UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842853125 said:

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Hey sweet flood of verbals coming in our way today!!! :bravo

A massive welcome goes out from the :bear: family to Alex Sumner (#1 PA, #30 Nat)!!!


Alex's Collegeswimming profile: https://www.collegeswimming.com/swimmer/346601/

Go Backstroke U!!! :woohoo
[/COLOR]

-----


Alex Sumner: Very excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim at the University of California Berkeley!!! I can't wait to further my academic and swimming careers with the support of such an amazing team and coaches! Go Bears ������




-----

---

Wow, things are happening fast! Didn't Alex do really well at Nationals?

tedbear;842853126 said:

---

Wow, things are happening fast! Didn't Alex do really well at Nationals?

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Yes, Alex was quite the stud in the [U]200m Back[/U] at 2017 Nationals just a fortnight ago! :beer:
[INDENT] Finished in the [U]Top 5[/U] of the A final (that Thleen had won)!
Alex's 2:10.36 from prelims of Nationals was a PB to boot!

1:01.61 PB in the [U]100m Back[/U] to take 2nd in the A final at the Mel Zajac meet in May!
Runner-up in the [U]200m Back[/U] A final @ Mel Zajac too![/INDENT]

Here is Alex's [U]200 Back[/U] ranking in short course, compared to current :bear: & prospective recruits from the next few classes (quoted passage from an earlier post):
[/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842846032 said:

---

Anyway, here are PB times in the [U]200y Back[/U] for some of the better known 2018-2020 recruits that qualify for a 2017 NCAA 'B' cut.

---------

[COLOR="#ff3399"][SIZE=4][U]200y Back[/U][/SIZE] (2017 NCAA 'A' Cut: [U]1:51.95[/U])[/COLOR]


[COLOR="#000066"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA [COLOR="#ff3399"]A[/COLOR] Final Qualifying Time (8th) = [U]1:50.86[/U] ~[/INDENT]
[COLOR="#8B4513"]Current ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Kathleen Baker[/U][/COLOR] ...... 1:48.33...... 2017 Pac-12s
[COLOR="#8B4513"]Current ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Amy Bilquist[/U][/COLOR] .......... 1:49.90...... 2016 Pac-12s[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#000033"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA [COLOR="#0066cc"]B[/COLOR] Final Qualifying Time (16th) = [U]1:52.52[/U] ~[/INDENT]
2020 recruit [U]Regan Smith[/U] ...... 1:51.79...... 2016 Dec
2020 recruit [U]Alex Walsh[/U] ........ 1:52.07...... 2015 Dec
2018 recruit [U]Eva Merrell[/U] ........ 1:52.20...... 2016 Nov (#1 CA, #1 Nat)
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2018 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Alex Sumner[/U][/COLOR] ...... 1:52.33 ...... 2017 Mar (#1 PA, #29 Nat)[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]{Cal commit}[/COLOR]


[COLOR="#003366"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA Slowest [COLOR="#0099cc"]Invited[/COLOR] Time (40th) = [U]1:54.00[/U] ~[/INDENT]
2018 recruit [U]Taylor Ruck[/U] ....... 1:53.13...... 2014 Dec (#1 AZ, #1 Nat)
2018 recruit [U]Emma Muzzy[/U] ..... 1:53.38...... 2017 Mar (#1 VA, #5 Nat) [COLOR="#808080"]{NC STATE commit}[/COLOR]
2019 recruit [U]Katharine Berkoff[/U] 1:53.64...... 2017 Mar (#1 MT, #5 Nat)
[COLOR="#8B4513"]Current ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Keaton Blovad[/U][/COLOR] ...... 1:54.00...... 2017 Pac-12s
[/COLOR]


[COLOR="#336699"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA '[COLOR="#0066cc"]B[/COLOR]' Cut: [U]1:59.19[/U] ~[/INDENT]
2018 recruit [U]Lucie Nordmann[/U] .. 1:54.08...... 2015 Dec (#3 TX, #9 Nat)
2018 recruit [U]Julia Cook[/U] .......... 1:54.48...... 2017 Feb (#1 TX, #2 Nat) [COLOR="#808080"]{TEXAS commit}[/COLOR]
2018 recruit [U]Grace Ariola[/U] ....... 1:54.60...... 2014 Dec (#1 IL, #6 Nat) [COLOR="#808080"]{TEXAS commit}[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#8B4513"]Current ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Courtney Mykkanen[/U][/COLOR] 1:55.09...... 2017 Pac-12s
2019 recruit [U]Caitlin Brooks[/U] ..... 1:56.17...... 2017 Mar (#3 FL, #21 Nat)
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2017 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Sophie K-Zhou[/U][/COLOR] .......... 1:56.79...... 2016 May
2019 recruit [U]Chloe Clark[/U] ........ 1:56.79...... 2016 Feb (#2 CA, #11 Nat)
2019 recruit [U]Kayla Sanchez[/U] ..... 1:56.83?...... 2016 Nov (#2 ON, #4 Nat)
2019 recruit [U]Alexandra Crisera[/U] . 1:57.47...... 2017 Mar (#3 CA, #13 Nat)
[COLOR="#8B4513"]Current ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Aislinn Light[/U][/COLOR] ........... 1:58.55...... 2017 Pac-12s
[/COLOR]

---

Two good gets. A class of Eva/MSH/Ruck, CB, AF, Elise, Alex, Ema, and HK would be tremendous.

Some mix of Baker/Amy, Ali/Ema, Maddie/McL/CB, Abbey can win both medley relays.

BearDevil;842853130 said:

---

Two good gets. A class of Eva/MSH/Ruck, CB, AF, Elise, Alex, Ema, and HK would be tremendous.

Some mix of Baker/Amy, Ali/Ema, Maddie/McL/CB, Abbey can win both medley relays.

---

:beer:

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842853113 said:

---

Haha, beary warm welcome to baby :bear: Ema (#2 IL, #39 Nat)!!! :cheer :gobears:

-----


Ema Rajic: Super excited to announce my verbal commitment to the University of California Berkeley!! I want to thank all my family, friends, and coaches for helping me commit to my dream school! Can't wait to be a baby bear!! Go bears!!! ������ #babybear

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Ema's verbal now featured on SwimSwam:
[/COLOR]

------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]ILLINOIS RECORD-HOLDER EMA RAJIC VERBALLY COMMITS TO CAL[/SIZE][/COLOR]


Ema Rajic of Urbana, Illinios has made a verbal commitment to swim for the University of California, Berkeley beginning in the 2018-19 season. Rajic announced her decision on Instagram:

Rajic is a rising senior at Urbana's University High School. At the Illinois High School Association Girls State Championships in November 2016, she broke the IHSA records in both the 200 IM and 100 breast. Her 2:00.27 in the IM downed the oldest record on the Illinois books, a 2:00.63 set in 1998 by Emily Pisula. She then lowered her own 100 breast mark of 1:00.90, set in prelims 2 days earlier, with 1:00.77 in finals.

The polyvalent Rajic swims year-round with Champaign County YMCA, with whom she competed at the U.S. Nationals and World Championship Trials in Indianapolis last month. There she placed 14th in the 50m breast, 18th in the 100 breast, 35th in the 200 IM, 51st in the 100 fly, and 69th in the 50 free, notching personal bests in all five events.

Rajic will fill a much-needed slot at Cal. The Bears' top scorers in breaststroke, Marina Garcia and Maija Roses, will have both graduated, and the incoming breaststrokers in Cal's class of 2021 (Alexandra Skorus-Neely and Ali Harrison) have yet to match Rajic's 1:00.7/2:14.1 in the 100/200 breast.

Top SCY times:

50 breast 27.89
100 breast 1:00.77
200 breast 2:14.12
200 IM 2:00.23
400 IM 4:14.15
100 fly 54.48
50 free 23.17

Rajic will join #5 Cassidy Bayer and #18 Elise Garcia, who have also verbally committed to the Cal class of 2022.


https://swimswam.com/illinois-record-holder-ema-rajic-verbally-commits-cal/


------


[COLOR="#006699"]Ummm, just a nitpicky, minor correction to SwimSwam's assertion that [COLOR="#696969"]"the incoming breaststrokers in Cal's class of 2021 (Alexandra Skorus-Neely and Ali Harrison) have yet to match Rajic's 1:00.7/2:14.1 in the 100/200 breast"[/COLOR]... :p

... Ali's 2:13.53 [U]200 Breast[/U] PB from Dec 2016 is currently swifter than Ema's 2:14.12, and Alicia's 1:00.80 [U]100 Breast[/U] from May is just 0.03 sec behind Ema's best.

See quoted post below...have added PBs for Ema + furdette commits Zoe & Allie for completeness' sake:
[/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842840836 said:

---

Very impressed by Alicia Harrison's performances @ the [U]2017 California High School Swimming Girls State Championship[/U] this weekend!

Standout race for our 2017 recruit had to be the [U]100 Breast[/U] A final, where Ali stormed to 2nd place not that far behind furdette-to-be Grace Zhao who took the win in 1:00.66.

Noteworthy here was Ali dipping into the minute territory for the first time in her career, with her new PB of 1:00.80! (prev lifetime best = 1:01.22 from Dec 2016) :beer:

For reference, here are the current PBs in the [U]100 Breast[/U] for our women's swim team next year, including our incoming [COLOR="#DAA520"]Bears[/COLOR] + the 2017 [COLOR="#B22222"]saplings[/COLOR]:

---

-------------



[SIZE=4][U]100y Breast[/U][/SIZE] (2017 NCAA 'A' Cut: [U]59.04[/U])


[COLOR="#000066"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA [COLOR="#ff3399"]A[/COLOR] Final Qualifying Time (8th) = [U]59.06[/U] ~[/INDENT]
[COLOR="#006400"]2018 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#B22222"]Zoe Bartel[/COLOR] ........ 59.04...... 2016 Dec[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#000033"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA [COLOR="#0066cc"]B[/COLOR] Final Qualifying Time (16th) = [U]59.81[/U] ~[/INDENT]
[COLOR="#DAA520"]Kathleen Baker[/COLOR] ............. 59.37...... 2014 Mar[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#003366"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA Slowest [COLOR="#0099cc"]Invited[/COLOR] Time (38th) = [U]1:00.34[/U] ~[/INDENT]
[COLOR="#006400"]2018 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#B22222"]Allie Raab[/COLOR] ...... 1:00.02...... 2015 Dec[/COLOR]


[COLOR="#000000"][INDENT]~ 2017 NCAA '[COLOR="#0066cc"]B[/COLOR]' Cut: [U]1:02.49[/U] ~[/INDENT]
[COLOR="#006400"]2017 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#B22222"]Grace Zhao[/COLOR] ...... 1:00.54...... 2016 Dec
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2018 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"][U]Ema Rajic[/U][/COLOR] ........ 1:00.77 ...... 2016 Nov[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]{Cal commit}[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#DAA520"]Maija Roses[/COLOR] ................. 1:00.78...... 2017 Pac-12s
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2017 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]Ali Harrison[/COLOR] ...... 1:00.80...... 2017 May
[COLOR="#DAA520"]Abbey Weitzeil[/COLOR] ............. 1:00.86...... 2016 Georgia Fall Invite
[COLOR="#DAA520"]Keaton Blovad[/COLOR] .............. 1:01.02...... 2015 Mar
[COLOR="#006400"]2017 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#B22222"]Brooke Forde[/COLOR] .... 1:01.61...... 2017 Mar
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2017 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]Sarah Darcel[/COLOR] ..... 1:01.79...... [COLOR="#696969"]{converted times per BearDevil}[/COLOR]
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2017 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]Dannie Dilsaver[/COLOR] . 1:02.03...... 2016 Nov[/COLOR]


[COLOR="#696969"][INDENT]~ Outside of a 2017 NCAA '[COLOR="#0066cc"]B[/COLOR]' cut ~[/INDENT]
[COLOR="#DAA520"]Alexa Buckley[/COLOR] .................. 1:02.51...... 2017 Pac-12s
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2017 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]Lexa Skorus-Neely[/COLOR] 1:02.81...... 2016 May[/COLOR]


-------------

[COLOR="#006699"]
SwimSwam's writeup below on Alex's most excellent verbal :gobears:

Oh, one gripe I have with the article is that backstrokers (amongst other talents) Keaton & Aislinn are mentioned (yay!), but somehow Courtney appears to be overlooked (boo!)...
[/COLOR]

------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]CAL SECURES VERBAL COMMITMENT FROM BACKSTROKER ALEX SUMNER[/SIZE][/COLOR]


Alex Sumner from Wallingford, Pennsylvania has announced via Instagram that she will swim for the [U]University of California, Berkeley[/U], beginning in the fall of 2018.

