SwimSwam’s The Weekly Wonders of Age Group Swimming – 3/19/2014

With Speedo Championship Series Sectional meets going on in North Carolina, Florida and Washington states and season-ending age group state championships and Junior Olympics meets going on all over the country, you can bet there were some outstanding swims this past weekend. It was so hard to choose that we had to pick a Baker’s (Daring) Dozen:

Anya Goeders, 13, Mako Swim Team: 50 free (23.08) – Leading off the MAKO 200 free relay at the 2014 Indiana Age Group State Championships, Goeders went her best time by a half-second, and was three full seconds faster than at the same meet a year ago.

Zachary Hils, 13, Wildcat Aquatics: 100 free (47.56) – The youngest 100 free finalist at the Speedo Champions Series hosted by SwimMAC in Charlotte, North Carolina, Hils dropped 9/10 off his seed time and was 3.5 seconds faster than a year ago with his prelims swim of 47.56.

Lauren Case, 15, Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club: 200 free (1:47.35) – Case improved her time by 3.5 seconds in a year and finished second in the women’s 200 free at the Charlotte Sectionals. She also picked up new personal bests in the 100 and 200 fly, and the 400 IM.

Taylor Ruck, 13, Scottsdale Aquatic Club: 500 free (4:47.10) – Ruck dropped 3 seconds in prelims and another 7 in finals to finish second in the women’s 500 free at the Speedo Champions Series hosted by KING Aquatic Club in Federal Way, Washington.

Anna Jahns, 16, Gwinnett Aquatics: 1000 free (9:48.49) – Jahns went her best time in the 1000 by 10.5 seconds at the Charlotte Sectionals, lowering her own team record in the process. She also achieved personal bests in the 500 and 1650 free, 200 back, 200 fly, and 400 IM.

Alexander Capizzo, 12, Lakers Aquatic Club: 1650 free (16:48.98) – Capizzo dropped 17.5 seconds in the mile at Michigan Swimming’s 13-14 and Open Short Course State Championships, hosted by West Michigan Swimmers. He also picked up best times in the 1000 and the 200 back. Last weekend at Michigan’s 12 & Under Championships, Capizzo won the 500 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM.

Daniel Carr, 15, Cheyenne Mountain Aquatics: 100 back (49.12) – Carr finished fourth in the men’s 100 back at Federal Way Sectionals, breaking 0:50 for the first time and dropping 2.9 seconds since last March. He came away with best times in the 100/200 back, 200 breast and 200/400 IM.

Hanni Leach, 16, Missoula Aquatic Club: 200 back (1:54.31) – Leach dropped 2 seconds in prelims and another 2 in finals and won the women’s 200 back at Federal Way Sectionals. She finished the meet with personal bests in the 50/100/200 free and 50/100/200 back.

Liam Sullivan, 12, Mount Desert Island YMCA: 100 breast (1:02.70) and 200 breast (2:20.82) – Sullivan won every event he enterted at the 2014 Maine Winter Junior Olympics -by rather spectacular margins- and destroyed all kinds of records along the way. After this meet, Sullivan now holds the Maine LSC 11-12 boys’ short course records in 50/200 free, 200 back, 50/100/200 breast, 100 fly, and 100/200/400 IM.

Joelle Vereb, 14, Williamsburg Aquatic Club : 100 fly (54.56) – Vereb won the 50/100 free, 100 back, 100 breast, 100 fly, and 200 IM at the 2014 Virginia Short Course Age Group Championships, setting the meet record in the 100 fly. She went personal bests in every event and achieved her first ever national-level cuts (100 back and 100 fly).

Nicholas Burry, 12, De Anza Cupertino Aquatics: 200y fly (2:00.81) – Burry took 4 seconds off his entry time in prelims and another 4 off in finals to win the boys’ 11-12 200 fly (by 18.5 seconds) at the 2014 Pacific Swimming Junior Olympics hosted by San Ramon Valley Livermore Aquatics. Burry also won the 100/200 free, 100/200 back, and 400 IM.

Patrick Mulcare, 17, Tualatin Hills Swim Club: 200 IM (1:46.51) – Mulcare competed in the Federal Way Sectionals and won the 200 free, 100/200 back and 200 IM, setting Western Sectional records in both backs and the IM. He picked up personal bests in 100/200 free, 50/100/200 back, 200 breast, 200 fly, and 200/400 IM.

Emma Muzzy, 13, Virginia Gators: 400 IM (4:23.47) – Muzzy broke the meet record at the Virginia Age Group Championships in the 400 IM by 2.5 seconds and notched her first ever national cut. Her finals swim was 5 seconds faster than prelims, 10 seconds faster than she was in December 2013, and 15 seconds faster than at the same meet last year. Muzzy also won the 200 back and 200 breast.

Special thanks to Lyle Campbell for his assistance in putting this list together.