By Sharon Robb
July 30, 2014
Florida Gold Coast swimmers flexed their muscles on the national stage Wednesday on Day One of the USA Swimming Speedo Junior National Championships at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Complex in Irvine, California.
Duke University-bound Isabella Paez, 18, of Metro Aquatics finished third in the 200-meter butterfly in a lifetime-best 2:11.94, a 1.71-second drop from her previous best of 2:13.65.
Melissa Marinheiro, 17, of South Florida Aquatic Club also swam a lifetime-best in the 800-meter freestyle in 8:56.42, dropping 1.47 seconds to finish 36th. Her previous best was 8:57.89.
SOFLO teammate Kathleen Golding will swim the 400-meter individual medley on Thursday. Her best time is 4:57.67. Golding is seeded 45th.
Marinheiro has three events remaining the rest of the week. She will swim the 400-meter freestyle (4:20.69), 200-meter freestyle bonus (2:05.69) and 1500-meter freestyle (17:04.87).
In other championship finals:
Girls 800-meter freestyle: Maryland swimmer Sierra Schmidt, 16, swimming unattached, won in a best time 8:34.58, dropping 4.70 from her previous best.
Girls 200-meter butterfly: Easop Lee, 14, of North Baltimore Aquatic Club won in a best time 2:10.40. She led at the midway mark with a 1:02.22 split. Her winning time was the third fastest all-time for 13-14 age group
Boys 200-meter butterfly: In front of his hometown crowd, Corey Okubo, 18, of Aquazot came from behind in the last 50-meters to win in a best time 1:58.30, seventh all-time fastest in the 15-16 age group.
Girls 100-meter breaststroke: Lauren Barber, 17, of the Jewish Community Center won in a best time 1:09.72.
Boys 100-meter breaststroke: Connor Hoppe, 18, of Clovis came from behind to win in 1:02.17, ranking ninth in 17-18 age group. Ge overtook Peter Kropp who has ahead by nearly a body-length. Reece Whitley, 14, of Penn Charter Aquatic Club crushed the 13-14 national age group record by a half second in the “B” final in 1:03.23. Whitley is one of the nation’s top African-American age group swimmers.
Boys 1500-meter freestyle: Sam Magnan of Parkland Aquatic Club won in a best time 15:28.58, shaving 27.98 seconds off his previous best. His time from the afternoon heats held up after the fastest heat was finished.
Thursday’s events are the 200-meter backstroke, 100-meter freestyle, 400-meter individual medley and 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
The meet, both prelims and finals, is being live-streamed at usaswimming.org.
WEDNESDAY RESULTS
COMBINED TEAM TOTALS: 1. North Baltimore Aquatic Club 34, 2. King Aquatic Club 30, 3. Canyons AC, Aquazot 29, 5. North Carolina AC 28, 6. Pleasanton Seahawks 22, 7. Parkland, Palo Alto, Clovis, Jewish Community Center 20, 17. Metro Aquatics 16, 28. Swim Florida 14, 41. Sarasota YMCA 11.
BOYS TEAM TOTALS: 1. Aquazot 29, 2. Palo Alto, Clovis, Parkland, 20, 5. Arizona Gold 19.
GIRLS TEAM TOTALS: 1. North Carolina Aquatic Club 28, 2. North Baltimore, Jewish Community Center 20, 4. King Aquatic Club, Chattahoochee Gold 17, Metro Aquatics 16.
GIRLS
800-meter freestyle:
1.Sierra Schmidt, Unattached MD 8:34.58, 2. Madison Homovich, NCAC 8:36.82, 3. Amanda Nunan, SEA 8:42.84, 5. Kendall Brent, SWIM 8:43.27, 18. Katie Duggan, HIGH 8:49.03, 31. Ellie Berdusco, SYS 8:55.12, 35. Hannah Burns, GSC 8:56.07, 36. Melissa Marinheiro, SOFLO 8:56.42, 39. Cameron Davis, SYS 8:56.83, 43. Sophie Cattermole, SYS 8:57.36, 51. Lara Hernandez-Tome, SYS 9:01.43, 52. Emma Layton, ATAC 9:02.10, 53. Kensey McMahon, Bolles 9:02.56, 55. Tierney Shimansky, GSC 9:02.89, 64. Kaitlyn Hauser, T2 Aquatics 9:05.40.
200-meter butterfly:
1.Easop Lee, NBAC 2:10.40, 2. Lauren Case, GOLD 2:11.60, 3. Isabella Paez, Metro Aquatics 2:11.94, best time, 11. Christian Rockway, TBAY 2:14.24, 21. Nancy Hu, SYS 2:14.73; FGC: 42. Megan Moroney, St. Andrew’s Swimming 2:17.26, best time.
100-meter breaststroke:
1.Lauren Barber, JCC 1:09.72, 2. Carolyn McCann, KING 1:09.84, 3. Jorie Caneta, RA 1:09.88; FGC: 63. Lindsey Swartz, PC 1:13.71, best time.
BOYS
1500-meter freestyle:
1.Sam Magnan, PAAC 15:28.58, 2. Taylor Abbott, NTRO 15:29.88, 3. Adam Linker, MOR 15:30.79, 8. Carter Page, SYS 15:44.23; FGC: 21. Marco Hosfeld, Swim Fort Lauderdale 15:54.64, best time, 24. Robert Finke, SPA 15:55.73, 33. T.C. Smith, SRQ 16:01.73, 35. Eric Geunes, GSC 16:02.54.
200-meter butterfly: 1. Corey Okubo, AZOT 1:58.30, 2. Michael Thomas, UDAC 1:59.11, 3. Maxime Rooney, PLS 1:59.26; FGC: 58. Bolko De Pawlikowski, Metro Aquatics 2:04.89, best time, 68. Luis Martinez, Azura 2:05.38.
100-meter breaststroke: 1. Connor Hoppe, CLOV 1:02.17, 2. Peter Kropp, CANY 1:02.32, 3. Chandler Bray, ACST 1:02.87; FGC: 47. Marco Guarente, Azura 1:05.40, best time, 88. Quinn Cassidy, St. Andrew’s Swimming 1:07.16.
Sharon Robb can be reached at sha11cats@aol.com
http://www.swim4soflo.com