“Very excited to announce my verbal commitment to swim at the University of California Berkeley!!! I can’t wait to further my academic and swimming careers with the support of such an amazing team and coaches! Go Bears ������”

Sumner is a USA Swimming Scholastic All-American and made the honorable mention section of our top-20 list for the class of 2018. A rising senior at Episcopal Academy, she is the Eastern Interscholastic Swimming & Diving Championships meet record-holder in the 100 back (53.41), and the reigning champion in the 200 IM (2:01.40).

Sumner swims year-round for Suburban Seahawks, with whom she recently competed at the U.S. National Championships and World Championship Trials. She placed fifth in the 200 back, and also swam the 100 back, 200 IM, and 400 IM. Swimming at the NCSA Spring Championships in Orlando, she won the 200 back, and placed 4th in the 100 back, 6th in the 200 IM, and 8th in the 400 IM.

Top SCY times:

• 200 back – 1:52.33
• 100 back – 53.41
• 50 back – 25.41
• 400 IM – 4:15.08
• 200 IM – 2:00.82
• 200 fly – 1:59.05
• 100 fly – 54.91

Sumner is the prototypical Cal backstroker, and will join one of the best training groups in the country in the fall of 2018. She will overlap one year with Kathleen Baker and Amy Bilquist, and two years with Keaton Blovad and Aislinn Light. She will share three years on the roster with Sophie Krivokapic-Zhou. Sumner will join #5 Cassidy Bayer, #18 Elise Garcia, and Ema Rajic who have all verbally committed to the Cal class of 2022.


https://swimswam.com/cal-secures-verbal-commitment-backstroker-alex-sumner/


------


[COLOR="#003366"][SIZE=5]Alex Sumner Lends Verbal Commitment to Cal Class of 2022[/SIZE][/COLOR]


http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/alex-sumner-lends-verbal-commitment-to-cal-class-of-2022/


------


[SIZE=3]SW Interview[/SIZE] (14 Jan 2017)

[video=youtube;L1nUBtOsHGI][/video]


------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842851723 said:

---

Actually may not hurt to woo #39 Ema Rajic who has a decent shorter breaststroke and an OK IM & sprint free as she did well at last week's Nationals.

---

------


[COLOR="#003366"][SIZE=5]Rajic keeps setting, meeting new goals[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[COLOR="#696969"]Thu, 07/06/2017 - 7:00am | Anthony Zilis[/COLOR]




By the time Ema Rajic swam the 50-meter freestyle at the Phillips 66 National Championships in Indianapolis last Saturday, she began to feel the burn of the previous days' workload.

The meet, after all, was a five-event, seven-race marathon for the rising senior at Uni High.

Despite her cooldowns, her warmups, the massages she received and the chocolate milk she drank after every race for the purpose of recovery, staving off the exhaustion that comes with that many races was impossible.

"That all helps," she said, "but I could feel it in my last race."

Until that final race, in which her time was similar to her usual 50-meter freestyle time, she had clocked a personal best in all six of her swims, which were all long course swims in a 50-meter pool rather than the 25-meter pool high school swimmers use. She made the "B" final and finished with the 14th fastest time in the 50 breaststroke and took second in the "C" final of the 100 breaststroke with the 17th fastest time.

The meet was a success, although she left with one area of disappointment.

She missed out on qualifying for the Junior World Championships by one place in two events.

"Overall, I feel really good," she said. "I took off a lot of time. I swam really well, (but) I'm still kind of a little disappointed that I didn't make the junior world team."

The busy week didn't stop when she stepped out of the pool. Last Saturday, the first day college coaches could call her, she was bombarded with dozens of inquiries from coaches across the country.

She hopes to decide where she's headed within the next two months, although she's not sure how the process will play out.

After a long year that began with a high school season in which she broke two state records and won two state titles, Rajic will take a break. She'll go with her family to Croatia, where her parents are from and she still has family, and Spain on a month-long vacation.

She won't completely disconnect from the swimming world, though. She set up a Skype account for the purpose of talking to college coaches.

The impact of last week's national championship, though, will last. After her first brush with the best American swimmers a year ago at the Olympic Trials, the national championships showed that she belongs. And in a few years, she may be one of the best.

"Everywhere you turn, you see the Olympic Rings tattooed on somebody," Rajic said. "You're like, 'Oh my God, it's that person.' Then you turn the corner and you see five more Olympians. The first day I needed some adjustment to that really highly intense atmosphere, people trying to make the world team, people trying to make the junior worlds team. But as I got used to it, it became more and more fun. Hopefully, I'll be one of those people where I'll be making my world team at some time."


http://www.news-gazette.com/sports/prep-sports/swimming-and-diving/2017-07-06/rajic-keeps-setting-meeting-new-goals.html


------


[COLOR="#003366"][SIZE=5]Cal Receives Verbal Commitment from Ema Rajic[/SIZE][/COLOR]


http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/cal-receives-verbal-commitment-from-ema-rajic/


------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842853129 said:

---

Yes, Alex was quite the stud in the [U]200m Back[/U] at 2017 Nationals just a fortnight ago!

[INDENT] Finished in the [U]Top 5[/U] of the A final (that Thleen had won)!
Alex's 2:10.36 from prelims of Nationals was a PB to boot!
[/INDENT]

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Not reported on SwimSwam yet, but I've just noticed after taking a peek at results for Night 1 of the 2017 NCSA Summer Champs that 2018 commit Alex has improved upon her 2:10.36 PB in the [U]200m Back[/U], achieved at 2017 Nationals, to an impressive 2:09.84 tonight! :beer:

[INDENT]https://www.teamunify.com/recndncsa/UserFiles/File/tue%20final%20results(1).pdf[/INDENT]

New NCSA record (beating Sumner's old NCSA record of 2:10.40 from this morning's heats), and over 5 secs faster than the runner-up in the A final!

That time would have placed her 4th at Nationals (behind only Thleen, Regan & Asia Seidt), and almost a sec faster than the 14th swimmer in the semis of this event at Worlds!

Alex had earlier led off for her Suburban Seahawks [U]200m Medley Relay[/U] squad, her 29.33 back split (3rd fastest leadoff leg) helping her team to 4th place overall. She then concluded tonight's finals session by anchoring a 27.13 split for her 4th placed team in the [U]200m Free Relay[/U].
[/COLOR]

------


[SIZE=3]UPDATE[/SIZE] => https://swimswam.com/claire-tuggle-after-just-turning-13-posts-56-7-100m-free/


------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842853129 said:

---

[INDENT]
1:01.61 PB in the [U]100m Back[/U] to take 2nd in the A final at the Mel Zajac meet in May!

Runner-up in the [U]200m Back[/U] A final @ Mel Zajac too![/INDENT]

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Wow, Alex dropped almost a sec off her PB in the [U]100m Back[/U] @ NCSA Champs tonight! :woohoo

Scorched a 1:00.88 (old PR = 1:01.61) to claim runner-up in the 'A' Final, just 0.07 sec behind the winner, 2020 #5 recruit Phoebe Bacon (Bacon now #3 in the 13-14 age group, with only Missy & Regan Smith having been swifter at that age), and also faster than Phoebe's former meet record of 1:01.61!

What's more, this was done as part of a very tough triple where Sumner had "warmed up" with a 4:54.91 (PB = 4:53.72) to take 7th in the [U]400m IM[/U] 'A' Final a bit earlier in the session... and concluded the evening by helping her teammates to #6 in the [U]400m Free Relay[/U], ahead of a DART squad boasting top notch 2018 recruits Hallie Kinsey & Amalie Fackenthal :beer:
[/COLOR]

------


[SIZE=3]UPDATE[/SIZE] => https://swimswam.com/phoebe-bacon-sizzles-a-100-8-100-back-at-ncsas-moves-to-3-in-13-14/


------

[COLOR="#006699"]
Hadn't realised before reading this that Alex is a legacy recruit via her mum

:gobears:
[/COLOR]

------


[COLOR="#000066"][SIZE=5]Episcopal's Sumner looks to sharpen specialty stroke at California[/SIZE][/COLOR]




When Alex Sumner set upon her summer of vetting colleges, she had a few qualifying criteria.

Exemplary academics were a must. A chance to compete for league and maybe NCAA titles was a plus. Warm weather would be a nice touch.

But when it came to breaking ties, the Episcopal Academy senior reverted to her bread-and-butter: What program would be best for her as a backstroker?

The answer, Sumner decided this week, is the University of California at Berkeley.

"Cal is known for having really great backstrokers," the reigning Daily Times Girls Swimmer of the Year said. " There will be competition on the team and there's always going to be people to race. (Head coach) Teri (McKeever) knows how to train all strokes, but backstroke is something special Cal has been able to develop."

The list of star Cal backstrokers is long and distinguished: Missy Franklin, Natalie Coughlin, Elizabeth Pelton, Rachel Bootsma and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Kathleen Baker in the 100-meter back. Baker, who will be a senior in 2018-19 when Sumner is a freshman, won the 100- and 200-yard back at NCAAs last year and accomplished the 100/200 double at Nationals in late June to qualify for this week's World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Sumner finished 48th in that race in Indianapolis and 47th in the 200 individual medley, but she turned heads by placing fifth in the 200 back. Her time of 2 minutes, 10.36 seconds from prelims is the 10th-fastest all-time (long-course meters) for the 15-16 age group, just .13 seconds behind Baker's quickest time from four years earlier. She finished fifth at nationals, earning a spot in the U.S. delegation for the World Junior Championships in Indy in late August.

Sumner's best LCM time of 1:01.61 in the 100 back, set in late May in Vancouver, is the 25th fastest 15-16 time ever, just .06 behind another 2016 Olympian, Olivia Smoliga.

