Katie Ledecky and Jack Conger both swim at Washington D.C.-area private schools, meaning that the eschew the Maryland State Championship meet in favor of the D.C. Metro Champs – which ultimately becomes a top-tier high school championship meet even without state sponsorship.
Unlike what we saw when the Colorado psych sheets (see: Missy Franklin) were revealed earlier this evening, Katie Ledecky from Stone Ridge and Jack Conger from Good Counsel High School will both be swimming primary events at their championship meet.
Full Psych Sheets available here.
Ledecky’s entries will be the 200 and the 500 yard freestyles: the closest races to the 800 meter free where she won Olympic gold in London. The records she will be chasing will include Missy Franklin’s 200 free Independent High School National Record, as Franklin won’t be swimming the event this weekend; Ledecky and Franklin will be going after the same record in the 500 free. While we know that Franklin won’t be shaved and tapered as she focuses on World Championship Trials, we don’t have much information on what Ledecky’s strategy will be for her championship meet.
Records Watch:
200 Free
Independent High School: 1:43.15, Missy Franklin, Regis Jesuit, 2012
Overall High School: 1:42.81, Dagny Knutson, 1:42.81.
500 Free
Overall and Independent School Records: 4:33.35, Kate Ziegler, Bishop O’Connell, 2006
Conger, meanwhile, has a different definition of “primary event.” He’s shown that he’s an absolute stud in just about every event on the high school schedule, almost equally in yards. Two events have clearly emerged as the clear targets, though, and those are the two he’ll swim: the 100 back and the 500 free.
In the 100 backstroke, at Winter Nationals, he broke Ryan Murphy’s 17-18 National Age Group Record in the 100 back with a 45.32 – a time that was also better than Murphy’s high school record. That time didn’t count for the scholastic record books, however, as it was done at a USA Swimming meet. So, Conger will be wanting to write another page in these twos’ back-and-forth rivalry with a new record. It’s scary to think about – but maybe even a 44 is in the stars.
Then he’ll swim the 500, an event that emerged as a strength for him at this same meet last year (where he didn’t swim the 100 back). He put up a 4:17.51 at that meet that shocked everyone, broke the Independent High School national record, and rattled the cage of the most legendary record left in NISCA’s papers: Jeff Kostoff’s 4:16.39 from 1983. That’s one of only two records, public, private or otherwise, from before 2006; and the only older than 1998. If Conger were able to get that record, he would be able to stake a serious claim as the greatest male high school swimmer ever.
No relay entries are out yet, but Conger’s best chance at a relay leadoff record would be to swim on Good Counsel’s 200 free relay and lead-off with an eye at Murphy’s other record, a 19.54 in the 50 free (independent) or Vlad Morozov’s 19.43 overall record.
Records Watch:
500 Free
Independent High School Record: 4:17.51, Jack Conger, Good Counsel, 2012
Overall High School Record: 4:16.39, Jeff Kostoff, Upland H.S., 1983
100 Back
Overall and High School Records: 45,34, Ryan Murphy, Bolles School, 2012
50 Free (relay)
Independent High School Record: 19.54, Ryan Murphy, Bolles School, 2012
Overall High School Record: 19.43, Vlad Morozov, Torrance H.S., 2010
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She doesn’t look old to me at all. 100% youthful exuberance in that photo. And don’t judge her looks until you’ve seen her with dry hair. Katie is really pretty.
Look forward to hearing the results
Washington Metropolitan Prep School Swimming & Diving League (WMPSSDL) Championships
Takoma Aquatic Center February 1-2, 2013
http://www.pvswim.org/1213hs/2013WMPSSDL_m.htm
Kostoff was a distance phenom, but I would rate both Muphy and Conger ahead of him due to their incredible versatility. I think the case could be made for either of them and also Nolan for best ever high school male. It’s going to be so great to watch all of them go at it in college.
I tend to lean toward your school of thought Richard. Kostoff’s single swim was excellent – this is true. The only thing, though, that would seem to keep Conger and Murphy from having easily half of the records between the two of them is meet timing and event limits.
No doubt, Jack Conger is a phenomenal swimmer and young man, but keep in mind he is good company when you talk about the greatest male high school swimmer. Let’s not forget what David Nolan did 2 years ago, he pretty much single handily won the High School National Championship for his school, and let’s not forget about the Bolles squad. A lock for this year’s National Champion. Three of those swimmers (Santo Condorelli, Ryan Murphy and Joe Schooling) each sacrificed an individual event to stack their relays. Condorelli could have swum the 100 free and flirted with the Independent High School National Record and both Ryan Murphy and Joe Schooling could have broken the 200 IM Independent High School… Read more »
conger and murphy have been on the same trajectory since 14, both dropping nearly identical amounts of time year after year. while conger is a good 9 months older, not everyone gets faster and slows down at the same time. so just because murphy is younger doesn’t mean he will have an extra 9 months of dropping time after conger. and while national high school records go by grade, national age group records go by age, and if murphy keeps dropping, his age will be recognized over conger’s next year because he will be 18 at NCAAs.
Another swimmer to watch is Caroline McTaggart in the sprint races because last year she was in 23.09 and 49.94, very decent times for a freshman. It will be interesting to see where she is one year later.
Jack Conger wants to beat the 500 free record. I don’t know if Katie Ledecky has time goals but based on her talent and her 1.45 from last week we can expect 1.43 in the 200 free and 4.34 in the 500 free.
If there’s somewhere a live streaming of this meet please tell us where. Because times can be crazy.
I know Jack Conger want to beat the 500 free record and I think he will do it. I predict 4.15 for him. But Braden, if I read well the psych sheets, the 500 free is before the 100 back. So I don’t think he will beat the 100 back record. And there’s a relay between the 2 individual races (if he swims it). And there’s a relay at the start of the meet (if he swims it). If he breaks the record of Ryan Murphy after all these races he’s more than a beast. I predict a decent 45.80 for… Read more »
Wasn’t Conger recently at the OTC? Training at altitude then coming down for his high school championship meet is a bit of an advantage.
Not sure if Kostoff had that opportunity.
Doubt conger is swimming the 2 free relay. The last two weekends he’s done the fly leg of the medley and anchored the 4 free relay. Look for him to do it again. That way theres rest between the 500 and 100 back.
That’s what he usually does
Has charolette Meyers made a college choice yet? She clearly is a stud, but I can’t find anything on her.
The Naval academy