Day 1 at the 2012 Southern Zone Speedo Championship Series meet in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida started off a little bit flat, with just the off-distance Olympic events and a few relays on stage.
But on night 2, the action picked up with a win by each of the Gator Swim Club’s Fraser Brothers as they prepare to head off to the Olympics to represent the Cayman Islands in a few weeks. First, older brother Shaune Fraser won the 200 free in 1:52.30. His brother Brett Fraser was just behind in 1:52.49 Though Shaune got the win, it was the younger Brett who looked more comfortable in this swim, opening in 55.1 and closing in a very-fast 57.3. Both men are entered in the event for the Olympics, but based on this swim I’d guess it’s Brett who’s the higher finisher.
Matt Thompson (Florida’s version, not Stanford’s) took 3rd in 1:53.19, which is a best time for him.
Brett would win the 100 fly later in the session in 53.55, which is within three-tenths of his personal best time. Yousef Alaskari, a Kuwaiti Olympian, was 2nd in 55.70. Alaskari is part of a huge Georgia recruiting class next season, and will act as the 100 fly understudy to junior-to-be Doug Reynolds.
In the women’s 100 breaststroke, Jamaican Alia Atkinson won in 1:09.59, bettering Julie Stupp (1:11.60) and impressive Davie Nadadores 15-year old Emily Kopas (1:11.84). Atkinson has been swimming as well as ever in long course this season, but this time wasn’t as good as her efforts at most of her big meets this year.
Florida/Icelandic Olympian Sarah Bateman won the women’s 100 fly in 1:01.10; that’s more than a second off of her season best, but in true Gator fashion, when she starts to taper she comes down very hard and very fast. She’ll swim this race, along with the 50 free and the 400 medley relay at the Games, with at least a semi-final well within her reach in the 50. Isa Perez from the Metro Aquatic Club took 2nd in 1:01.24.
Other winners:
- Gator Swim Club/Venezuelan Yanel Pinto won the women’s 200 free in 2:03.11, ahead of sister Andreina in 2:05.03
- Ryan Rosenbaum, a high schooler from Swim Ft. Lauderdale, won the men’s 100 breaststroke in 1:05.29
- FIU’s Johanna Gustafsdottir won the women’s 400 IM in 4:53.70; one of only two women to crack 5 minutes in the race.
- Florida sophomore-to-be Dan Wallace won the men’s 400 IM in 4:27.72.
Rosenbaum will be at Florida in August