Nationals in Indianapolis provided Sumner with another push toward Cal: Witnessing the team dynamics up close. Sumner visited the campus in April and knew of the area (her mother, Robin, attended law school at Berkeley), but watching the tight-knit Bears in action reinforced her instincts.

"That helped me decide on Cal because that was the first time I got to see the team and talk to the girls," Sumner said. "I think just seeing the way the team works together, even though their whole team wasn't there, but seeing the team atmosphere at a big meet was the final piece, and it made it a team I want to be a part of."

A big part of that dynamic is McKeever, one of the most respected coaches in the country. She's one of the alarmingly few female coaches to helm elite programs, and she's produced a remarkable track record in 24 years in charge, including four NCAA championships since 2009. At the 2012 Olympics in London, she became the first woman to serve as head coach of the U.S. women's team.

McKeever is also renowned for her new-age, personalized approach, nurturing athletes as more than just cogs in a lineup focused on the cold calculus of results. Sumner sees parallels between McKeever's style and that of coach Charlie Kennedy at Suburban Swim Club, who melds concern for the individual with an insistence on self-reliance.

"I think immediately when I met Teri, I thought she was the type of person who I want to coach me," Sumner said. "Part of the college process is that you want coaches that are as interested in you as you are in them, and I could tell she wanted me to be part of the team and that's important. I wanted to be part of a team where everyone works hard and everyone is appreciated, and we work hard to win meets and win at conference meets and win NCAAs."

Sumner, who lives in Swarthmore, attended but didn't swim at Strath Haven as a freshman. At Episcopal, she's drawn to the team dynamic that fuels their dual-meet success, leading to consecutive Inter-Ac titles and last year's first Eastern Interscholastic Championships crown, in which Sumner was named Most Outstanding Swimmer for the second consecutive year.

Sumner holds Delco records in the 200 IM and 100 back as well as a leg on the 400 freestyle relay.

At Cal, she'll get a chance to compete in some of the biggest meets college has to offer, which is just what she's looking for.

"I wanted to be really competitive with other teams," she said. "I think part of why high school swimming is really fun for me at EA is because our team is really strong, and it's fun racing teams like GA and Penn Charter. I wanted to be on a team that has that competition and can be one of the top schools at NCAAs."


http://papreplive.com/2017/07/12/episcopals-sumner-looks-to-sharpen-specialty-stroke-at-cal-berkley/


------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842857221 said:

---

2018 #1 recruit Eva will be in action next week, [U]2-6 Aug[/U]: https://www.usaswimming.org/utility/event-pages/event-detail/2017/08/02/default-calendar/u.s.-open

As will 2017 baby :bear: Ali, 2018 commit Cassidy + a sizeable contingent of our men's team, at the [U]U.S. Open[/U] on Long Island, NY.

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Eva sidelined from this competition due to a health issue apparently.

Cassidy, still recovering from her injury and noticeably fading in her back half (even more so in the [U]200m fly[/U]), placed 3rd in the A final of the [U]100m fly[/U] with her 59.04 at the 2017 U.S. Open tonight.

Bayer's prelims qual. time from the morning heats was a slightly swifter 58.97. Still, a steady improvement from her 2017 Nationals time of 59.58 in the B final back in late June.

PB still remains a 58.11 from semis at 2016 Olympic Trials, where Cassidy had placed 4th in the final with a 58.35.


------


Alex Sumner put down another PB at the NCSA Summer Champs tonight, this time in an event which isn't her speciality.

A 1:01.76 in the [U]100m fly[/U], her previous best being a 1:02.07 from Jan 2017.

[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#006699"]
Alex Sumner busted out a 29.38 PB in the [U]50m Back[/U] @ NCSAs to take 3rd in the A final (prev best before today's sessions was her 29.84 relay split from last summer).

Sprints may not be our 2018 commit's forte lol (see her comments from her interview video about 5 posts back), but a fine effort and very commendable PR-topping result! :beer:
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#ff3399"][SIZE=3]UPDATE[/SIZE]:[/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842858008 said:

---

Alex had earlier led off for her Suburban Seahawks [U]200m Medley Relay[/U] squad, her 29.33 back split (3rd fastest leadoff leg) helping her team to 4th place overall.

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Sorry for the erroneous claim at the top of this post, wasn't paying proper attention there, oops!

Alex's [U]50m Back[/U] individual time tonight actually wasn't a new PB (came close) - that was already achieved at the beginning of the meet as reported above... which may partly explain why Alex sort of looks less than thrilled in the podium photo below... :p


[COLOR="#696969"]Casey Chung, Lillie Hosack, Alex[/COLOR]


In her 2nd swim of the evening, Alex got close to her 2:17.64 PB in the [U]200m IM[/U] from Jan 2017.

Her 2:17.90 was good for 2nd in the A final.

Winner of this event, 2017 Horns commit Evie Pfeifer, had gone the 2nd fastest ever in her career, an impressive 2:14.68.


------


Cassidy 2nd in the D final of the [U]200m Free[/U] at the US Open, with a 2:02.57 PB :beer: (former best was a 2:02.81 from 2016)
[/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842854042 said:

---

The 2017 L.A. Invite hosted its first night of finals with Sarah Darcel and Jack Dolan among the event winners.

Sarah Darcel of ISC picked up her first win of the meet in the women's 200 fly, posting a dominating finish of 2:12.59. HRA's Alex Reddington turned in a second place finish of 2:15.18, while SoCal's Elise Garcia was third with a 2:15.36.

---

2018 :bear: commit Elise scored a new lifetime best of 2:14.68 in the 200m Fly prelims @ 2017 Junior Nationals in NY this morning to qualify for the 'A' final this evening.



Garcia's prev PR was a 2:15.36 from the L.A. Invite just a few weeks ago (see quoted mention above).


------


FINALS update


Elise didn't end up bettering her prelims swim (may have gone out a mite too fast as she noticeably faded in the final 50m), but upgraded her 8th seeded spot to finish 7th in the 'A' final of the 200m Fly.


------


Another top prospect whom we've discussed on the board from a while back, 2019 recruit Kate Douglass (#1 NY, #3 Nat), took 3rd place with a time of 1:10.05 in this race (100m Br). This was incidentally a PB for Kate as well, her prev PR = 1:10.43 from Olympic Trials last year.

Should be noted that Douglass may not be fully rested at this meet, as she is scheduled to rep Team USA at Junior Worlds @ Indy in a fortnight's time... Kate will be a much sought after recruit as she has considerable free sprint chops (multi-relay value) & versatility on top of her breast skills. Happens to be a Missy fan too, I believe...


------

Elise is still on fire. She drops over a second and a half over her seed time in the 100 Free to finish second in the morning prelims. Other notables include Lucie Nordmann 1st, Kate Douglass (5th), and Morgan Tankersley (6th). 2019 recruit Isabel Ivey misses the final finishing 9th (over 1.5 seconds above her seed time).

[COLOR="#006699"]
Cheers for the update, tedbear :beer:

Yup, Elise's def on a roll. 56.08 PB in that [U]100m Free[/U] prelims - her prev best = 57.25 from the 2015 edition of Junior Nationals!

Kate not doing too shabbily either - 56.32 PB trumping her 56.54 best from Senior Nationals a couple of month ago. Douglass is more known for her [U]50 Free[/U] sprint prowess (on top of her breast talent), so this improvement at the longer distance is an encouraging development.

Alex Crisera (#3 CA, #13 Nat for 2019) also earned a personal record of 56.49 here - old PB was a 57.14 at the LA Invite from July.

Lucie will be the top seed going into tonight's finals in both the [U]100m Free[/U] & [U]200m Back[/U]. Prelims times for a gruelling race such as the latter don't always tell the whole story, as some of the top swimmers hold back somewhat in order to conserve energy, doing just enough to get into the evening session ... whilst others have to go all out to qualify, and so find it challenging to reproduce their morning times at finals. Will see how things pan out later today.


------


Izzy (#1 FL, #1 Nat for 2019) had missed selection for Junior Worlds @ 2017 Nationals, and seems to be experiencing a bit of a wobbly start here as well.

Just as @ Indy early this summer, Ivey's early speed hasn't been impacted... had the 4th fastest split at the front half of the race amongst the 95 swimmers contesting this event.

However, noticeably lacking that back half surge that was such an impressive trademark of hers during the 2016 Junior Pan Pacs where Isabel had won the [U]100m Free[/U] with a 54.95 PB, only sub 55 sec time in the field ... fastest American in the [U]200m Free[/U] at the meet ... anchored Team USA's [U]4x100m Free[/U] (out-swimming incoming froski Sarah Darcel on that last leg :p) + [U]4x100m Medley[/U] & [U]4x200m Free[/U] relays for the win!


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=3]2016 Jr. Pan Pacs - [U]W 4x100m Medley Relay[/U][/SIZE][/COLOR]




[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=3]2016 Jr. Pan Pacs - [U]W 4x100m Free Relay[/U][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[video=youtube;6gIuNn5ceGI][/video]


------


[INDENT][COLOR="#ff3366"][SIZE=4][U]FINALS[/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/INDENT]


[COLOR="#000080"][U]200m Back[/U] [/COLOR]

• 2018 Furdette target Lucie Nordmann (#3 TX, #9 Nat) won the [U]A final[/U] decisively (by almost 2 sec!), though that 2:10.99 was almost one & a half sec off her 2:09.40 PB. Note that 2018 :bear: commit Alex Sumner had put up a 2:09.84 PB @ NCSAs last week.


[COLOR="#000080"][U]100m Free[/U][/COLOR]

• Lucie took on a 2nd swim to claim silver in the [U]A final[/U], won by the Bruins' Kenisha Liu. No PBs in either race, but a very solid double for Nordmann in what must be a tune-up meet for Jr Worlds, as with Kate Douglass.

[COLOR="#8B4513"][SIZE=3]Update[/SIZE] =>[/COLOR] Lucie has reportedly narrowed her college choices down to 3, but won't make a final decision until after taking her official trips next month.

[INDENT]If I'd have to make a speculative guess, reckon it'd be between [U]Furdettes[/U], [U]Horns[/U] & ??

[U]Bears[/U] may be in the running, as could any of these schools mentioned by BD: [U]A&M[/U], [U]'SC[/U], [U]UGA[/U].[/INDENT]


• Alex Crisera accomplished the same tough double, securing 5th place with a PB of 56.29.

• Kate Douglass lowered her PB from this morning to a 56.16, taking 4th.

• Elise came in 7th, ahead of Morgan Tankersley.

• Isabel improved upon her prelims time to take 2nd in the [U]B final[/U] with a 56.21, beating out 2018 Horn commit Grace Ariola & 2017 furdette Lauren Pitzer.

• Junior Day visitor Vivan Wang (#17 CA, #82 Nat for 2018) bested her 57.12 prelims PB with a 56.97 to get the runner-up spot in the [U]C final[/U], behind 2017 Worlds teamer & 2018 UGA commit Dakota Luther.


