Six TNT swimmers traveled to La Mirada and competed in the Road to 2022 Senior Meet over the third weekend of January. This swim meet was conducted in a split-course format common in Olympic and World Championship years when swimmers can only reach the respective national-level qualifying meets with long course times. For instance, Olympic Trials present only long course time standards, while qualifying for the USA World Championship team is usually based on performance at Summer Nationals, which is conducted in a long course pool. Accordingly, the La Mirada meet provided early long course competition for the calendar year by running preliminary heats as short course (25 yards), and finals as long course (50 meters).
All six TNT swimmers had the opportunity to compete in finals, each contributing to the 7th place finish for the team. Championship finalists were led by 17-year-old Bryan Wong who finished top 8 in four of his five events that included a pair of 4th places (200 breaststroke and 200 IM), a 5th place finish (100 breaststroke), and 7th place (400 IM) finish. Our next highest championship finish was from 15-year old Alexa Wong who touched 7th in the 200 fly, and then by 16-year old Ava Olson who touched 8th in the 100 breaststroke.
Ava Olson and Alexa Wong also set one new team record each. Ava Olson posted a new 1500 meter freestyle time of 17:57.77, being one of only 13 swimmers in the 15-over division to have ever competed in the event, and went well under Katelyn Herrera’s previous record of 18:28.19 set at the LA Invite in 2013. Being an early long course meet, Ava’s time current stands as the 4th fastest nationally for 16-year old female swimmers within the reporting period that started in September. Interestingly, the current top time in the nation was posted while at the same La Mirada meet.
Alexa Wong broke her own team record in the 400 meter IM event for the 15-over division, and now posting the top two times in the history of the team while swimming both times at the bottom of the age division as a 15-year old. Her previous record stood at 5:08.76, and her new record of 5:08.50 now stands as the 5th fastest nationally for 15-year old female swimmers. The currently 2nd ranked swim was posted at the same La Mirada meet by an Irvine swimmer, and the current leading ranking was posted in December at the US Open, and is an Olympic Trial time standard from the “2020” meet.
Congratulations to all who competed, and earned a final swim, including: Addison Mccullough (age 14), Michelle Murphy (age 14), and Josh Wee (age 16).