Day five of the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships continued at the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel, where thirty-eight of America’s top junior swimmers are competing through tomorrow, September 9. The Americans have earned a total of 25 medals (12 g, 8s, and 5b), more than any other federation, through five finals sessions. You can view the total medal table here. 

Highlights of night five for the Americans include:

• Three medal performances (1g and 2s)
• Seven advancements to tomorrow’s finals
• Seven personal best times

Women’s 1500m Freestyle – FINAL  
1 – Kate Hurst (Hillsdale, N.J./Scarlet Aquatic Club), 16:09.37 
5 – Kayla Han (La Mirada, Calif. La Mirada Armada), 16:19.07

Hurst on her performance: “I am so excited about that race; I could not be happier. I cannot wait to go cheer for my teammates tonight because I know they have a lot, they are trying to get on the podium to score more points for Team USA.”
 
Race Notes:

• Hurst dropped over nine seconds for a new personal best. 

Women’s 50m Backstroke – FINAL
2 – Erika Pelaez (Hialeah, Fla./Eagle Aquatics), 28.07 
T5 – Teagan O’Dell (Chino Hills, Calif./Mission Viejo Nadadores), 28.74

Pelaez on her performance: “My 50 back was good, but I messed up the finish a little bit. I dropped (time) in all three swims so I couldn’t be happier.”
 
Race Notes:

• Pelaez dropped another two tenths of a second from her best time, previously set during semifinals. 

Women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay – FINAL 
2– United States, 3:37.71
   Leah Hayes (Sugar Grove, Ill./Fox Valley Park District Riptides), 54.96
   Anna Moesch (Green Brook, N.J./Greater Somerset County YMCA), 54.24
   Addison Sauickie (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Sharks), 54.62
   Erika Pelaez (Hialeah, Fla./Eagle Aquatics), 53.89

Moesch on the relay: “We were all super excited before the race. We were hyping each other up and getting excited so I think what we did before the race is just as important as what we do during the race.”

Pelaez on her double: “It was a quick turnaround, but it was really fun to be able to anchor for Team USA in this (race). The girls (on my relay) really hyped me up and I just wanted to go for it. It was tiring but very worth it.”

Race Notes:

• Pelaez earned two silver medals tonight, completing a double in the Women’s 50m Backstroke and the 4x100m Freestyle Relay. 

Men’s 400m Individual Medley – FINAL
5 – Cooper Lucas (Keller, Texas/Lakeside Aquatic Club), 4:18.76 
7 – Drew Hitchcock (Hickory, N.C./Baylor Swim Club), 4:19.87 
 
Race Notes:

• Lucas dropped half a second for a new personal best.

Men’s 100m Freestyle – Semifinal  
1 – Maximus Williamson (Southlake, Texas/Lakeside Aquatic Club), 49.38
12 – Daniel Diehl (Cumberland, Md./YMCA of Cumberland), 50.29 

Women’s 100m Butterfly – Semifinal  
2 – Leah Shackley (Bedford, Penn./Blair Regional YMCA), 58.46
3 – Bailey Hartman (Danville, Calif./Crow Canyon Sharks), 58.49

Race Notes:

• Hartman dropped almost a tenth of a second for a new personal best. 

Women’s 50m Freestyle – Semifinal 
3 – Annam Olasewere (Greenwich, Conn./Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club), 24.95
4 – Caroline Larsen (Eden Prairie, Minn./Foxjets Swim Team), 25.18 

Race Notes:

• Olasewere broke the 25 second barrier for the first time. 
• Larsen dropped one one-hundredth of a second to earn a new personal best. 

Men’s 50m Breaststroke – Semifinal
3 – Watson Nguyen (Plano, Texas/Metroplex Aquatics), 27.75 
T4 – Joshua Chen (Ames, Iowa/Texas Ford Aquatics), 28.16

Race Notes:

• Nguyen dropped half a second for a new personal best.