Potomac Valley hosted its 2015 Junior Olympics Championships this past weekend, March 12-15, at the University of Maryland’s Eppley Recreation Center in College Park. Here are some of the biggest individual performances from the weekend. Complete results available here.
1. Brett Feyerick sets PVS open record in 11-12 50 backstroke
Nation’s Capital’s Brett Feyerick, 12, dipped under the Potomac Valley open record in the 11-12 boys’ 50-yard backstroke set by teammate Ryan Catron in December at the Tom Dolan Invitational. Feyerick touched in 25.68 seconds to eclipse the previous mark by 0.01 seconds, nearly breaking Philip Hu’s 2007 resident mark of 25.64. The time moves Feyerick into the top-10 all-time in the age group.
Feyerick also won the 100 backstroke (56.20) and finished second in the 100 freestyle (52.91), which was won by RMSC’s Ryan Gruner in 52.55, and 100 IM (59.18).
2. Alexa Cuomo cracking the top-50 all-time in the 100 butterfly
Mason Makos’ Alexa Cuomo, 13, won the 13-14 girls’ 100 butterfly in 54.57, which would have been an automatic all-American cut if she were in high school yet. The time ranks 32nd all-time in the age group, and ranks her as the fourth-fastest performer in the Potomac Valley behind Cassidy Bayer’s resident record of 53.30 (2014, second all-time nationally), Kylie Jordan (54.04, 2012) and Janet Hu (54.54, 2010).
NCAP’s Sydney Harrington, 14, finished second in 56.47, followed by teammate Gabrielle Zhang, 14, in 56.70.
Cuomo also won the 100 freestyle event in a quick 52.58, followed by Snow Swimming’s Rita Frie, 14, with a 52.98. She was second in the 100 backstroke (57.58), behind NCAP’s Charlotte Fieeiki, 13, who won with a 56.87.
3. Leo Goldblatt breaks resident record in 100 butterfly
NCAP’s Leo Goldblatt broke a two-year record in the 11-12 boys’ 100 butterfly, breaking Sanjay Wijesekera of RMSC’s resident record of 55.37. Goldblatt finished in 55.13, besting teammates Darius Truong (56.03) and Feyerick (58.46), and moves into 40th all-time in the age group.
Goldblatt also won the 200 butterfly (2:02.92) and 500 freestyle (4:57.53) and touched second in the 200 freestyle (1:52.34) and 200 IM (2:07.90).
4. Darius Truong breaks older brother’s resident record
Darius Truong, 12, claimed the victory in the 100 individual medley, finishing in 56.26. The swim breaks the resident record of 56.47 set by his brother Devin in 2011. Truong’s new record will stand as the 12th fastest time in age group history.
Truong also won the 100 breaststroke (1:02.94), 200 IM (2:05.56) and 200 breaststroke (2:17.01) and finished as runner-up in the 50 breaststroke (29.69), a shade behind RMSC’s Zichao Liang, who won in 29.62.
4. Kate Hallmark’s perfect six for six
A clear winner in the 10-and-under portion of the meet, RMSC’s Kate Hallmark won all six of her individual events this past weekend. Hallmark, age 10, won the girls’ 50 freestyle (26.54), 100 freestyle (58.45), 200 freestyle (2:07.80), 500 freestyle (5:39.14), 50 backstroke (30.09) and 100 backstroke (1:07.11) in her age group, a combined margin of victory of 18.98 seconds over second place.
Hallmark also joined with Jasmine Cu, Lauren West and Nina Allen to win the 200 freestyle relay, which nearly broke the Potomac Valley resident record of 1:50.55. RMSC’s relay touched in 1:50.87.
5. Anna Keating in the 200 breaststroke
Keating, 12, of Machine Aquatics won the girls’ 12-and-under 200 breaststroke by a stunning three seconds, touching in 2:24.79, a nearly three-second improvement from prelims, which already was a second drop from her previous lifetime best. The time ranks as the third-fastest performance by a 12-and-under in the region, behind Curl-Burke’s Kylee Talwar (2:22.75, 2004) and RMSC’s Sarah Haase (2:24.13, 2006).
