2019 Speedo Winter Invitational
- January 18th-20th
- Hosted by Berkeley Aquatic Club
- Piscataway, NJ
- Meet Site
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Meet Mobile under “2019 BAC Winter Invitational”
- LCM (50m)
At the final session of the 2019 BAC Speedo Winter Invitational, 14-year-old Tess Howley, of Long Island, achieved her first 2020 Olympic Trials cut in the 200 fly. Howley’s winning time of 2:14.23 clipped the cut of 2:14.59. Howley’s time also bumps her up to #30 on the girls 13-14 all-time rankings in the 200 fly.
Earlier in the day, 10-year-old Daniel Branon (NBAC) went and took down another Phelps meet record, this time in the 100 fly. After breaking Phelps’ record in the 50 fly on Saturday, Branon dominated the 100 fly with a 1:09.82, surpassing Phelps’ 1995 record of 1:11.89. Despite no all-time rankings for the 10&U category, both Branon’s 50 and 100 fly times from this meet rank #1 in the nation this year.
Branon also won the 50 back (35.52) and the 100 free (1:07.31) for his age group.
Other Sunday Finals Session Highlights
Dylan Rhee (Asphalt Green) won the 200 breast with a 2:17.56, which is under the 2020 Trials cut. Rhee’s personal best, however, is a 2:16.60 from 2018 Summer Junior Nationals.
14-year-old Natalie Mannion (Commonwealth Swimming) had a similar situation in the 200 back. Mannion won the event in a 2:15.77, however, her personal best of 2:13.67 is under the 2020 Trials cut and from summer 2018. Mannion already secured a spot at the 2020 Trials in the 100 back last night.
After setting the meet record in prelims, Destin Lasco (Salvation Army Kroc) reset his own hours-old meet record with a 50.56. Lasco already achieved the 2020 Trials cut in this event at the Winter National meet with a 49.84.
Other Event Winners:
- Lauren Poole (North Baltimore): 200 Breast, 2:38.01
- Harry Homans (Bluefish): 200 Back, 2:04.14
- Chloe Stepanek (Long Island): 100 Free, 56.74
Little correction. Destin Lasco swam 49.84 at last Winter Nationals.
50.56 is not bad at all for a January swim especially only a few minutes after swimming a 200 back. Not the best way to swim fast a sprint race. I’ve read he was in the midst of a grueling training period right now. Amazing that his best event in LCM is currently the 100 free (49.40 last summer). I would not have bet that a few years ago. However in SCY backstroke is his best stroke.
If your observation is accurate it probably means that his backstroke technique is less stable than in freestyle. In LCM where a swimmer has to do about 30% more of actual stroke his stroke is becoming less efficient to the end of the race.
It might also be because his underwaters are great.