2014 U.S. Winter Junior Nationals: Three wins for Hoffer, 21.49 NAG for Weitzeil on Night 3

Tonight’s action in Federal Way will include a full slate of events, including the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, 100 back and 200 free relay for both boys and girls.

One of the bigger National Age Group (NAG) record watches once again goes to Nitro’s Sean Grieshop, who is a few seconds off of Michael Phelps‘s 15-16 record in the 400 IM.

Meanwhile, in the girls event, Ella Eastin will go for her second win of Juniors as she looks to defend her 400 IM title for So Cal. Also looking for win #2 is Ryan Hoffer of Scottsdale, who is the top seed in the 100 fly after winning the 50 free last night.

Another race to watch should be the 200 free, where 500 free winner Taylor Ruck takes on 50 free winner Stanzi Moseley.

Keep refreshing this page for event-by-event updates of all the action from Winter Juniors.

2014 Winter Junior Nationals

• Federal Way, Washington
• Prelims 9am Pacific / Finals 5 pm Pacific (Thursday relays 6 pm Pacific)
• Psych sheets
• Live results
• Live stream

Girls 400 IM

• Meet Record: 4:05.25 – Ella Eastin, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 4:20.04 – Jenny Forster, 2001
• 13-14 NAG: 4:08.44 – Katie Hoff, 2004
• 15-16 NAG: 4:00.62 – Dagny Knutson, 2008
• 17-18 NAG: 3:59.88 – Maya DiRado, 2012

For the second day in a row, So Cal’s Ella Eastin successfully defended an IM title at Winter Juniors. Eastin, a 17-year-old Stanford commit, went 4:08.71 to easily take the win, though she was well off her meet-record time of 4:05.25 set last year.

Eastin had a lead of almost two seconds after the butterfly, and never looked back. She was an impressive 54.99 going out, and though Nitro’s Regan Barney did some catching up on backstroke, Eastin was untouchable the rest of the way. Barney wound up second in 4:10.99, a lifetime-best by over three seconds for the 15-year-old.

Gator Swim Club’s Hannah Burns went 4:13.14 to take the final podium spot, just ousting Ruby Martin, a 14-year-old from the Iowa Flyers. Martin was 4:13.70.

After that group, the trio of Kenisha Liu, Savanna Faulconer and Carly Cummings came in together, with Liu leading in 4:15.27. Faulconer was 4:15.49 and the 15-year-old Cummings 4:15.61. Closing out the final was Jordan Anderson at 4:16.64.

The B final went to last night’s 500 free winner Taylor Ruck of Scottsdale. Ruck went 4:13.96, and should be in the hunt for the 200 free title later tonight, if she can handle the tough double.

Boys 400 IM

• Meet Record: 3:44.26 – Curtis Ogren, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 4:11.77 – Nick Silverthorn, 2008
• 13-14 NAG: 3:52.08 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 3:42.08 – Michael Phelps, 2002
• 17-18 NAG: 3:39.82 – Chase Kalisz, 2013

Joining Eastin as a double individual winner in the meet so far is Sean Grieshop. The Nitro 16-year-old pulled off the 400 IM win a day after taking the 500 free in a National Age Group record.

Grieshop was 3:45.57 in the morning, and bettered that with a 3:44.52 at night. That’s another lifetime-best for Grieshop, who is only two and a half seconds back from the best 15-16 swim of all-time: Michael Phelps‘s 3:42.08.

Grieshop also just missed the meet record, set last year by current Stanford freshman Curtis Ogren.

Second went to Alex Lebed back at 3:47.36. Lebed swims unattached, and bettered his personal best prior to this week by nearly 5 seconds.

Lincoln Select’s Brennan Balogh was third, going 3:49.36 to both make the podium and finish as the last boy in the A final under 3:50. Balogh, a Florida commit, beat out Minnesota signee Michael Messner of Santa Clara for that honor. Messner was 3:50.22, a lifetime-best for him by about two and a half seconds.

Just behind Messner was Abrahm DeVine of Cascade in 3:50.29. From there things dropped off to Joe Molinari (3:52.34) of Palo Alto and Keegan Foulke (3:52.40) of the Jeffco Hurricanes, with Mason Tenney closing out the A heat in 3:53.17 for Nitro.