The recordkeeping for age group times don’t extend very far back, but Keating’s time is likely the fourth-best ever by a Potomac Valley swimmer, a list topped by Leann Chang of RMSC (2:22.61, 1999). Keating moves into the top-100 all-time at No. 87.
6. Katie Mack blasting a sub-24 (again) in the 50 freestyle
Nation’s Capital’s Katie Mack, 13, only swam one individual event at J.O.s, unsurprising for a swimmer of her caliber, who already had a successful showing at senior champs the week before and will be swimming at junior nationals, which start Tuesday in Orlando.
She was one for one against her age group, winning the 13-14 girls’ 50 freestyle in 23.77. Mack has now broken the 24-second barrier five times as a 13-and-under. She has more than a year left in the 13-14 age group to take a shot at Cassidy Bayer’s resident and open record of 23.29.
Equally impressive was Mason Makos’ Alexa Cuomo’s runner-up finish, touching in 24.04. At 13, Cuomo could also take aim at Bayer’s PVS marks in the coming year.
8. Jonathan Pollock goes sub-21 in the 50 freestyle
Potomac Marlin’s Jonathan Pollock claimed the sprint events in the 13-14 age group, including a blistering 21.96-second swim in the 50 freestyle. He posted a lifetime best in prelims, blasting a 21.81. (Since 2000, only six Potomac Valley swimmers under age 14 have broken the 22-second barrier, led by Cabell Perrot’s 21.74. Pollock’s prelim time ranks third in that span, behind Will Cumberland (21.79r, 2014) and ahead of John Kreitler (21.92, 2001), Grant Goddard (21.95, 2010) and Ben Lambert (21.96, 2012).)
Pollock also won the 100 freestyle (47.46) and finished third in the 200 freestyle (1:46.85), trailing winner Luay Hilmi of Snow (1:45.81) and Sanjay Wijesekera (1:46.26).
9. J.T. Ewing and Nicholas Arndt dominate 10-and-under boys
J.T. Ewing and Nicholas Arndt of FISH, both age 10, swept the 10-and-under boys’ events this past weekend, winning 10 of a total 12.
Ewing won the 50 freestyle (26.61), 500 freestyle (5:32.63), 50 backstroke (29.84), 100 backstroke (1:04.85), 100 IM (1:05.80) and 200 IM, which he won in a new resident and open record of 2:17.49. His time in the 200 IM broke a 15-year-old open record held by Daniel Simco of Boys & Girls Club of Northern Winchester (Mount Kisco, N.Y.) with a time of 2:18.51.
Arndt won the 100 freestyle (58.60), 200 freestyle (2:06.75), 50 butterfly (28.63) and 100 butterfly (1:03.31) and was second in the 50 freestyle (26.71) and 500 freestyle (5:38.22)
NCAP’s Jason Mack and Makos’ Matthew Hartshorn won the other two 10-and-under events, with Mack claiming the 50 breaststroke (34.00) and Hartshorn winning the 100 breaststroke (1:12.58).
10. Madelyn Donohoe’s sweep of the mid-distance freestyle events
FISH’s Madelyn Donohoe, 13, won the 200 freestyle (1:51.34) and 500 freestyle (4:51.62), the former being a personal best. Donohoe was slightly faster in the 500 freestyle at senior champs a week earlier, placing third with an all-time top-100 time of 4:50.39.
She’s still a ways off of Katie Ledecky’s resident records of 1:46.75 and 4:35.14, the latter of which broke a 33-year-old national age group record by more than four seconds in 2011, but she could potentially challenge Isabella Rongione’s No. 2 all-time resident time of 4:43.40, performed in 2014. Donohoe also won the girls’ 14-and-under 400 IM in 4:26.59.