[COLOR="#000080"][U]400m IM[/U][/COLOR]

• Incoming furdette Katie Glavinovich (who had visited Cal) did very well to finish in the Top 3 of the [U]A final[/U], topping her old 4:48.61 PB with a new best of 4:47.60.


------
[/COLOR]

https://swimswam.com/15-amalie-fackenthal-announces-verbal-commitment-stanford/

Amalie --> LSJU 😬

BearDevil;842778267 said:

---

Targets:

-Amelie Fackenthal-Carmichael. Drop dead sprinter-50/100 Free. Same club as Chenoa and Whittle.

---

HBear;842859755 said:

---

https://swimswam.com/15-amalie-fackenthal-announces-verbal-commitment-stanford/

Amalie --> LSJU ��

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Another great get for Greg as the furdette juggernaut relentlessly steamrolls onwards.

Amalie would have been an asset to Bears, but probably more valuable to LSJU overall (top-end versatility is highly prized by Teri, i.e. Merrell, Ruck, MSH would make the biggest impact). Fackenthal will lend some sprint [U]free[/U] firepower to their relays down the road (in conjunction with Goeders), also add some [U]fly[/U] support with a bit of development.

Outstanding as Meehan's recruiting has been so far, still quite an unbalanced class queued up for the Farm IMO as Greg hasn't yet managed to acquire a suitable replacement for the versatile stud duo of Janet Hu (fly/free/back) & Ally Howe (back/free/fly) - er, let's hope that the 2 top candidates in this dept, Eva & Taylor, won't succumb to the Dark Side... :p

Bears already set to welcome Elise Garcia next year, who may give something to Amalie on the sprint frees but narrows the gap in the longer distances, and is a faster flyer to boot. Garcia has quite a bit of upside too judging by her recent time drops. Elise + Cassidy will be worthy replacements for departing fly ace Noemie (also Jaz), and for Val's relay contributions with her free.
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


[INDENT][COLOR="#ff3366"][SIZE=4][U]PRELIMS[/U][/SIZE][/COLOR][/INDENT]


[COLOR="#000080"][U][SIZE=3]100m Fly[/SIZE][/U] [/COLOR]


[COLOR="#DAA520"]Elise[/COLOR] wowing with yet another best time, 1:00.41 to earn the #5 seed for tonight's A final! Prev PB was a 1:01.05 from the 2017 Speedo Grand Challenge in May.

Whole slew of lifetime bests as well from some other A final qualifiers:

[INDENT]- Lucie Nordmann - 59.90 for the #2 seed. Old PB = 1:01.40 (March 2015)!
- Lillie Nordmann [U]{#1 TX, #9 Nat[/U] for 2020} - 1:00.34. Old PB = 1:00.91 (Nationals 2017)
- Kelly Pash [U]{#1 IN, #6 Nat[/U] for 2019} - 1:00.81 for the #2 seed. Old PB = 1:01.30 (July 2017)
- 2018 Dawg commits Dakota Luther - 59.35 & Olivia Carter - 1:00.06[/INDENT]

Izzy into the A final, though not a best time.


------


[COLOR="#DAA520"]Elise[/COLOR] lowered her PB time a mite more, down to 1:00.38 to take 4th in the [U]A final[/U] tonight.


------
[/COLOR]

BearDevil;842778267 said:

---

Targets:

-Taylor Ruck-Scottsdale, AZ. Canadian free/back prodigy living in AZ. Middle distance range (100 to 500). Lots of SCY experience. Same club as Hoffer, Bilquist, Keaton, Messy.

---

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842804722 said:

---

I guess that the Farm's also on Taylor's short list :bawl: :bawl: :bawl:

-----


Taylor Ruck: �� #fearthetree


[COLOR="#696969"]Elise Garcia (#5 CA, #28 Nat), Anya Goeders (#1 IN, #27 Nat), Taylor Ruck (#1 AZ, #2 Nat), Sam Shelton (#3 CA, #20 Nat), Shae Nicolaisen (#4 AZ, #169 Nat), Grace Ariola (#1 IL, #3 Nat) [/COLOR]


https://instagr.am/p/BQHJtx5APYl


-----

---

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842859885 said:

---

er, let's hope that the 2 top candidates in this dept, Eva & Taylor, won't succumb to the Dark Side... :p

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Not entirely a surprise, but I think I need to keep my bloody mouth shut next time...

Biggest 2018 get for Meehan & the Furdettes![/COLOR]


------


Taylor Ruck: beyond excited to announce my verbal commitment to Stanford University! So thankful for all my friends, family and coaches that helped get me to where I am today ❤️ I'm more than ready to spend the next four years of my life on the farm�� #fearthetree




https://instagr.am/p/BXokEzMFVuH


------


[COLOR="#006699"][U]UPDATE[/U] ... now reported by the major swim outlets:[/COLOR]


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]#2 TAYLOR RUCK, CANADIAN OLYMPIAN, SENDS VERBAL TO STANFORD[/SIZE][/COLOR]


https://swimswam.com/2-taylor-ruck-canadian-olympian-sends-verbal-stanford/


------


[COLOR="#003399"][SIZE=5]World Junior Gold Medalist Taylor Ruck Verbally Commits to Stanford[/SIZE][/COLOR]


https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/world-junior-gold-medalist-taylor-ruck-verbally-commits-to-stanford/


------

:bigpuke:

BearDevil;842778267 said:

---

Targets:

-Halladay Kinsey-Folsom and also DART. Both IMs, 200 Fly

---

Hallie: So excited and proud to announce my verbal commitment to swim and study at the University of South Carolina!! #gococks �� ❤️



https://instagr.am/p/BXtif0sjVfd


------

[COLOR="#006699"]
Congrats to Hallie and wish her the best!

Would have been a good fit @ Cal, but with :bear: commit Cassidy holding significantly faster times in Halladay's primary events ([U]200/400 IM[/U], [U]100/200 Fly[/U]) on top of her [U]50-200 Free[/U], and with Elise's[U] sprint free[/U] + [U]100 Fly[/U] also constituting an upgrade, reckon we'll be in fine shape in those areas.
[/COLOR]

------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]SOUTH CAROLINA RECEIVES VERBAL FROM NCSA CHAMPION HALLADAY KINSEY[/SIZE][/COLOR]


https://swimswam.com/south-carolina-receives-verbal-from-ncsa-champion-halladay-kinsey/


------

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


[INDENT][COLOR="#ff3399"][SIZE=4][U]2017 Junior Nationals[/U] - Day 5 Finals[/SIZE][/COLOR][/INDENT]


[SIZE=3][COLOR="#8B4513"][U]200m IM[/U] [/COLOR][/SIZE]


[video=youtube;6S6-oewVXxI][/video]

Kate Douglass (#1 NY, #3 Nat for 2019) was 3rd after her fly but fell back to 5th mid-race on her backstroke - almost 3 & a half sec behind the leader, Olivia Carter (#12 recruit & 2018 UGA commit). Then stormed home on her trademark [U]breast[/U] (2nd fastest split) + [U]free[/U] (fastest split) back-half, to claim the win over Olivia in the 'A' Final, with a 2:15.09 PB!

Kate's pre-Jr. Nats best in this event was a 2:18.57.



Incoming furdette Katie Glavinovich (also recruited by Teri) took the 'C' Final by over 2 sec in a new PR of 2:16.91, which would have placed 5th in the 'A' Final. Prev best = 2:17.62 from the 2016 U.S. Open.


------


[SIZE=3][COLOR="#8B4513"][U]50m Free[/U] [/COLOR][/SIZE]


Kate came back to complete her double, finishing 3rd in the 'A' Final with a 25.54 (PB = 25.50 from 2017 Nationals). Behind 2018 furdette commit Anya Goeders & 2018 horns commit Grace Ariola, but did beat 2018 recruit Lucie Nordmann & 2017 furdette Lauren Pitzer.

Alexandra Crisera (#3 CA, #13 Nat for 2019) put out a PB of 26.13 to win the 'B' Final. Elise placed 8th in that heat with her 26.55 (PB = 25.93 from March 2016).


------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]TOP 8 JUNIOR GIRLS ACROSS ALL MAJOR MEETS THE LAST TWO WEEKS[/SIZE][/COLOR]


https://swimswam.com/top-8-junior-girls-across-all-major-meets-the-last-two-weeks/


------


Here are the future :bear:s who made the Top 8 referred to in the above article:

[INDENT]• Ali (2017 baby Bear) - [U]100m Breast[/U], [U]200m Breast[/U], [U]100m Fly[/U]
• Cassidy (2018 commit) - [U]100m Fly[/U], [U]200m Fly[/U]
• Alex (2018 commit) - [U]100m Back[/U], [U]200m Back[/U]
• Elise (2018 commit) - [U]100m Free[/U][/INDENT]


A few recruits of potential interest (not a comprehensive list!):

[INDENT]• Lucie Nordmann (#3 TX, #9 Nat for 2018) - [U]50m Free[/U], [U]100m Free[/U], [U]200m Free[/U], [U]100m Back[/U], [U]200m Back[/U], [U]100m Fly[/U]
• Kate Douglass (#1 NY, #3 Nat for 2019) - [U]50m Free[/U], [U]100m Free[/U], [U]200m IM[/U]
• Zoie Hartman (#1 CA, #8 Nat for 2019) - [U]100m Free[/U], [U]100m Breast[/U], [U]200m Breast[/U]
• Miranda Heckman (#4 CA, #16 Nat for 2019) - [U]200m Free[/U], [U]400m Free[/U][/INDENT]


------
[/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842860025 said:

---

[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]#2 TAYLOR RUCK, CANADIAN OLYMPIAN, SENDS VERBAL TO STANFORD[/SIZE][/COLOR]

https://swimswam.com/2-taylor-ruck-canadian-olympian-sends-verbal-stanford/

---

[COLOR="#006699"]Hmmm, interesting stats culled from a comment in the above writeup:
[/COLOR]
------

[SIZE=3][FONT=Georgia][COLOR="#696969"]SWIM DAD: "It's pretty well bought {top talent by the Furd}. The numbers speak for themselves. In the last 5 years, going back to class of 2014, this is the breakdown by college as to who got the top 10 SwimSwam women's recruits. This does not include 2 from the class of '18 who still haven't committed.

[U]School | % of total[/U]
[COLOR="#B22222"]Stanford[/COLOR] | 29.2%
[COLOR="#DAA520"]Cal[/COLOR] | 12.5%
[COLOR="#FF0000"][/COLOR][COLOR="#B22222"]USC[/COLOR] | 10.4%
[COLOR="#000000"]UGA[/COLOR] | 8.3%
[COLOR="#FF8C00"]U Tex[/COLOR] | 8.3%
A&M | 6.3%
UM | 4.2%
U Lou | 4.2%
U Tenn | 4.2%
U Min | 4.2%
U Wis | 2.1%
U Flo | 2.1%
U Ariz | 2.1%
U Indi | 2.1%

Stanford more than doubles Cal who is second with 12.5%. Also, on Stanford's "down year", where they only got 2 of the top 10that was the year Ledecky and Eastin signed.

My point is simple. Stanford gets the most top 10 recruits BY FAR vs. any other Div 1 swim program. How you have these amazing endowments that other colleges don't have, or how these amazing swimmer/students seem to get rewarded with endowments that 4.5 GPA students aren't getting, or how all the top 10 swimmers who go to Stanford are from families that make less than 125K per year, is not my argument.