Girls 100 fly

• Meet Record: 52.44 – Danielle Nack, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 54.73 – Regan Smith, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 53.30 – Cassidy Bayer, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 51.08 – Beata Nelson, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 51.18 – Natalie Coughlin, 2001

Though top seed Maddie Banic ran away from the field early in the championship final, the Junior National title ultimately went to Mid-Valley’s Mackenzie Rumrill when Banic was disqualified for what looked like a one-handed touch on her turn at the 50-wall. Banic went out fast, but Rumrill ran her down over the final 50. Banic got the touch, but her 52.65 was wiped out by the DQ, leaving Rumrill’s 52.77 as the top time.

14-year-old Eva Merrell wound up second, going 53.19 for Aquazot, and Victoria Edwards out of Longhorn Aquatic slid up to third place in 53.43. That time for Merrell is a new  National Age Group record in the 13-14s, beating the 53.30 set by Cassidy Bayer last year.

Palo Alto’s Heidi Katter just eked out a win over Katrina Konopka of Y-Sparataquatics for fourth, 53.60 to 53.72, and Brittany Usinger of Walnut Creek was 53.94 for sixth. Megan Doty (54.49) rounded out the A final.

Taylor Garcia was impressive in winning the B final, going 53.44 to run away from that field.

Boys 100 fly

• Meet Record: 46.70 – Joseph Schooling, 2012
• 11-12 NAG: 51.85 – Chas Morton, 1984
• 13-14 NAG: 46.95 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 46.99 – Alex Valente, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 44.91 – Tom Shields, 2010

A second-straight NAG record went down, this one going to Ryan Hoffer in the boys 100 fly. Hoffer, typically a sprint freestyler but known for his dominant underwaters, went 46.42 to smash a half-second off the 15-16 NAG set last year by Alex Valente.

Hoffer, who broke the 50 free record for 15-16s twice yesterday, could now wind up taking a NAG record each day of this meet, if he can better his own 100 free mark tomorrow.

He also takes the 15-16 mark back below the 13-14 mark – Michael Andrew made the younger age group record faster last season with his breakout 46.99. Andrew, now 15, was the runner-up in this event, going 47.38.

Upper Dublin’s Michael Jensen continued what’s been a strong meet for him, going 47.45 to take third over his teammate Michael Thomas (47.70). Nitro’s Mason Tenney also got under 48 seconds, going 47.97.

King’s Mathias Oh (48.07) and College Area’s Micah Ornelas (48.70) rounded out the championship heat.

The B final was a great race between Javier Barrenas of the Bolles School and Matthew Grauslys of Executive. Barrenas put up a 48.20 to beat the 48.23 from Grauslys for 9th place.

Girls 200 free

• Meet Record: 1:45.37 – Lindsey McKnight, 2011
• 11-12 NAG: 1:49.64 – Kylie Stewart, 2009
• 13-14 NAG: 1:44.55 – Missy Franklin, 2010
• 15-16 NAG: 1:42.03 – Katie Ledecky, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 1:40.31 – Missy Franklin, 2014

It’s been a night of repeat winners, as Stanzi Moseley joined Eastin and Hoffer as double-winners on night three. Moseley, who won the 50 free for Roadrunner Aquatic on night two, took home the 200 free title on Friday.

Moseley, 16, went 1:44.55 to break the three-year-old meet record set by Lindsey McKnight, now a Florida Gator.

Lakeside’s Lauren Pitzer earned her second runner-up finish of the meet, going 1:45.68 to just beat out Taylor Ruck‘s 1:45.81. That serves as revenge for Pitzer, who took second behind Ruck in the 500 free last night. Both Ruck and Pitzer were coming off of the 400 IM earlier tonight.

Nitro 17-year-old Karling Hemstreet took fourth at 1:47.19, leading in a whole pack of ladies in the 1:47s. Emma Nordin of Carmel was next (1:47.23), followed by teammates Brooke Hansen (1:47.42) and Eryn Eddy (1:47.81) of Loveland as well as Patriot’s Erin Falconer (1:47.91).

Boys 200 free

• Meet Record: 1:33.68 – Dylan Carter, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 1:45.52 – Matt Magness, 2013
• 13-14 NAG: 1:38.31 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 1:34.99 – Kyle Gornay, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 1:33.07 – Tom Kremer, 2013

Though official results didn’t include names for the Upper Dublin 4×200 free relay, the rumor was that it was 16-year-old Michael Jensen who blasted the 1:35.74 anchor split. Jensen backed that up with more evidence Friday night, going 1:35.40 to win the Junior National title in the individual 200 free.

Jensen crushed his lifetime-best this week, dropping almost two full seconds to win the meet. He beat out high school senior and Georgia commit Aidan Burns of Santa Clara, who went 1:36.50 for second.

