Twice a year, every winter and every summer, there’s a conflict for the top junior swimmers in the country. Many have qualified both for junior and senior nationals (especially in the winter), and when the meets are in different cities they have to decide which meet to swim at, or whether to foot the bill to travel to both. Is there more to be gained by swimming against the pros and maybe finishing in the top 10, or by winning against the juniors?
There are strong points to be made on both sides of the argument, but with the release of the Junior Nationals psych sheets, we’ll learn who has chosen what this winter.
This year’s meet will begin on Thursday in Knoxville, Tennessee, at the other UT (University of Tennessee) pool, and run three days through Saturday. The meet is open for 18 & unders and will feature much larger entry lists than we saw at Sr. Nationals
Full 2012 Winter Junior National Psych Sheets Here.
A full preview will come in the next few days, but for now, here’s a list at some of the major names who are coming out for this year’s meet. It would appear that there are very few, if any, overlaps from Senior Nationals.
Men”s lineup
- Jimmy Yoder, 17, Stingray Aquatics, Georgia (Stanford Commit)
- Stephen Stumph, 18, Orinda Aquatics, California (USC Commit)
- Sven Campbell, 18, Orinda Aquatics, California (Cal Commit)
- Matthew Josa, 17, SwimMAC Carolina, NC (Queens University Commit)
- Kyle Darmody, 18, SwimMAC Carolina, NC (Auburn Commit)
- Santo Condorelli, 17, Bolles School, Florida (USC Commit)
- Caeleb Dressel, 16, Bolles School, Florida
- Joe Schooling, 17, Bolles School, Florida (Singapore National)
- Josh Booth, 16, Bolles School, Florida (British National)
- Michael Andrew, 13, Team Andrew Indie Swimming, Kansas
- Michael Duderstadt, 18, Panama City Swim Team, Florida (Auburn Commit)*
- Aaron Greene, 18, North Texas Nadadores (Louisville Commit)
- Curtis Ogren, 16, PASA, California
- Andrew Liang, 16, PASA, California
- Maxime Rooney, 14, Pleasanton Seahawks, California
- Justin McArthur, 15, Lakewood Aquatics, California
- Joseph Carbone, 15, Unattached, Iowa
- William Glass, 17, City of Mobile Swim Team, Alabama (Texas Commit)
- Daryl Turner, 17, Aces Swim Club, Colorado (Minnesota Commit)
- David Morgan, 17, Crow Canyon Country Club, California (USC Commit)
- Nickolaus Orf, 17, Parkway Swim Club, Missouri
Women’s Team
- Kristen Vredeveld, 17, Baylor Swim Club, Tennessee (Cal Commit)
- Olivia Barker, 17, Sandpipers of Nevada, Nevada (Indiana Commit)
- Ashley Neidigh, 16, Bolles School, Florida (Auburn)
- Cece Williams, 16, ATAC, Florida
- Cameron McHugh, 16, Katy Aquatics, Texas
- Meaghan Raab, 16, Hershey Aquatics, Pennsylvania
- Kathleen Baker, 15, SwimMAC Carolina, NC
- Alyssa Marsh, 15, SwimMAC Carolina, NC (daughter of Olympic coach David Marsh)
- Ally Howe, 16, PASA, California
- Ella Eastin, 15, Unattached, California
- Madisyn Cox, 17, Lubbock Swim Club, Texas (Texas Commit)
- Maggie D’Innocenzo, 17, Crimson Aquatics, New England (USC Commit)
- Tasija Karosas, 17, St. Andrew’s Swim Club (Texas Commit)
- Katrina Konopka, 15, Y-Spartaquatics, South Carolina
- Linnea Mack, 17, Osprey Aquatics, California
- Victoria Bindi, 14, Club Sailfish, Florida
- Lindsey Horejsi, 15, Atlantis Swimming, Minnesota (MN High School Record holder)
- Leah Stevens, 16, Lakeside Swim Team, Kentucky
- Kylie Jordan, 14, Snow Swimming, Virginia
- Taylor Garcia, 15, Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics, Michigan
- Abby Weitzeil, 16, Canyon Aquatics, California
- Madison White, Crow Canyon Country Club, California (UCLA Commit)
- Heidi Poppe, 16, Crow Canyon Country Club, California
- Katharine Ross, 17, Central Iowa Aquatics (Missouri Commit)
- Hannah Moore, 16, Raleigh Swimming, NC
- Megan Kingsley, Mount Pleasent, SC
I would watch out for an unknown named Dylan Carter at this meet. He just moved to Florida from Trinidad and is going to be taking part in his first major Short Course Yards meet. Last shave he had in a short course meters meet was September 2011 where he was 55 flat in the 100 back. He will be swimming back and sprint free at this meet and is 16 years old.
Good looking out Coach Huggies. Will keep an eye out for him.
I think most people have their eye on him now, after that 50 this morning.
You left off Pace Clark who is committed to Georgia.
Good list of swimmers to watch in these junior nationals.
Among them and on the men’s side, I will especially watch Michael Andrew. It will be his first national championships. He’s too young to win races but we’ll follow his improvements and perhaps his presence in 1 or 2 A-Finals. Can he break some 13/14 NAG records? It seems too early but him anything is possible. The Bolles swimmers will be tough to beat in many short distance races. Caeleb Dressel could break 15/16 NAG records in the 50 free and the 100 free. Maxime Rooney could break the 13/14 NAG record in the 200 free. Curtis Ogren could break the 15/16 NAG records in the 200 IM and… Read more »
I think it’s better to swim at the junior nationals and first to win races. That’s what Yuri Suguiyama said about Katie Ledecky when he decided she wouldn’t swim against the top swimmers during the summer 2011. Instead of that she has swum at the junior nationals and she has won many races. She has learned how to win and it has been a very important step in her career. Missy has done that in 2009 too. It’s better to have the win attitude.
Once Katie made her Trials cuts, Yuri stopped taking her to Juniors. I know she did not do winter nationals last year because she got sick, but junior nationals was never in the discussion.
I only talked about her summer 2011 at the junior nationals.
LAAAAANNNNNGGG
I assume that although hes only signed up for three events, he will lead off some relays for some freestyle times.
no Conger?
Tom Dolan meet.
psych sheet. http://pvswim.org/1213meet/13-27-psych.pdf
thanks!
There is also another conflict beyond which meet to attend. And that is whether this will be a shave and taper meet. For some it is; for others, it will be a good mid-season check point meet and great competition but will not be their short course championship meet.