USA Swimming Short Course Juniors: Arden Hills’ Katie Edwards Garners Swimming World Six-Star Status

AUSTIN, Texas, December 13. THE third night of swimming at the USA Swimming Short Course Junior Nationals featured some strong performances, including Arden Hills' Katie Edwards earning promotion to six-star status in the Swimming World College Recruit Rankings powered by Take Your Marks.

Women's 1650 free
Salmon Bay's Amber McDermott, 15, posted a time that would have scored at the NCAA Division I Championships this year when she turned in a swift time of 16:02.79. First Colony's Kirsten Groome, 18, finished second in 16:09.98, while Magnolia's Cammile Adams, 17, wound up third in 16:11.49.

Men's 1650 free
Baylor's Martin Grodzki, 17, cruised to the distance title in 15:09.09, while Germantown's Arthur Frayler, 14, touched second in 15:14.17. Sarasota YMCA's John Orban, 18, completed the podium in 15:15.71.

Frayler's time cleared the 13-14 U.S. national age group record in the event. Brennan Morris previously held the record with a 15:26.93 set in 2005.

Women's 200 back
Atlantis' Jessica Guro, 17, touched out Mission Aurora's Bonnie Brandon, 14, 1:55.74 to 1:55.87, in the women's 200 back finale. Salmon Bay's Annemarie Thayer, 16, rounded out the top three in 1:56.54.

Men's 200 back
Palo Alto's Matthew Murray, 17, earned an exciting finish over Boulder Swimming's Steve Schmuhl, 15, 1:46.54 to 1:46.82, while Rappahannock's Josh Friedel, 16, snared third in 1:47.61.

Women's 100 free
Longhorn's Samantha Tucker, 17, picked up a strong victory in 48.71, while Alamo Area's Lily Moldenhauer, 17, placed second in 49.22. Colorado Stars' Missy Franklin, 13, turned in a third-place 49.70.

Men's 100 free
Mobile's TJ Leon, 17, snagged the sprint title in 44.84, while Boulder Swimming's Steve Schmuhl, 15, placed second in 44.97. Ripon's David Laflamme, 17, touched third in 45.11. Notably, Plano's Paul Leonhardt, 16, and Cats Aquatic's Steve Wimmer, 16, put on a show in the consolation heat with times of 44.97 and 44.98.

Women's 200 breast
Arden Hills' Katie Edwards, 17, earned elite Swimming World six-star status with a winning effort of 2:11.22. That performance would have put Edwards into the A final of the event at the NCAA Division I Championships this year.

Canyons' Jordan Danny, 17, who is headed to the University of Southern California next year, came within a whisker of advancing from five stars to six with a second-place time of 2:11.69. The cut-off to make A finals last year was 2:11.67, which is the requirement to become a six star.

North Jeffco's Katie Johnson, 17, claimed third in 2:15.37.

Men's 200 breast
Clark County's Cody Miller, 16, won the event going away with a time of 1:56.46, while Peoria Area's Matt Elliott, 16, took second in 1:59.04. Eugene City's Sam Rowan, 17, placed third in 2:01.76.

Women's 200 fly
Magnolia's Cammile Adams, 17, grabbed the event crown in 1:56.52, while Palo Alto's Megan Fischer-Colbrie, 17, placed second in 1:58.59. Lake Country's Emma Goral, 15, completed the top three in 1:59.56.

Men's 200 fly
Nashville's Dakota Hodgson, 17, edged California's Evan Virtue, 16, 1:47.14 to 1:47.16, for the title. Spartaquatics' David Ingraham, 16, also had a close call by downing West Austin's Chris Griffin, 16, 1:49.02 to 1:49.03, for third.

Women's 400 free relay
Parkway's Hallie Stupp, Brigette Selbert, Kim Steinhouse and Taylor Wohrley touched first in 3:23.30, while Baylor's Sloane Pitman, Emma Michaels, Anna Gwarjanski and Arden Pitman placed second in 3:23.39. Longhorn's Camille Hendrix, Erin Flanigan, Nadia El-Hamdi and Samantha Tucker completed the incredibly close top-three finish in 3:23.43.

Men's 400 free relay
The Bolles School's Matt Schlytter, Blair Schiller, Colin Hamilton and Tommy Gutman won in 3:02.53, while Plano's Paul Leonhardt, Kyle McIntee, Zach Walters and Seth Stubblefield finished second in 3:03.10. Baylor's Josh Sosna, Reese Shirey, Greg Roop and Nathan Vredeveld rounded out the top three in 3:03.14.

Plano's squad, all aged 15-16, broke the longstanding national age group record for the U.S. previously held by SwimAtlanta with a 3:06.51 since 1984.

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