Dynamo’s Knox Auerbach was 1:36.82 to round out the podium finishers. After them came a great finish for fourth, with Michigan Lakeshore’s Tabahn Afrik going 1:37.00 to eke out the touch over Quest’s Jeff Newkirk (1:37.01). Close behind them was Canyons’ Cole Cogswell at 1:37.28.

Also in the final: Bolles School’s relay record-breaker Tyler Rice (1:37.79 for 7th) and 500 free/400 IM champ Sean Grieshop of Nitro (1:38.67).

Tennessee’s Walker Higgins won the B final, going 1:37.90.

Girls 100 breast

• Meet Record: 59.67 – Lilly King, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 1:02.86 – Olivia Anderson, 2010
• 13-14 NAG: 1:00.98 – Alexis Wenger, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 59.67 – Lilly King, 2013
• 17-18 NAG: 58.51 – Breeja Larson, 2011

The girls 100 breast went to Mantas Swim Club’s Lindsey Horejsi, the Minnesota Class A state champ in the event. Horesji went 1:00.24, not quite sneaking back under a minute as she did in winning that state title, but still finding plenty speed to beat the Juniors field.

Horejsi led by almost half a second at the 50-mark, and wound up beating Canyons’ Nikol Popov (1:00.86) for the title. Popov was just a touch off her prelims swim, but still came up with the second-best swim of her life in a great runner-up effort.

Third was Vivian Tafuto out of Hershey in 1:01.08, about a half second better than her morning effort. She snuck in ahead of Lauren Barber (Jewish Community Center Sailfish) for third, with Barber finishing in 1:01.34.

Alyssa Arwood (1:01.72) and Morgan Friesen (1:01.95) both got under 1:02, with Amy Okada rounding out the heat in 1:02.78.

Grace Zhao won the B final in 1:01.81 for Palo Alto, and 13-year-old Alex Walsh lowered her personal best to go 1:01.95 for 10th overall. That puts her only about a second off the 13-14 NAG record in the event with nearly two years left in the age group.

Boys 100 breast

• Meet Record: 54.28 – Cody Miller, 2008
• 11-12 NAG: 59.90 – Reece Whitley, 2012 (Unofficially: 58.53 – Ethan Dang, 2014)
• 13-14 NAG: 53.88 – Michael Andrew, 2014 (Unofficially: 53.06 – Reece Whitley, 2014)
• 15-16 NAG: 52.83 – Carsten Vissering, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 51.76 – Kevin Cordes, 2011

Blair Bish of the Arkansas Dolphins took both the Junior National title and the meet record with a 53.42 to win the boys 100 breast. That’s the fastest time of Bish’s career, and gave him the win by three tenths over Palo Alto’s Jeremy Babinet (53.70).

Bish and Babinet were the only two boys under 54 seconds in the final. Carson Sand of East Bay took third, going 54.09, and 100 fly runner-up Michael Andrew was 54.55 for fourth.

Georgia Coastal’s Brennan Pastorek went 54.91 for fifth, just beating out James Daugherty (54.98) who swam breaststroke on both of Bolles’s NAG record-breaking medley relays earlier this week.

Closing out the A final were Thomas Brewer (55.00) and Chandler Bray (55.37).

Girls 100 back

• Meet Record: 51.75 – Clara Smiddy, 2013
• 11-12 NAG: 54.21 – Regan Smith, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 52.87 – Kathleen Baker, 2012
• 15-16 NAG: 51.53 – Rachel Bootsma, 2010
• 17-18 NAG: 50.54 – Rachel Bootsma, 2012

It’s been a busy night for Taylor Ruck of Scottsdale Aquatic Club, but the 14-year-old broke through with her first win of the evening in her third event, the 100 back.

Ruck, coming off a brutal 400 IM/200 free double to open the session, blasted a 52.95 to win the Junior National title in the 100 back. Though Ruck is Canadian, her time comes extremely close to the top time ever put up by a U.S. 14-year-old in the event, the 52.87 from Kathleen Baker two years ago.

Not far behind was Quest’s Maddie Banic, who bounced back from adversity after a DQ wiped out her 100 fly title earlier in the night. Banic went 53.04, just behind Ruck and just beating out Missoula’s Hanni Leach (53.08) for second place.

In another touchout, Spokane Waves 17-year-old Emma Schanz topped Schroeder YMCA’s Ashlyn Schoof 53.55 to 53.57 for fourth. Close after them was Byron Center’s Taylor Garcia in 53.66.

