Lydia Jacoby on the way to winning the race Saturday night in Austin, Texas.
Tan, a 15-year-old for San Ramon Valley Aquatics, was head and shoulders above the field in prelims by 2.9 seconds. She was somehow another three seconds quicker in finals, going 2:06.74.
That time takes down the meet mark of 2:06.81, set in 2022 by Jacoby, the eventual Olympic gold medalist in the 100 breast. The Speedo Juniors record is a 2:06.02 set by Alex Walsh in 2018. Tan has three years to aim at that. Walsh also owns the 15-16 national age-group record at 2:06.45.
Tan was third in this event last year at 2:09.58. Her best time entering the meet was a 2:08.74 set a month ago.
Second was Mia Su in 2:09.21. Grace Koenig-Song was third in 2:10.83. Su is 16, Koenig-Song 15.
The final night at the Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin included a first win for Sydney Schoeck in 1,650 freestyle. The CSP Tiderider went 15:52.26 to win. It denied Kayla Han, the 500 free and 400 individual medley champ, a third title. Han finished second in 15:57.93. Paige Downey was third.
Gabi Brito picked up her fifth individual win in an outstanding all-around meet. She went 47.77 at night to get the win. Adalyn Biegler was second in 48.18, with Kennedi Southern third in 48.52. Brito was slower in 49.10 off the front of the 400 free relay, in which her Beach Cities Alpha club finished second.
Hayden Gibson won the girls 200 backstroke in 1:53.70, rising from the third seed after prelims. Maggie Dickinson, 15, was second in 1:53.81. Schoeck, in a quick turnaround, still managed to find the legs to finish third in 1:54.86. She had gone 1:53.65 in the morning.
Lexi Byrn won the 200 fly in 1:55.65, after she had been the third seed in prelims. Kelsey Zhang finished second in 1:56.39, with Clare Watson third in 1:56.76.
Bellevue Swim Club finished the night with a win in the 400 free relay. Sutton Forbis, Watson, Gracyn Kehoe and Hailey Weiler helped them top Beach Cities by .37 seconds in 3:19.30. Beach Cities Alpha got the final laugh by finishing tops in the team standings with 297 points to Bellevue’s 268 with Lakeside Aquatic Club third in 231.
On the boys side, Gabriel Manteufel won the 1,650 free in the afternoon session. The Sandpiper of Nevada went 14:40.21. Second was Ellis Crisci in 14:53.10.
Jordan Ragland was quickest in prelims and finals of a crowded 100 free. He went 42.24, nearly six tenths up on Nathan Foucu’s 42.83. Ty Thomas was third in 42.96.
Arkansas Dolphins’ Joshua Smith went 1:43.63 to win the 200 back, rallying to the lead in the final 50. He got past Joey Sudermann, the top seed out of prelims, by just under four tenths. Nico Lee was third, .03 ahead of Brayden Capen.
Andrew Eubanks added to his runner-up finish in the 100 breast with a domination in the 200 breast in 1:54.77. He was nearly two seconds up on Tyler Bardak, who went 1:56.54. Jacob Bougaieff was third in 1:56.86, while 100 breast champ Gunnar Hansen finished seventh.
Micah Davis claimed the 200 fly in 1:41.90. Charlie Cancelmo was second in 1:42.23. Davis came home in 25.97 to recoup a three-quarter-second deficit at the 150-yard mark.
Quicksilver, which set a meet record in the 200 free, won the 400 free relay in 2:54.77, nearly three seconds clear of the field. Foucu (42.73), Clark Apuada, Isaac Litwiller and Tyler Porter comprised that team. Texas Ford Aquatics was second. Lakeside, which set a meet record last year with Maximus Williamson, was DQed in the final.
Quicksilver’s relay win helped it seal the boys team title with 245 points, to the 212.5 of Irvine Novaquatics.