I'm simply saying it's not that hard to win National Championships when 30% (sorry Hannah for my HUGE exaggeration) of the top 10 swimmers in the country are committing to your school. After looking at the numbers, I'm more impressed with the schools who are consistently getting in the top 5 who aren't getting all this top 10 talent."
[/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842860447 said:

---

------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]TOP 8 JUNIOR GIRLS ACROSS ALL MAJOR MEETS THE LAST TWO WEEKS[/SIZE][/COLOR]


https://swimswam.com/top-8-junior-girls-across-all-major-meets-the-last-two-weeks/


------


Here are the future :bear:s who made the Top 8 referred to in the above article:

[INDENT] Ali (2017 baby Bear) - [U]100m Breast[/U], [U]200m Breast[/U], [U]100m Fly[/U]
Cassidy (2018 commit) - [U]100m Fly[/U], [U]200m Fly[/U]
Alex (2018 commit) - [U]100m Back[/U], [U]200m Back[/U]
Elise (2018 commit) - [U]100m Free[/U][/INDENT]



A few recruits of potential interest (not a comprehensive list!):

[INDENT] Lucie Nordmann (#3 TX, #9 Nat for 2018) - [U]50m Free[/U], [U]100m Free[/U], [U]200m Free[/U], [U]100m Back[/U], [U]200m Back[/U], [U]100m Fly[/U]
Kate Douglass (#1 NY, #3 Nat for 2019) - [U]50m Free[/U], [U]100m Free[/U], [U]200m IM[/U]
Zoie Hartman (#1 CA, #8 Nat for 2019) - [U]100m Free[/U], [U]100m Breast[/U], [U]200m Breast[/U]
Miranda Heckman (#4 CA, #16 Nat for 2019) - [U]200m Free[/U], [U]400m Free[/U][/INDENT]


------

---

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842853187 said:

---

------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]ANDREW, SMITH HEAD TEAM USA'S 2017 JUNIOR WORLDS ROSTER[/SIZE][/COLOR]


https://swimswam.com/andrew-smith-head-team-usas-2017-junior-worlds-roster/


------


[COLOR="#006699"][COLOR="#DAA520"]Baby Bears[/COLOR] + a few of the [/COLOR]uncommitted recruits [COLOR="#006699"]on the Worlds Jr. team:[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#8B4513"]2018 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Sumner[/COLOR] [U]200 back[/U]
[COLOR="#8B4513"]2018 ��[/COLOR] [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece Whitley[/COLOR] [U]200 breast[/U], [U]100 breast[/U], [U]50 breast[/U]

2018 Eva Merrell (#1 CA, #1 Nat) [U]100 fly[/U]
2018 Lucie Nordmann (#3 TX, #9 Nat) [U]100 free[/U], [U]4100 free relay[/U], [U]4100 medley relay[/U]
2018 Diana Dunn (#10 TX, #94 Nat) [U]200 free[/U], [U]4200 free relay[/U]
2019 Kate Douglass (#1 NY, #3 Nat) [U]50 free[/U]
2019 Kelly Pash (#1 IN, #6 Nat) [U]4200 free relay[/U]
2019 Ella Nelson (#1 TN, #9 Nat) [U]200 breast[/U]
2019 Miranda Heckman (#4 CA, #16 Nat) [U]400 free[/U]
2019 Ashlyn Fiorilli (#1 TX, #18 Nat) [U]200 fly[/U]
2020 Alex Walsh (#1 CT, #1 Nat) [U]200 IM[/U]
2020 Regan Smith (#1 MN, #2 Nat) [U]200 back[/U], [U]100 fly[/U], [U]50 fly[/U], [U]100 back[/U], [U]50 back[/U], [U]4100 medley relay[/U]
2020 Ella Ristic (#2 CA, #8 Nat) [U]4200 free relay[/U]


https://cdn.swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2017-world-junior-championships.pdf


------

---

[COLOR="#006699"]
Well whilst we are waiting on SwimSwam & the likes to publish their write-ups on the 2017 World Junior Championships, slated for [U]23 - 28 August[/U] @ the IU Natatorium in Indy, reckon I'd post some tentative advance info + links that I have dug up on the event thus far.



May contain some inaccuracies tho, this is by no means intended to be a comprehensive overview of the meet, just a lil preview before the official press releases come out...


------


[INDENT][COLOR="#0000CD"][SIZE=3]Official Site[/SIZE][/COLOR]: https://www.fina.org/event/6th-fina-world-junior-swimming-championships

[COLOR="#0000CD"][SIZE=3]Schedule[/SIZE][/COLOR]: [url]https://www.fina.org/sites/default/files/general/fina_world_junior_swimming_championships_competition_schedul e_indianapolis_2017.pdf[/url]

[COLOR="#0000CD"][SIZE=3]TV & Webcast[/SIZE][/COLOR]: https://www.usaswimming.org/news-landing-page/2017/08/17/fina-world-junior-swimming-championships-presented-by-sigma-gamma-rho-inc.-tv-webcast-schedule

[COLOR="#0000CD"][SIZE=3]Live Results[/SIZE][/COLOR]: http://www.omegatiming.com/Competition?id=0001110100FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF&sport=AQ&year=2017[/INDENT]


------





Here are the [U]individual events[/U] + a few [U]relays[/U] that our [COLOR="#DAA520"]Baby Bears[/COLOR] + recruits of potential interest (even if Lucie may be a furdette or Texas/TAMU lean :p) are slated to compete in, likely that several of them will be asked to contribute on the various relays too:
[/COLOR]

[INDENT] [U][COLOR="#000033"]M 100m Breast[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece Whitley[/COLOR]: Wed [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Thurs [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 100m Back[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR]: Wed [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Thurs [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 4x200m Free relay[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"] Diana Dunn, Kelly Pash, Ella Ristic[/COLOR]: Wed [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]

[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 200m Fly[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Ashlyn Fiorilli[/COLOR]: Thurs [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]

[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 100m Free[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Lucie Nordmann[/COLOR]: Thurs [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Fri [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]

[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 200m Back[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR], [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Sumner[/COLOR]: Fri [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]

[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 50m Fly[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR]: Fri [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Sat [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]

[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 400m Free[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Miranda Heckman[/COLOR]: Sat [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]M 200m Breast[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece Whitley[/COLOR]: Sat [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 200m IM[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Alex Walsh[/COLOR]: Sat [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 50m Back[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR]: Sat [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Sun [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]

[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 100m Fly[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Eva Merrell[/COLOR], [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR]: Sun [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Mon [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]
[U]W 50m Free[/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Kate Douglass[/COLOR]: Sun [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Mon [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]M 50m Breast[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece Whitley[/COLOR]: Sun [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Mon [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]

[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 200m Breast[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Ella Nelson[/COLOR]: Mon [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]M 4x100m Medley relay[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece Whitley[/COLOR]: Mon [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]
[U][COLOR="#000033"]W 4x100m Medley relay[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"] Lucie Nordmann, Regan Smith[/COLOR]: Mon [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR]
[/INDENT]




[COLOR="#8B4513"][SIZE=3]VIDEO ->[/SIZE][/COLOR]


------


[COLOR="#000080"][U][SIZE=3]usaswimming[/SIZE][/U][/COLOR]: Ready to Defend the Nat! Congrats to the @nationaljuniorteam captains for #FINAWorldJrsIndy - Michael Andrew, Erica Sullivan, Madison Homovich, Grace Ariola & [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece Whitley[/COLOR]. #swimming #Indianapolis




------


[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=3]Update =>[/SIZE][/COLOR] [COLOR="#006699"]SwimSwam finally published their links for the meet:[/COLOR]


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]2017 WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS: ALL THE LINKS YOU NEED[/SIZE][/COLOR]


https://swimswam.com/2017-world-junior-swimming-championships-links-need/


------





------

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842863296 said:

---

Here are the [U]individual events[/U] + a few [U]relays[/U] that our [COLOR="#DAA520"]Baby Bears[/COLOR] + recruits of potential interest (even if Lucie may be a furdette or Texas/TAMU lean :p) are slated to compete in, likely that several of them will be asked to contribute on the various relays too:

[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"]M 100m Breast[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece Whitley[/COLOR]: Wed [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Thurs [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]
• [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 100m Back[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR]: Wed [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Semis)[/COLOR] & Thurs [COLOR="#696969"](Final)[/COLOR]
• [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 4x200m Free relay[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"] Diana Dunn, Kelly Pash, Ella Ristic[/COLOR]: Wed [COLOR="#696969"](Heats + Final)[/COLOR][/INDENT]

---

[COLOR="#006699"]
====



[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=3]DAY 1 PRELIMS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"]M 100m Breast[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR] is the #2 seed for tonight's semis.[/INDENT]




------


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 100m Back[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Regan[/COLOR] really killed it with a championship record of [U]59.52[/U], lowering her prev PB of [U]59.70[/U] from 2017 Nationals!

Not far behind Smith's top time was 2018 furdette commit, and former tedbear favourite :p, [COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor Ruck[/COLOR] of Canada with a [U]59.64[/U]. The pair with the only sub minute times in the entire field.

Massive improvement for [COLOR="#A52A2A"]Taylor[/COLOR] as her prev PB = [U]1:00.46[/U] from the 2017 Mare Nostrum series this summer. After having hit a plateau for a while, looks like the future sapling is getting faster again, and will help fill Howe & Hu's considerable sprint backstroke shoes next year (i.e. not so great news for :bear: fans).
[/INDENT]




------


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 4x200m Free relay[/COLOR][/U]: Not sure if Kayla Sanchez plans to compete in the NCAA, but this versatile Canadian talent is one to watch. Kayla is listed on the CollegeSwimming rankings as the [U]#4[/U] recruit for 2019, after the #2 recruit & fellow Canadian Penny Olesiak (another tedbear fave haha) who may be ineligible as Penny has signed up for an endorsement with ASICS.
[/INDENT]





====



[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=3]CHEERING SECTION =>[/SIZE][/COLOR] :cheer



[U]Back row[/U]: Kate Douglass, Diana Dunn, Ella Ristic
[U]Front row[/U]: [COLOR="#696969"]Therapy [SIZE=3]��[/SIZE][/COLOR], [COLOR="#993300"]2018 [U]Horns[/U] commit Julia Cook[/COLOR], [COLOR="#DAA520"]2018 [U]Cal[/U] commit Alex Sumner[/COLOR]


------



Regan Smith & Kate Douglass


------
[/COLOR]

Kate Douglass: love reppin' the US of A ���� ❤️ #defendthenat


[COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Sumner[/COLOR] & [COLOR="#006699"]Kate Douglass[/COLOR]

[INDENT][COLOR="#696969"]Alex: Aww love this and you ���� ��
Regan: My favs[/COLOR]


https://instagr.am/p/BYPTn9TAPS1[/INDENT]


------


Alex: just some mammal hunters ready to #defendthenat ����
[COLOR="#006699"]