14-year-old Rhyan White was 54.29 for seventh place, swimming for the Wasatch Front Fish Market, and St. Croix’s Mickayla Hinkle closed out the heat in 55.42.

The consol heat went to Boulder City Henderson’s Abby Richter at 53.70, with Denver Swim Academy’s Annie Ochitwa just behind in 53.90.

Boys 100 back

• Meet Record: 46.72 – Ryan Murphy, 2011
• 11-12 NAG: 51.40 – Vinny Marciano, 2014
• 13-14 NAG: 47.83 – Michael Andrew, 2014
• 15-16 NAG: 46.65 – Michael Thomas, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 44.63 – Ryan Murphy, 2014

Ryan Hoffer took home his second win of the night by going 47.19 in the 100 back, once again using his great underwaters to take advantage of the short course pool. The 16-year-old Hoffer beat out Michael Thomas, the best 15-16 backstroker in history, though he wasn’t able to break Thomas’s NAG record of 46.65. Thomas was 47.34 for second place.

Third went to another Michael – Dynamo’s Michael Taylor, in 47.92.

Cypress Fairbanks’ Braxton Flowers and Canyons’ Jessie Kim came into the finish together and wound up tying for fourth at 48.21. Lakewood’s Daniel McArthur was 48.68 for sixth, just beating out another Daniel, Aquazot’s Daniel Tran, for that spot. Tran was 48.78, and King Aquatic Club’s Thomas Anderson closed out the heat in 49.38.

Meanwhile in the consolation final, Brennan Balogh of Lincoln Select topped the field, going 48.37 for 9th overall.

Girls 4×50 free relay

• Meet record: 1:30.13 – Carmel, 2013
• 13-14 NAG: 1:33.37 – Aquajets, 2012
• 15-16 NAG: 1:31.84 – SwimMAC, 2012
• 17-18 NAG: 1:31.05 – SwimMAC, 2014
• 15-18 NAG: 1:30.13 – Carmel, 2013

Once again, Canyons senior Abbey Wetizeil was the star of the women’s relay event. The Cal commit crushed a 21.49 leading off the 200 free relay to crush the National Age Group record for 17-18s in the 50 free.

Weitzeil skipped the individual 50 yesterday, and has been swimming only relays, perhaps taking a lighter schedule to deal with jet lag from her recent trip to the Short Course World Championships in Qatar. Swimming only one race a night, Weitzeil has been electric, and this swim probably tops all the rest. She breaks the National Age Group record held by Stanford freshman Simone Manuel – Manuel officially held the record at 21.70, but put up a 21.59 a few weeks ago that had yet to officially be recognized in USA Swimming’s record books. But now Weitzeil’s swim will top both as the best mark ever put up by an under-18 swimmer.

Weitzeil’s big lead powered the Canyons girls to the relay title in 1:31.14. Also on the squad were Tamaro Santoyo (22.88), Nikol Popov (23.55) and Mik Ranslem (23.22).

They beat Palo Alto by eight tenths, as PASA went 1:31.98 for second. PASA was also tough on the leadoff leg, getting a 22.80 from Grace Zhao.

Scottsdale took third in 1:32.03, with Taylor Ruck capping off her busy night with a 22.65 split and Samantha Fazio leading off in 22.67. Fourth was Bolles in 1:32.46, with Sherridon Dressel going 22.54 on the second leg.

Boys 4×50 free relay

• Meet record: 1:19.03 – Bolles, 2012
• 13-14 NAG: 1:25.63 – Scottsdale, 2013
• 15-16 NAG: 1:23.20 – Scottsdale, 2014
• 17-18 NAG: 1:20.44 – SwimMAC, 2012
• 15-18 NAG: 1:19.56 – Scottsdale, 2013

Scottsdale won the boys relay to give Ryan Hoffer his third gold of the night. Hoffer was excellent on his leg, splitting 19.11 swimming second. The team of Jack Blake (20.20 leadoff), DJ Brown (20.67) and Thomas Ottman (20.88) went 1:20.86 to take the win, though they couldn’t match the 15-18 NAG record Hoffer, Blake, Nicholas Magana and Joseph Starkweather set last year.

Second place went to the Bolles School, which got a 20.19 leadoff from Andrea Vergani and a 19.98 split out of Jabari Baptiste. The Sharks went 1:21.86 for runner-up honors.

Palo Alto took third in 1:21.95, with their best split coming on the leadoff leg from Albert Gwo (20.13). Behind them was Canyons in 1:22.17. Canyons also got a 19-second split as Cole Cogswell went 19.79 on the second leg.