2018 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, July 25 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
- William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
- Prelims 9 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
- Meet website
- Meet information
- Event Order
- Full selection procedures
- Psych Sheet
- SwimSwam Previews Index
- TV Schedule
- Pick ‘Em Contest
- Omega Results
- Live Stream
- Wednesday Finals Heat Sheet
Just as I opened a window to write about Gianluca Urlando, who after his 200 IM on Sunday morning was the 3rd-fastest 15-16 in history, Carson Foster of the Mason Manta Rays swooped in from heat 11 and stole the headline. Foster swam a 1:59.71, which put him 9th in the heats and through to the B-Final, and breaks the 15-16 National Age Group Record in the event.
The old mark of 1:59.84 was set at the 2013 World Junior Championships by Andrew Seliskar. Seliskar will swim in the A-Final on Sunday as the 4th qualifier (1:58.97).
Swimming next to Foster in the B-Final tonight will be Urlando, whose 2:00.62 was the 10th-best time in prelims, and is now the 4th-fastest ever by a 15-16.
Foster ages up on October 26th of this year, while Urlando doesn’t turn 17 until March 16th of next year. Foster entered the meet with a best time of 2:00.72 from Columbus, while Urlando’s previous best, also done earlier this month, was 2:03.58.
For reference points, the two fastest swimmers at any age in the 200 IM, had best times of 2:06.95 and 2:00.86 as 15-16s, respectively.
Fostesr was fairly aggressive on his race, opening up in a 56.06, but gave back significant time to most of the modern IM’ers in this race on the breaststroke. His closing kick of 28.03, however, was almost Phelpsian, and in fact was the third-best closing split of the entire field on Sunday behind only Seliskar (27.97) and another age group phenom, Destin Lasco (27.73).
5 Fastest American 15-16s in History, 200 IM
| Rank | Swimmer | Fly Split | Back Split | Breast Split | Free Split | Total Time |
| 1 | Carson Foster | 25.64 | 30.42 | 35.62 | 28.03 | 1:59.71 |
| 2 | Andrew Seliskar | 26.23 | 31.14 | 34.31 | 28.16 | 1:59.84 |
| 3 | Michael Andrew | 25.11 | 30.45 | 34.49 | 29.81 | 1:59.86 |
| 4 | Gianluca Urlando | 26.04 | 30.37 | 34.60 | 29.61 | 2:00.62 |
| 5 | Michael Phelps | 25.99 | 30.95 | 36.06 | 27.86 | 2:00.86 |
Foster trains with the Mason Manta Rays in suburban Cincinnati and is verbally committed to attend Texas beginning in the fall of 2020.
Love the split comparisons, thank you
kid flash
tim connery from SwimMac also had a big swim this morning of 2:01.92 and he’s only 15!
wow Phelps was terrible at breaststroke when he was younger
The foster family has amazing athletes. Great to see young swimmers doing so well!
I haven’t seen an age group male like him since MA a few years ago. Hopefully Carson can follow a similar trajectory of the amazing one Andrew is on.
He is also close to Ryan Murphy’s 200 back record. Glad he will still be 16 when he swims Jr Pan Pacs.