Friday, August 6, 2021
Emerging Talents Continue to Shatter Times and Records at Speedo Summer Championships
14-Year-Old For the Win (Greensboro)
Alex Shackell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club) entered the championship final of the women’s 100m butterfly as the youngest swimmer in the field at just 14 years old. The young athlete went out strong, posting a 27.52 first 50, making her one of the only two swimmers in the event with a sub-:28 split, and took it home in the back half of the race to touch first in 59.61.
“I wanted to go out smooth and strong and I wanted to hit my turns,” Shackell said. “I was long this morning and I wanted to just hit nine dolphin kicks on the way back and take it home as fast as I can. It feels really good to take the win tonight, it’s relieving.”
Shackell is now the second-youngest swimmer at either location of the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships to win an individual event.
Elmbrook Breaks NAG Record in Time Trial (Irvine)
After the morning prelims, the Elmbrook Swim Club quartet of Maggie Wanezek (backstroke), Lucy Thomas (breaststroke), Campbell Stoll (butterfly) and Abby Wanezek (freestyle) entered the water for a time trial in the 4x50m medley relay. The team swum a 1:51.55, breaking the 15-18 National Age Group record that was previously held by Aquajets Swim Club in 1:54.46.
When the Elmbrook swimmers entered the time trial, they were swimming alongside a Denver Hilltoppers team who was also vying for the record.
“I’m glad to have the Topps group (Denver Hilltoppers) racing, it was a really neat experience for our girls, and I feel (like) their girls too, to go after the time,” said Brent Boock, Elmbrook Swim Club coach. “That just made it a real neat experience for all eight girls.”
This is the third National Age Group relay record that has been broken in three days at the meet.
Swanson Surges to 400 I.M. Win (Greensboro)
In the east final of the men’s 400-meter I.M., U.S. National Team member Charlie Swanson (Richmond, Va./Club Wolverine) touched first in 4:14.33, nearly six-and-a-half seconds ahead of the rest of the field. The win gives Swanson his second of the meet after he touched first in the 200m breaststroke.
“I think this win was all based on yesterday,” Swanson said. “I had a good swim yesterday. I was feeling really good this morning, I haven’t cruised that easy before.
“I know that kid Baylor (Nelson) next to me was a really good high schooler, another guy is a teammate of mine (Jared Daigle) and there was another kid in the heat was a Michigan recruit so I just wished them all good luck. I had some really good competition. It’s been a fun meet so far, hopefully it can keep going the next couple of days.”
Nearly a Nine-Second Victory (Irvine)
The men’s 400m I.M. in the west featured a blazing swim by David Johnston (Dallas, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), who stopped the clock in 4:14.80. His time was 8.66 seconds faster than the rest of the field.
“That race, I really wanted to see what I could do,” Johnston said. “And a two-second drop, I’m really happy with. I think my back and free was great, which obviously I want the fly and breast to be a little better to get about a second better.
“Seeing that improvement in those two strokes and really looking forward to my 800 (freestyle) tomorrow with that closing speed.”
Men’s 100 Fly Comes Down to a Hundredth (Greensboro)
The Greensboro 100m butterfly saw as close of a finish as one can get in the men’s field, with Tim Connery (Davison, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina) posting a 53.07 to out-touch Mitchell Ledford (Sebastian, Fla./Treasure Coast Swimming Conquistadores) by a single hundredth.
“The win feels great,” Connery said. “I was all over the place before the race. I was not feeling well and everything like that, I guess to pull it off and get the win, it feels really good that I can do that when I wasn’t feeling well.”
The swim gives Connery his third, first-place finish of the meet after tallying wins in the 100m freestyle and as part of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Irvine Novaquatics Continues Relay Streak (Irvine)
The final event of the session saw Irvine Novaquatics capture the west women’s 4x200m freestyle relay title, making them three-for-three in their relay efforts at the meet. Today’s title-winning team was comprised of Teagan O’Dell, Ella Ristic, Maggie Schalow and Lindsay Ervin.
“How most of us have been swimming, we have been pretty confident to begin with,” Ristic said. “I think this win just boosted that even more and we are excited about the next relay.”
