Monthly Archives: July 2013

Adrian, Americans earn silver in 400 relay

Bremerton’s Olympic champion Nathan Adrian led off the 4×100-meter freestyle relay on the first day of the swimming competition Sunday at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona.

Adrian gave the Americans a lead with a 47.95 split in his first race of the meet. He didn’t swim in the morning  prelims. Adrian had the fastest start (.67 seconds off the block) and was fastest at the 50 split (22.31), ahead of Australia’s James Magnussen (48.00), France’s Yannick Agnel (48.76) and Russia’s Andrey Grechin (48.09).

Ryan Lochte dropped the U.S. to second but Anthony Ervin blazed to a 47.44 split (the best of the four) and Jimmy Feigen anchored in 48.23, but it wasn’t enough as France, like they did at the Olympics last year, out-touched the Americans at the wall. Jeremy Stravius of France just got his hand on the wall ahead of Feigen in 3:11.18 to 3:11.42.

In a bit of an editorial opinion here (granted I’m not in Barcelona and can’t ask Team USA’s coaches this question), but why was Nathan not the anchor?

I think he’s proven that’s where you put your best, most experienced swimmer. There was some talk after the London Olympics as to why Nathan wasn’t the anchor and the same thing happened there that happened in Barcelona. The U.S. was edged at the wall by France. Nathan is so good at closing it’s would be hard not to put him in the four spot.

It seems like there is some sort of desire to constantly have him clashing with Magnussen. Why? Enough already! Don’t worry about what the Aussies or anyone else is doing. Put together the best American lineup and let the men do what they do best.

Keep Nathan Adrian on the anchor.

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Day 3 PNS Champs: Waite second in 200 backstroke

Bainbridge Island Swim Club’s Garrett Waite won his second individual event at the Pacific Northwest Long Course Championships Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Waite won the 11-12 year old 200-meter backstroke in 2 minutes, 22.11 seconds.

Kevin Houseman of Puget Sound Swim Club finished second in the 11-12 100 breaststroke in 1:19.07.

Dylan Macabitas of Puget Sound Swim Club placed third in the 13-14 200 backstroke in 2:22.59, while Makai Ingalls of BISC was third in the 11-12 50 butterfly in 29.99 seconds. Timothy Gallagher placed fifth in the same event in 31.26.

Other top eight finishers include Nathaniel Lapin of BISC, who was sixth in the 10U 100 breaststroke in 1:38.90 and Ian Lipton who was fifth in the 10U 200 individual medley in 3:00.79.

In the relays, BISC’s 11-12 boys 200 meter free relay placed third in 2:00.24. Poulsbo Piranhas finished fourth in the same event in 2:00.93. BISC’s boys 10U 200 free relay, which finished eighth in 2:29.21. The girls 13-14 200 free relay finished sixth in 2:00.12 and the 15-over 200 free relay placed seventh in 1:53.75.

The continues Sunday at 8:30 a.m. (prelims) and 5 p.m. (finals).

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Video: Adrian, Magnussen preview

Here’s a little preview in the form of a video of much-anticipated showdown between Bremerton’s Olympic champion Nathan Adrian and Australia’s silver medalist, and current World Champion, James Magnussen.

The world championships start Sunday and Nathan will likely be the anchor for the 4×100 free relay. The 100 free starts with the prelims and semifinals on Wednesday, with the finals on Thursday. The 50 free is Friday and Saturday. Adrian will also swim in the 400 medley relay, Sunday, Aug. 4.

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Day 2 of PNS Champs: Waite, Campbell win titles

Bainbridge Island Swim Club’s Garrett Waite claimed his first title at the Pacific Northwest Swimming Long Course swimming championships Friday.

Waite won the 11-12 year old 200-meter butterfly in 2 minutes, 25.11 seconds, beating out Bellevue Club Swim Team’s Vlad Elizarov in 2:29.31.

Not to be undone, Waite’s teammate, Lia Campbell, won the 13-14 100 freestyle in 59.63 seconds, holding off Christina Domanowski of Bellevue in 59.77. Campbell finished third in the 400 freestyle in 4:35.96 and seventh in the 200 fly in 2:32.49.

Waite was also second in the 100 backstroke behind William Zhou of Bellevue. Zhou finished in 1:05.79 to Waite’s 1:06.57. Teammate Makai Ingalls was fifth in the same event in a time of 1:11.65.

BISC’s Ian Lipton was third in the 10U 100 backstroke in 1:20.32, fifth in the 100 free (1:14.18), and sixth in the 50 free in 33.08.

Other top eight finishers include; BISC’s Hannah Tonsmann, who was sixth in the 11-12 400 freestyle in 4:58.59 and Shea Schardein, sixth in the girls 200 butterfly in 2:48.12.

Puget Sound Swim Club’s Dylan Macabitas finished sixth in the 13-14 100 backstroke in 1:05.85.

Poulsbo Piranhas Swim Team’s boys 11-12 200 medley relay finished seventh in 2:22.07.