[COLOR="#006699"]Kate Douglass[/COLOR], [COLOR="#FFA500"]2018 [U]Gator[/U] commit Kieran Smith[/COLOR], [COLOR="#DAA520"]2018 [SIZE=3]��[/SIZE] Alex Sumner[/COLOR]

[INDENT]https://instagr.am/p/BYKKv_NDgD8[/INDENT]


------




Baby :bear: [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex[/COLOR] @ rightmost of above photo, back row (next to Kate Douglass)


------


[COLOR="#006400"][SIZE=3]VIDEOS ->[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[INDENT]https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/21039036_465028937195611_1259222469168857088_n.mp4

https://twitter.com/i/videos/tweet/900713928900083713 [COLOR="#006699"](starring [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR])[/COLOR]

https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/21079654_123772868267220_6579678331677966336_n.mp4

https://scontent-lga3-1.cdninstagram.com/t50.2886-16/21017300_471028476623527_137287027593838592_n.mp4[/INDENT]



====



[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=3]SEMIS & FINALS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"]M 100m Breast[/COLOR][/U] (Semis) - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR] advances, sharing the #2 seed with USA's Michael Andrew. Clearcut favourite for gold will be Italy's Nicolo Martinenghi, who broke his own WJR.[/INDENT]




------


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 100m Back[/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#006699"]Regan[/COLOR] improved upon her personal record from this morning with a [U]59.41[/U] to win her semis heat. However, [COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor Ruck[/COLOR] did one better, surpassing Minna Atherton (AUS)'s World Junior record of 59.34 from Rio, with a blazing [U]59.28[/U] that also supplants Regan's newly-minted Championship record from this morning.[/INDENT]




------


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 4x200m Free relay[/COLOR][/U][/INDENT]




------
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=3]DAY 2 FINALS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]M 100m Breast[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U]

[COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR]'s 1:00.08 personal record (prev PB = 1:00.33 from semis) wins him [COLOR="#696969"]SILVER[/COLOR]! :gobears:[/INDENT]




------


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 100m Back[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U]

2020 recruit [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR] (USA) > 2018 furdette commit [COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor Ruck[/COLOR] (CAN)! :p

Regan lays down a [U]59.11[/U] lifetime best to take [COLOR="#DAA520"]GOLD[/COLOR], breaks [COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor[/COLOR]'s World Junior record + Championship record of 59.28 from yesterday's semis, and also overtakes [COLOR="#DAA520"]Missy[/COLOR]'s 59.18 NAG record (2011) for 15-16 girls in the process.[/INDENT]



[INDENT]Another potential recruit to take note of, if she decides to come to America and compete collegiately in the NCAA down the road - Jade Hannah (CAN - Island Swimming, same club as 2017 freshie [COLOR="#DAA520"]Sarah Darcel[/COLOR]), whose PR before this meet was 1:01.08 from 2017 Canadian Champs, earns a [COLOR="#8B4513"]BRONZE[/COLOR] medal with her massive [U]59.62[/U] PB in tonight's final![/INDENT]


[COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor[/COLOR], Regan, [COLOR="#696969"]Jade[/COLOR]





------


[INDENT]• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]Mixed 4x100m Medley relay[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U]

Heck, [COLOR="#006699"]Regan[/COLOR] does it again, surpasses her World Junior record time of 59.11 from the individual back final with a blazing [U]58.95[/U] (6th fastest time in the whole world for 2017) leading off on the back leg! Won't count as a WJR though as this was swum in a mixed medley relay format.

This 58.95 however does rank Regan as [U]#5[/U] all-time American in this event, a mere 0.01 sec behind [U]#4[/U] [COLOR="#DAA520"]Natalie[/COLOR]. [U]#3[/U] = Olivia Smoliga with her 58.77 from Budapest 2017. [U]#2[/U] is of course our own [COLOR="#DAA520"]Thleen[/COLOR]'s 58.54, also from Worlds. [COLOR="#DAA520"]Missy[/COLOR] still owns the American record of 58.33 from London 2012.

[COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR] also contributed a stellar leg, splitting a fast [U]59.4[/U] on his breast (faster than his silver worthy individual breast race after taking into account reaction times), to help Team USA get to less than half a sec from the massive fave & eventual winner, Team Canada.[/INDENT]


[COLOR="#696969"][U]Back[/U]: Nicolas Albiero, [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR]
[U]Front[/U]: [COLOR="#006699"]Regan[/COLOR], Grace Ariola[/COLOR]




[/COLOR]
------


[COLOR="#003366"][SIZE=5]Captain Reece Whitley Soars in Leadership Role[/SIZE][/COLOR]




[INDENT]http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/captain-reece-whitley-soars-in-leadership-role/[/INDENT]


------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]REGAN SMITH DOWNS WJR, MISSY FRANKLIN’S 15-16 NAG RECORD IN 100 BACK[/SIZE][/COLOR]



Smith is now the first 15-16 in American history to break 59 seconds, and only three other 15-16 women ([COLOR="#DAA520"]Franklin, Rachel Bootsma, Elizabeth Pelton[/COLOR]) have ever broken 1:00. Smith only turned 15 this Februrary, meaning she has about a year and a half left in the age group to keep making history.


[INDENT]https://swimswam.com/regan-smith-downs-wjr-missy-franklins-15-16-nag-record-in-100-back/[/INDENT]

[COLOR="#006699"]
My gratuitous reaction to the above paragraph: "All the more reason for Regan to come to [U]Backstroke U[/U]..." :p
[/COLOR]

------

[COLOR="#006699"]
====



[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=4]DAY 3 PRELIMS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]



[INDENT] [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 200m Back[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - 2018 :bear: commit [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Sumner[/COLOR] took the 2nd seed in [U]2:09.84[/U], more than a sec faster than the #3 seed. Steadily built upon each successive lap until unleashing the fastest final 50m split amongst all the event entrants to win her heat. That time matches [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alexandra[/COLOR]'s lifetime best from NCSA Champs earlier this month, well done! :beer:


[COLOR="#696969"]Alex[/COLOR]

2020 super recruit Regan Smith then broke Minna Atherton (AUS)'s Championship record of 2:09.11 with a very easy [U]2:09.07[/U] for the top seed in the finals session tonight. The overwhelming favourite, based upon Smith's personal record of 2:07.19 from Budapest 2017, her [U]100m Back[/U] performance last night, and how clearly she was holding something back this morning in consideration of tackling the tough double today.


[COLOR="#696969"]Regan[/COLOR]

No one else likely taking it that relaxed in this event this morning, as there are no semis for the [U]200m Back[/U], so only the top 8 makes it directly into finals!

Canadian prospect Jade Hannah also -> the final with her 2:12.35. Her PB = 2:12.05 from their Worlds Trials back in April.[/INDENT]






[COLOR="#696969"][U]Mitch Dalton‏[/U]: [COLOR="#006699"]Regan Smith[/COLOR], [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Summer[/COLOR] and Daniel Kruger thanking the elementary schoolers for coming to support the team! #gratitude #FinaWorldJrsIndy[/COLOR]



[INDENT] [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 50m Fly[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - Regan had earlier qualified for semis in the 13th= spot, swimming a [U]27.47[/U]. Sprint fly LCM isn't an event that Regan gets much of a chance to compete in, so will be interesting to see what she can produce in finals if she advances from her semis round tonight whilst taking on that double. Prev PB = 29.01 from 2014!

[COLOR="#ff3366"][SIZE=3]UPDATE[/SIZE] ->[/COLOR] Regan has scratched her [U]50m fly[/U] semis. Makes sense as it's not all that important of a race for Regan (not her primary stroke/distance and a non Olympic event to boot), podium chances would have been relatively slim as she's not a specialist in this like some of the other qualifiers, would also have given Smith only 10 minutes or so before her [U]200m Back[/U] final, barely time to warm down![/INDENT]







====
[/COLOR]

USA Swimming: What's it like to be on deck as a member of the National Junior Team competing at the 2017 FINA World Championships? It's Loud. But they wouldn't have it any other way.


[video=youtube;gJy82tyxAl8][/video]

[COLOR="#006699"]
====



[COLOR="#8B4513"][SIZE=3]NOTE[/SIZE] ->[/COLOR] Going to be out and will miss evening finals :cry:

Will try to post some results when I get back and have a chance to catch up, if someone doesn't provide an update beforehand...

Rooting massively for [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex[/COLOR] to get on the podium in the [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]200m Back[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U]!

Our Baby Bear will be squaring up against a very dangerous opponent in Russia's [COLOR="#696969"]Polina Egorova[/COLOR], who boasts a personal record of 2:08.97 that is almost a whopping full second quicker than Alex's... Will also face stiff competition from [COLOR="#696969"]Anastasiia Avdeeva[/COLOR] (RUS), Japan's [COLOR="#696969"]Natsumi Sakai[/COLOR], and Moldova's [COLOR="#696969"]Tatiana Sulcutan[/COLOR] - that trio all have PBs comparable to [COLOR="#DAA520"]Sumner[/COLOR]'s lifetime best.

Have every confidence tho in [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex[/COLOR] rising to the challenge, and also in Regan's ability to outswim the competition here - the pair will do their country proud no matter the outcome!

Go USA! Go Bear(s)! :cheer



====
[/COLOR]

====

[COLOR="#006699"]
Alright, back again and here's what apparently went down whilst I was away, from a quick scan of the results

As a lil aside, also wanted to note that a prev. "potential recruit" mention of mine, Freya Anderson (GBR), won the [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 100m Free[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] with the sole sub-54 effort, her [U]53.88[/U] PB also taking down furdette-to-be [COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor Ruck[/COLOR]'s former Championship record of 53.92.


------


[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=4]DAY 3 FINALS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]





[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 200m Back[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U]

[INDENT][COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Sumner[/COLOR] didn't waste any time as she proceeded to eclipse Regan's newly minted Championship record (2:09.07) from this morning, destroying her own 2:09.84 PR by a significant 0.8 sec to earn [COLOR="#696969"]SILVER[/COLOR] with a new best of [U]2:09.04[/U]!

Swam a smart race too...a wee faster front half than her prelims pace that saw half the field ahead at the half-way mark. No worries, just shift gears in that critical 3rd 50m for the 2nd swiftest split, and then really crank it up in the final 50 to storm home ahead of everyone except for the champion![/INDENT]
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Sumner[/COLOR]

[SIZE=3][COLOR="#8B4513"][INDENT]Alex - Post-race Interview ([U]Audio[/U]) ->[/SIZE] https://swimmingworld.azureedge.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/alex-sumner-200-back-final-world-junior-championships.mp3[/INDENT][/COLOR]
- "It felt amazing. I couldn't exactly tell where I was in the field. I just knew that I really wanted to medal with Regan. I thought that it would be really cool if the Americans went 1-2."

- "I think my motivation to make this team was what helped me drop so much time this summer. I usually train half backstroke and half butterfly, but me and my coach decided to focus on backstroke this summer so that I could make this team, just get to this meet."