Alex Shackell (Carmel, Ind./Carmel Swim Club) entered the championship final of the women’s 100m butterfly as the youngest swimmer in the field at just 14 years old. The young athlete went out strong, posting a 27.52 first 50, making her one of the only two swimmers in the event with a sub-:28 split, and took it home in the back half of the race to touch first in 59.61.
“I wanted to go out smooth and strong and I wanted to hit my turns,” Shackell said. “I was long this morning and I wanted to just hit nine dolphin kicks on the way back and take it home as fast as I can. It feels really good to take the win tonight, it’s relieving.”
Shackell is now the second-youngest swimmer at either location of the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships to win an individual event.
Elmbrook Breaks NAG Record in Time Trial (Irvine)
After the morning prelims, the Elmbrook Swim Club quartet of Maggie Wanezek (backstroke), Lucy Thomas (breaststroke), Campbell Stoll (butterfly) and Abby Wanezek (freestyle) entered the water for a time trial in the 4x50m medley relay. The team swum a 1:51.55, breaking the 15-18 National Age Group record that was previously held by Aquajets Swim Club in 1:54.46.
When the Elmbrook swimmers entered the time trial, they were swimming alongside a Denver Hilltoppers team who was also vying for the record.
“I’m glad to have the Topps group (Denver Hilltoppers) racing, it was a really neat experience for our girls, and I feel (like) their girls too, to go after the time,” said Brent Boock, Elmbrook Swim Club coach. “That just made it a real neat experience for all eight girls.”
This is the third National Age Group relay record that has been broken in three days at the meet.
Swanson Surges to 400 I.M. Win (Greensboro)
In the east final of the men’s 400-meter I.M., U.S. National Team member Charlie Swanson (Richmond, Va./Club Wolverine) touched first in 4:14.33, nearly six-and-a-half seconds ahead of the rest of the field. The win gives Swanson his second of the meet after he touched first in the 200m breaststroke.
“I think this win was all based on yesterday,” Swanson said. “I had a good swim yesterday. I was feeling really good this morning, I haven’t cruised that easy before.
“I know that kid Baylor (Nelson) next to me was a really good high schooler, another guy is a teammate of mine (Jared Daigle) and there was another kid in the heat was a Michigan recruit so I just wished them all good luck. I had some really good competition. It’s been a fun meet so far, hopefully it can keep going the next couple of days.”
Nearly a Nine-Second Victory (Irvine)
The men’s 400m I.M. in the west featured a blazing swim by David Johnston (Dallas, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), who stopped the clock in 4:14.80. His time was 8.66 seconds faster than the rest of the field.
“That race, I really wanted to see what I could do,” Johnston said. “And a two-second drop, I’m really happy with. I think my back and free was great, which obviously I want the fly and breast to be a little better to get about a second better.
“Seeing that improvement in those two strokes and really looking forward to my 800 (freestyle) tomorrow with that closing speed.”
Men’s 100 Fly Comes Down to a Hundredth (Greensboro)
The Greensboro 100m butterfly saw as close of a finish as one can get in the men’s field, with Tim Connery (Davison, N.C./SwimMAC Carolina) posting a 53.07 to out-touch Mitchell Ledford (Sebastian, Fla./Treasure Coast Swimming Conquistadores) by a single hundredth.
“The win feels great,” Connery said. “I was all over the place before the race. I was not feeling well and everything like that, I guess to pull it off and get the win, it feels really good that I can do that when I wasn’t feeling well.”
The swim gives Connery his third, first-place finish of the meet after tallying wins in the 100m freestyle and as part of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay.
Irvine Novaquatics Continues Relay Streak (Irvine)
The final event of the session saw Irvine Novaquatics capture the west women’s 4x200m freestyle relay title, making them three-for-three in their relay efforts at the meet. Today’s title-winning team was comprised of Teagan O’Dell, Ella Ristic, Maggie Schalow and Lindsay Ervin.
“How most of us have been swimming, we have been pretty confident to begin with,” Ristic said. “I think this win just boosted that even more and we are excited about the next relay.”