Also, King Aquatic Club’s girls 200 medley relay broke the national age group record in the 17-18 category. King’s Hannah Weiss, Carolyn McCann, Heidi VanderWel and Morgan Ginnis finished in a time of 1:56.39, bettering the mark of 1:57.57 by the Aquajets of Minneapolis in 2011.

The meet continues Saturday with prelims at 8:30 a.m. and finals at 5 p.m.

UPDATE: King’s 15-16 boys 200 medley relay set the NAG record Friday. Thomas Anderson, Josh Maclurg, Mathias Oh and Tommy Thach finished in 1:44.60 to obliterate the old record of 1:46.76 by Irvine NovaAquatics that included Aaron Peirsol and Mike Cavic.

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What the pundits are saying about the World Championship sprint freestyles

If you can’t wait for the start of the World Swimming Championships in two days, here’s a couple links to some interesting stories about the sprint freestyles and who the pundits think will be a factor.

Missile & Morozov vs. 2012 Kings Adrian, Manaudou

Russia’s Morozov on the move

Magnussen fine tunes in France

Men’s 50 free: new expectations, familiar faces 

And some pictures from the Indy trials, just to tied you over

 

 

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Day 1 of PNS Champs: Still Waite-ing for title

Bainbridge Island Swim Club’s Garrett Waite looked like the swimmer to beat in the 200-meter individual medley, but Bellevue’s William Zhou had other ideas.

Zhou beat Waite, the top seed in the 11-12 year old category, at the Pacific Northwest Swimming Long Course Championships at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way Thursday.

Zhou won the event in 2 minutes, 21.54 seconds, running away with the title. Waite, who was nearly three seconds ahead of Zhou after the prelims, finished in 2:28.46.

BISC’s Lia Campbell was a close second in the 13-14 50 freestyle in 27.58 to winner Elisa Fang of Bellevue in 27.28. Campbell finished fifth in the 13-over race in 2:30.32.

Other top 8 finishers were: Poulsbo Piranhas Swim Team’s Isabel Hendryx, 11-12, 50  free, eighth, 30.63; BISC’s Makai Ingalls, 11-12, 50 free, fifth, 28.78; Puget Sound Swim Club’s Kevin Houseman, 11-12, 200 breaststroke, fourth, 2:56.74, Olympic Aquatic Club’s Zane Guyt, 200 breast, seventh, 3:03.78.

BISC’s 11-12 boys 400 medley relay finished third in 5:00.46 while the girls 13-14 400 medley relay was eighth in 4:57.15.

Friday’s prelims are at 8:30 a.m.

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Juanita High pool under threat of closure

As it happens whenever there is a bond issue within a public school district, the costly but highly-used district pool is on the chopping block.

This time it’s the Juanita High School pool. The Lake Washington School District is proposing a bond for February 2014. If the bond passes the school will be “modernized and expanded” but the pool would close. If that happens, seven Kingco swim/dive teams would no longer exist.

There is a post on the PNS.org website with more information. There is also a Facebook site started to save the pool. The site has more than 1,820 likes so far.

 

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BISC’s Waite top seed in three events at PNS Champs

Garrett Waite of Bainbridge Island Swim Club is the top seed in three events at the Pacific Northwest Swimming Long Course Championships Thursday-Saturday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way.

Waite has a seeding time of 1 minute, 9.20 seconds in the 11-12-year old 100-meter backstroke, 2:29.74 in the 200 back and 5:23.35 in the 400 individual medley. He’s seeded second in the 100 butterfly, 50 back and 200 IM.

Puget Sound Swim Club’s Kevin Houseman is seeded third in the 11-12 50 breaststroke and fourth in the 200 breaststroke.

Bainbridge Island Swim Club’s Ian Lipton is listed third in the 10 & Under 50 backstroke, fourth in the 100 back and fifth in the 400 free. Spencer Alpaugh, BISC, is the fourth seed in the 400 IM (13-over).

Also competing is former Central Kitsap standout Brendan Weiner, who’s now at Arizona State. Weiner, who swims for BISC, is seeded second in the 800 freestyle. Former multiple 500 free state champion Andrew McCarthy of Bainbrige is seeded fourth in the same event.

Other clubs from the peninsula competing are Olympic Aquatic Club and the Poulsbo Piranhas Swim Team.

The meet, which is hosted by West Coast Aquatics of Mill Creek, begins at 8:30 a.m. with prelims and finals at 5 p.m.

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Which team will come out on top in 4×100 free relay at worlds?

Mel Stewart, AKA “Gold Medal Mel” takes a look at the most exciting of races in swimming, the 4×100 freestyle relay, for the upcoming World Championships in Barcelona.

In his Gold Medal Minute video, Stewart predicts the USA will win by a fingernail over the Australians, followed by Russia with France finishing out of the medals.

I don’t make predictions because either you look like a genius or a goat. So, I’ll leave that to others. What I will say is that this race will be extremely close and heart-stopping.

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