[COLOR="#006699"]
Whilst not quite achieving a best time (off by 0.26 sec compared to her semis @ Budapest 2017), Regan made it a 1-2 sweep for Team USA, effortlessly dominating the race with an impressive [U]2:07.45[/U] for a new Championship record and [COLOR="#DAA520"]GOLD[/COLOR]!
[/COLOR]
[SIZE=3][COLOR="#8B4513"][INDENT]Regan - Post-race Interview ([U]Audio[/U]) ->[/SIZE] https://swimmingworld.azureedge.net/news/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/regan-smith-200-back-final-world-junior-championships.mp3[/INDENT][/COLOR]
- "(The World Junior Record) was on my mind. I knew that it would be a huge swim for me to drop even more than I did at Worlds. I didn't think it was out of the question, but I knew I'd have to do a really great swim to do that. I just wanted to go out there, do the best I could, really represent Team USA well, and I think Alex and I did a really great job of doing that."






------


[COLOR="#000080"][SIZE=5]How Regan Smith Realized She Belongs on the World Stage[/SIZE][/COLOR]


[COLOR="#696969"]Regan Smith and [COLOR="#DAA520"]Alex Sumner[/COLOR] Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick[/COLOR]


As Smith came in well ahead of the pack for gold, another young American was working some magic in the next lane over. Alex Sumner split 32.27 on the last 50, tops in the field, and pulled into the wall at 2:09.04, good for a silver medal.

As soon as Smith and Sumner saw the results, the two raced to the lane line separating lanes four and five to embrace each other. Smith screamed, "I'm so happy for you!"

"She's been killing it," Smith said of Sumner. "She's dropped, what, like two or three seconds in the summer alone. It was insane."


[INDENT]http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/how-regan-smith-realized-she-belongs-on-the-world-stage/[/INDENT]


------


Deck Pass Live video (with [COLOR="#DAA520"]Missy[/COLOR]) - Day 3




------


Regan Smith: "Let's see where it takes me..." | FINA World Junior Swimming Championships

[video=youtube;V0NzUnf1KY4][/video]



====

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=4]DAY 4 SEMIS & FINALS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]


------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 50m Back[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - Regan qualifies in the 4th spot for tomorrow's final with a 28.21, besting her 28.43 from this morning's heats.

Rising Canadian youngster Jade Hannah laid down a commanding lifetime best of 28.04 to take the top seed.





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]M 200m Breast[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR] gets the [COLOR="#696969"]SILVER[/COLOR]! :beer:

Just 0.05 behind USA teammate Daniel Roy, ranked #14 by SwimSwam for the HS class of 2018 and who has yet to commit.

[COLOR="#DAA520"]Whitley[/COLOR]'s 2:10.82 is a new personal record, over a second faster than his 2:11.85 time from prelims. Prev PB was a 2:11.30 from 2015 Nationals.




[INDENT][COLOR="#8B4513"][SIZE=3]UPDATE ->[/SIZE][/COLOR] (from a SwimSwam comment - FWIW )

[COLOR="#696969"]ELLIE: "I talked to him (Daniel Roy) and he says he's committing to either [U]Cal[/U] or Texas. Prob Cal tho."[/COLOR]

But then there is this:

[COLOR="#696969"]"It's obviously a friendship outside the pool. Nobody's really friends with anyone on the pool deck. He put it the right wayprobably competitors. And it'll only intensify as we get older. There's no beef at all. I'm proud of him for getting up there and really making a lot of progression over the last few years." Whitley, on his relationship and rivalry with Roy[/COLOR]
[/INDENT]


------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 200m IM[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - Been a bit of a tough summer for 2020 uber-recruit Alex Walsh with regards to one of her primary strokes (back). Was in this race until the last 30m or so, faded to 4th with her [U]2:13.62[/U].

May have pushed a wee too hard on her breast in trying to make up for a relatively slow start...

Alex's 2:12.36 PB from 2017 Nationals would have won the event tonight!

2019 Canadian recruit, Kayla Sanchez, ranked #4 overall in her class, took silver with a 2:12.64.





------
[/COLOR]

USA Swimming: We're live!! ���� ���� Tune-in to #DeckPassLive NOW: http://www.usaswimming.org at IUPUI: The IU Natatorium (The Nat) (PE)


[COLOR="#696969"]Ariana Kukors with [COLOR="#DAA520"]Missy[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR="#006699"]
------
P.S. You're sm welcome, DCW67MSW! :gobears:


------
[/COLOR]

Thanks UAC - daughters were national swimmers @ always enjoy learning about details such as life time best.

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


[COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=4]DAY 5 PRELIMS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR]


------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 100m Fly[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - Regan seeded #4 for this evening's semis, [U]59.60[/U]. Smith's PB = 59.43 from 2017 Nationals.

Regan will be facing stiff competition to qualify for the final as she goes for the double tonight (has the [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 50m Back[/COLOR][/U] final in addition).

In an event which doesn't fully play to Smith's primary strengths (tho she's obviously pretty good at it lol), 6 of the 7 swimmers who have been faster than Regan also advances to the semis round (see following list of PBs):
[COLOR="#000000"][INDENT]- Rikako Ikee (JPN) - 56.86
- Rebecca Smith (CAN) - 58.11
- Suzuka Hasegawa (JPN) - 58.69
- Polina Egorova (RUS) - 58.91
- Emily Large (GBR) - 59.09
- Mabel Zavaros (CAN) - 59.29[/INDENT][/COLOR]

Eva Merrell didn't swim this race as originally scheduled. May be injured as haven't seen her at this meet?

Rikako a clear-cut above the rest of the field in the event, as no one else has ever even dipped below 58 sec here.





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 50m Free[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - Kate Douglass into semis with a [U]25.81[/U], seeded 10th. PB = 25.50 from 2017 Nationals.

Kate will have her work cut out for her trying to make finals tonight, as there are 7 semi-finalists who have been quicker than her, along with a sizeable group holding comparable best times. Hopefully Douglass will have more in the tank for the evening, as she may be saving a bit here for her morning double (will also be part of the [U][COLOR="#000033"]W 4x100m Free relay[/COLOR][/U]).


[COLOR="#696969"]Kate Douglass[/COLOR]

2019 recruit Kayla Sanchez (CAN) in the 4th spot with her 25.44 PB (prev best = 25.66).

Rikako again the fastest by far on paper, having gone a blistering 24.57 @ 2017 Japanese Nationals. Maybe GBR's Freya Anderson will be in the mix, if she can find something special to mount a challenge to Rikako...





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]M 50m Breast[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - [COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR] qualifies for semis in 5th, [U]28.28[/U]. Just 0.03 off his 28.25 PB from 2017 Nationals!





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 4x100m Free relay[/SIZE][/COLOR][/U] - Team USA claims the 2nd seed, behind Canada who will be the overwhelming favourite in the final.

Kate & Alex (Walsh with the fastest leg) contributed to the American relay squad, alongside Kelly Pash and Horns commit Julia Cook.

Watch out World Junior Record (3:39.87)! Penny's capable of dropping 3 & a half sec off her casual morning swim, Taylor another 2 sec or more, and Rebecca Smith's 54.93 PB is worth in excess of a 2 sec differential to Faith Knelson's 57.00 leadoff this morning (incidentally a new PB for Faith by 0.56 sec).

Kayla also had a faster split than all 4 of the American legs, even with reaction time factored in...well mayhaps Walsh would be 0.01 sec faster in that case, but who's splitting hairs here? :p





------
[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


[INDENT][COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=4][U]DAY 5[/U] SEMIS & FINALS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR] [/INDENT]


------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 100m Fly[/SIZE][/U] (Semis)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]New PB of [U]59.30[/U] for Regan!

Has the slowest first 50 of all the finals qualifiers, but her superb underwater after the wall goes some way to make up for that, advancing her in the 7th seeded spot.[/INDENT]





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 50m Free[/SIZE][/U] (Semis)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]Kate Douglass lowers her 25.81 from prelims to a [U]25.73[/U] in the semis, but will not be moving on to tomorrow's finals.
Good effort though, would have taken her 25.50 PB just to snuck in the last spot!

Kayla Sanchez of Canada breaks her PB again, lowering it from her prelims time of 25.44 down to [U]25.35[/U] to claim the #6 finals spot, whilst GB's Freya Anderson squeaks in (barely) with her [U]25.51[/U].[/INDENT]





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]M 50m Breast[/SIZE][/U] (Semis)[/COLOR]

[INDENT][COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR] will be contesting the finals tomorrow as the 5th seed, thanks to a new PB of [U]28.02[/U] (prev best = 28.25)!

Took a while to get his massive 6ft 8in frame going tho lol, esp with his long, languid strokes that seem more suited to the longer distance races.[/INDENT]





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 50m Back[/SIZE][/U] (Final)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]2020 recruit Jade Hannah (CAN) hammers a new PR of [U]27.93[/U] (prev = 28.04 from yesterday's semis) to share [COLOR="#DAA520"]GOLD[/COLOR] with Natsumi Sakai (JPN).

Regan drops another PB with her [U]28.12[/U] (former best was a 28.21 from semis), but is out-touched by her teammate Grace Ariola by a mere 0.01 sec for a medal!
2018 Horns commit Grace's old lifetime best = 28.34 from semis.[/INDENT]





------


[U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 4x100m Free relay[/SIZE][/U] (Final)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]As expected, Canada easily wins, smashing the WJR by 3.68 sec with their [U]3:36.19[/U].
Could have been quite a bit quicker if Penny had been at her best, but Taylor did achieve a 53.63 PB leading off, and Kayla contributed a nice 54.21 anchor split.

Team USA 3.5 sec behind the Canadian squad, their [U]3:39.69[/U] actually swifter than the old record of 3:39.87 accomplished by AUS in 2015.
Does get [COLOR="#696969"]SILVER[/COLOR], thanks to Nordmann's 55.15 leadoff, Walsh's 54.87 leg and a relatively strong 54.28 anchor from Ariola.

Kate Douglass & Kelly Pash did their part in prelims earlier to get USA into the final as the #2 seed, will also earn a silver medal.[/INDENT]





------
[/COLOR]

UrsusArctosCalifornicus;842865367 said:

---

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


[INDENT][COLOR="#800080"][SIZE=4][U]DAY 5[/U] SEMIS & FINALS =>[/SIZE][/COLOR] [/INDENT]


------


• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 100m Fly[/SIZE][/U] (Semis)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]New PB of [U]59.30[/U] for Regan!

Has the slowest first 50 of all the finals qualifiers, but her superb underwater after the wall goes some way to make up for that, advancing her in the 7th seeded spot.[/INDENT]





------


• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 50m Free[/SIZE][/U] (Semis)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]Kate Douglass lowers her 25.81 from prelims to a [U]25.73[/U] in the semis, but will not be moving on to tomorrow's finals.
Good effort though, would have taken her 25.50 PB just to snuck in the last spot!

Kayla Sanchez of Canada breaks her PB again, lowering it from her prelims time of 25.44 down to [U]25.35[/U] to claim the #6 finals spot, whilst GB's Freya Anderson squeaks in (barely) with her [U]25.51[/U].[/INDENT]





------


• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]M 50m Breast[/SIZE][/U] (Semis)[/COLOR]

[INDENT][COLOR="#DAA520"]Reece[/COLOR] will be contesting the finals tomorrow as the 5th seed, thanks to a new PB of [U]28.02[/U] (prev best = 28.25)!

Took a while to get his massive 6ft 8in frame going tho lol, esp with his long, languid strokes that seem more suited to the longer distance races.[/INDENT]





------


• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 50m Back[/SIZE][/U] (Final)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]2020 recruit Jade Hannah (CAN) hammers a new PR of [U]27.93[/U] (prev = 28.04 from yesterday's semis) to share [COLOR="#DAA520"]GOLD[/COLOR] with Natsumi Sakai (JPN).

Regan drops another PB with her [U]28.12[/U] (former best was a 28.21 from semis), but is out-touched by her teammate Grace Ariola by a mere 0.01 sec for a medal!
2018 Horns commit Grace's old lifetime best = 28.34 from semis.[/INDENT]





------


• [U][COLOR="#000033"][SIZE=3]W 4x100m Free relay[/SIZE][/U] (Final)[/COLOR]

[INDENT]As expected, Canada easily wins, smashing the WJR by 3.68 sec with their [U]3:36.19[/U].
Could have been quite a bit quicker if Penny had been at her best, but Taylor did achieve a 53.63 PB leading off, and Kayla contributed a nice 54.21 anchor split.

Team USA 3.5 sec behind the Canadian squad, their [U]3:39.69[/U] actually swifter than the old record of 3:39.87 accomplished by AUS in 2015.
Does get [COLOR="#696969"]SILVER[/COLOR], thanks to Nordmann's 55.15 leadoff, Walsh's 54.87 leg and a relatively strong 54.28 anchor from Ariola.[/INDENT]





------
[/COLOR]

---

Still one day of competition left, but these are the most impressive swimmers of the meet so far IMO.

1. Rikako Ikee - Japanese sprint free and Butterfly superstar

2. Regan Smith - The most talented backstroker since our own Kathleen Baker. Also a great flyer and IMer.

3. Kayla Sanchez - Free and IM star. While we have been focusing so much on Penny, Taylor, and MSH, Kayla has been showing that she is no slouch either.

4. Freya Anderson - English ber sprinter and UAC fav

5. Faith Knelson - Canadian breaststroker

6. Jade Hannah - Canadian backstroker. Where did Canada get all these talented swimmers suddenly?

7. Emily Weiss - American breaststroker. Already better than furdie Zoe Bartel

[COLOR="#006699"]
------


Cheers for compiling that list, tedbear!

Loads of world class swims by some really impressive up-and-comers for sure, these are names to keep an eye on for Tokyo 2020 and beyond.

Previous posts of mine here have focussed more on our [COLOR="#DAA520"]Baby Bears[/COLOR] and several uncommitted American recruits, along with a handful of internationals who I admittedly have a personal bias in favour of lol...

Hence my paucity of mentions regarding a number of other promising talent, who I didn't reckon had a decent chance of coming to Berkeley...but as usual, I will prob. be proven wrong down the road :p


------


For example - 2019 recruit Emily Weiss has already verbaled to the Indiana Hoosiers i.e. won't be coming here, hence my lack of a report on her well-earned [U][SIZE=3][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]50m Breast[/COLOR][/SIZE][/SIZE][/U] win earlier.

[INDENT][COLOR="#696969"][U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]50m Breast[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] podium: Faith Knelson (CAN), Emily Weiss (USA), Mona McSharry (IRL)[/COLOR][/INDENT]



Mona was the winner of the [U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]100m Breast[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U], with Faith taking her 2nd silver in the breast whilst the bronze went to 2018 furdette commit [COLOR="#B22222"]Zoe[/COLOR].


------


[U]Canadian[/U] juniors are def the wave of the future, spearheaded by Penny & 2018 sapling [COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor[/COLOR].

Jade, Kayla, Faith, Rebecca Smith & co. would def. be worth a serious consideration for recruitment, esp since Cal has a history of Canucks contributing to our swim teams' NCAA & global successes ([COLOR="#DAA520"]Sarah[/COLOR], [COLOR="#DAA520"]Noemie[/COLOR], [COLOR="#DAA520"]Jeremy[/COLOR] etc).

[COLOR="#ff3399"][SIZE=3]UPDATE =>[/SIZE][/COLOR] Rebecca Smith is now listed on CollegeSwimming's HS Class of 2018 database. Ranked #27 overall (prob. should be higher IMO). [COLOR="#FF8C00"]Mabel Zavaros[/COLOR] is the #22 recruit for 2018, and has already committed to the [U]Florida Gators[/U].


[INDENT][COLOR="#696969"][U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]CAN's 4x200m Free[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] - GOLD: Penny Oleksiak, Kayla Sanchez, [COLOR="#B22222"]Taylor Ruck[/COLOR], Rebecca Smith, [COLOR="#FF8C00"]Mabel Zavaros[/COLOR] (Prelims) [/COLOR][/INDENT]



[INDENT][COLOR="#696969"][U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]50m Back[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] - GOLD: Jade Hannah (CAN), Natsumi Sakai (JPN)[/COLOR][/INDENT]



[INDENT][COLOR="#696969"][U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]100m Free[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] podium: Rikako Ikee (JPN), Freya Anderson (GBR) - 53.88 Championship record, Kayla Sanchez (CAN)[/COLOR][/INDENT]



------


Freya's teammate Emily Large has also been making waves. Here she is accepting her gold medal:

[INDENT][COLOR="#696969"][U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]200m Fly[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] podium: Suzuka Hasegawa (JPN), Emily Large (GBR) - 2:07.74 Championship record, Keanna Macinnes (GBR)[/COLOR][/INDENT]



------


Then there are the prodigies abroad who may or may not experience language barrier challenges if they should desire to compete in the States:


[INDENT][COLOR="#696969"][U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]800m Free[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] podium: Ajna Kesely (HUN), Delfina Pignatiello (ARG) - 8:25.22 Championship record, 5+ sec ahead of Ajna, gueda Cons (ESP) [/COLOR][/INDENT]



Delfina had also broken the [U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]1500m Free[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] Championship record with her 15:59.51 to take the crown, with a Ledecky-esque margin of victory (16 sec)!

Ajna placed 2nd in this gruelling mile, but snagged a gold of her very own in the [U][SIZE=3][COLOR="#000080"]400m Free[/COLOR][/SIZE][/U] (where Delfina was the runner-up).


------


As mentioned in earlier posts, Rikako Ikee is in a class of her own when it comes to the Free & Fly sprints at these Juniors:




However, Rikako does seem to have a bit of a chip on her shoulder when it comes to proving herself v. Penny, who would have given Ikee stiff competition had Oleksiak competed in the individual events here @ Indy.

[INDENT]https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2017/05/10/more-sports/swimming/ikee-seeking-medal-win-rival/[/INDENT]


------
[/COLOR]

------

DAY 6 FINALS =>





------

• W 200m Breast

2018 furdette Zoe gets the gold with a 2:25.68, just short of her 2:25.46 PB that was done back @ 2016 Junior Pan Pacs.

2019 recruit Ella Nelson has a fab swim to earn the silver in a new lifetime best of 2:27.04 (prev = 2:27.33 from 2017 Nationals).


Ella Nelson & Zoe Bartel



------

• M 200m Back

2020 recruit Carson Foster smashes his 1:59.13 best from 2017 Junior Nationals, laying down a 1:57.87 to come away with the silver medal!



------

• W 100m Fly

Regan drops yet another personal record, significantly lowering her 59.30 from semis down to a 59.03, finishing 6th in what's an off event for our 2020 recruit.

Rikako Ikee (JPN) with the expected win, in a championship record of 57.25 but doesn't approach her world class 56.86 PB.

Rebeca Smith (CAN) does improve on her prev best of 58.11 from the 2017 Mare Nostrum series (that 58.11 also = Rikako's old Championship record achieved in yesterday's semis), swimming a 58.07 to easily claim #2.



------

• W 50m Free

Rikako (JPN) wins in a championship record of 24.59, very close to her own best of 24.57.

2018 Horns commit Grace Ariola is the only other to dip under the 25 sec barrier, accomplishing a new 24.82 PB to get silver. Grace's prev record was her 24.87 from last night's semis.

Kayla Sanchez (CAN) improves her 25.35 from semis to a new lifetime best of 25.33 to place 7th.



------

• M 50m Breast

Baby :bear: Reece cuts a sizeable chunk off his 28.02 PB from semis, goes 27.71 to get in @ 4th, just missing a medal.

USA teammate Michael Andrew, who went pro at the tender age of 14, does a 27.39 PB by 0.01 sec to get on the podium with a 3rd place finish.



------

• W 200m Free

2018 furdette Taylor just out-touches Hungarian distance ace Ajna Kesely by 0.02 sec for the gold. Ajna has now won 3 silvers in addition to her gold.

Ruck's 1:57.08 handily bests her old 1:57.87 PB from 2015 World Juniors @ Singapore, which also stands as the prev Championship record.

Fellow Canadian Rebecca Smith is 6th, her 1:59.88 quite a bit off her best of 1:58.59 from 2017 Canadian Trials.

2018 recruit Easop Lee (KOR), who has indicated that Stanford is her dream school, finishes 8th in 2:01.19. Her lifetime best remains a 1:58.64 from this May.



------

• M 4x100m Medley

USA pulls off a mild upset over the Russian favourites to touch first at the final wall, in a new World Junior record of 3:36.15!



Reece matches his 59.32 breast split from the Mixed Medley relay squad, who had snagged a silver, to help propel his team to gold here.







------

• W 4x100m Medley

USA: Lucie Nordmann, Grace Ariola (back row), Zoe Bartel, Regan Smith (front row)

With Canada being such a massive & overwhelming fave thanks to having 2 Olympians (Penny & Ruck) on the back half of their dominating relay squad, the women of Team USA finds it that much more challenging trying to emulate their male counterparts' "surprise" victory from just moments earlier.


Canada: Penny Oleksiak, Taylor Ruck (back row), Jade Hannah, Faith Knelson (front row)

The American women do valiantly give it a heck of a go, powered by Regan's reproducing the 59.11 WJR time from her 100m Back individual win, with Jade (CAN) stumbling a bit in her 1:00.68 leadoff (relative to her dropping massive PBs at this meet earlier on), to provide a glimpse of hope for USA...

Zoe & Lucie also chips in to maintain the American squad's lead that, however, is rapidly dwindling after Oleksiak takes to the water on the fly portion.

Ultimately, in spite of Grace's admirable 54.25 finish in the anchor spot, Taylor unleashes an unstoppable 52.93 leg to sew up a 3rd women's relay gold sweep for Canada, in a new World Junior record of 3:58.38!

Actually both Team USA & Japan's times also better the Russian's prev record of 4:01.05 from Singapore 2015.

Freya (GBR) the only freestyler to bust out a split comparable to Taylor's, hers a rather impressive 52.99 anchor as GB gets 4th.

Baby Bear Alex Sumner earns her 2nd SILVER medal of the meet :, this time in a relay, having led Team USA off on the backstroke leg in this event in the prelims session. 2019 Hoosiers commit Emily Weiss(breast), 2019 recruit Kelly Pash (fly) & 2020 recruit Alex Walsh (free) were also on that morning heats squad.



------