Canyons Aquatics swimmers from the Senior Gold and Senior Blue group enjoyed some great swims and outstanding competition this weekend at the USA Swimming Grand Prix. Swimming in lanes next to international superstars like Michael Phleps, Kaitlin Sandeno and Amanda Beard, the Canyons kids held their own breaking numerous team records, notching 6 more junior national cuts and placing one more swimmer on Canyons growing national team. With only the Junior Olympics left to go in the short course season, Canyon swimmers are hitting their stride as championship season begins.
MONDAY REPORT
Monday evening's finals began with KT Livingstone flying her way to 6th place in the B final of the 100 fly with a 56.85 once again breaking her own record of 56.85 set last spring.
The boys 100 fly saw Bob Hwang inch closer to the SCS record in that event with a blazing 50.46. earning Bob another Junior National time for his effort. Bob was followed closely by Nolan Koon who swam a 50.82.
Chelsea Griffiths earned her second Junior National qualifying time, this time in the 100 back she won the B final with a 56.46. KT Lvingstone returned from her fly swim to take 6th in the B consolation heat.
Jordan Danny earned he way to the B final of the 100 breast stroke finishing third in that event.
Nolan Koon swam to 7th black in the A final of the 100 breast stroke with e person best of 57.24 earning him another Junior National time and inching close to the John Criste's team record. Nick Korth Canyons emerging breast stroker earned his second Sectional cut of the meet with a 1:00.78 swim that was good enough to finish 5th in the B consolation.
The 200 IM finals was another strong swim for Bob and Nolan as they earned positions in the B final.
The girl's 400 medley relay of Chelsea Griffiths (back) Jordan Danny (breast), KT Livingstone (fly) and Sam Asencio (free) blasted their way through the water to earn a bronze medal in a near Junior National qualifying time. Canyons girls were the first Southern California team to hit the wall. The boys relay of Nolan, Nui Harris, Bob and Danny Colvin took 5th
SUNDAY REPORT
Jordan Danny started the day off with another strong breaststroke swim earning her a place in the finals with Olympians Amanda Beard and Tara Kirk. Jordan's preliminary time of 2:17.37 breaks her team record set last year (2:17.62). Jordan finished 8th at finals.
Bob Hwang took a shot at what would be his 14th SCS record in the 400IM and came up just a few one hundredths shy. Swimming an incredible 4:02.85 Bob lowered his personal best from 4:08.72. That's an almost 6 second drop! The SCS record in this event is 4:02.63 (a difference of .11 seconds). Bob does come away from the race with yet another Junior National qualifying time.
In the boy's 200 free Nolan Koon notched a 1:40.96 to finished 19th overall while Bob swam his fastest 200 free ever lower his team record by almost a second to 1:42.41.
In the relays, the girls 4 x 200 relay team of KT Livingstone, Jordan Danny, Sam Asencio and Chelsea Griffiths swam to 4th place earning themselves a Jr. National time and the boys team of Konrad Antoniuk, Nui Harris, Bob Hwang and Nolan Koon took 8th.
Nick Korth, Canyons's emerging breaststroker earned his first sectional in the 200 breast off a 2:13.53 swim that almost brought him back for a second swim.
SATURDAY REPORT
CHELSEA GRIFFITHS GOES J-NAT!
Chelsea Griffiths became the next Canyons swimmers to achieve Junior National status. The Canyons ace backstroker dropped an impressive 5.08 seconds off her best time to record a 2:02.07 seeding her 5th for the evening's championship final.
BOB & KT BREAK RECORDS AT GRAND PRIX
In what is getting to be habit with these two, KT Livingstone and Bob Hwang broke their own records on the first full day of the USA Grand Prix at Long Beach. Bob started out the day breaking Anthony Ervin's 14-15 team record (set in 1996) in the 100 free with a 47.22 in the first leg of the 4 x 100 free relay (Anthony now holds the overall American record in this event). Bob then went on to break his SCS/team record in the 200 fly winning the consolation final with a time of 1:50.52. Bob previously broke this record at the Winter Invitation in December.
KT Livingstone lowered her team record in the 15 & older division in the 200 fly notching a 2:03.32 to finishing 4th in the "B" final and 12th overall.
Girls 4 X 100 relay of KT Livingstone, Sam Asencio, Hayley Good and Chelsea Griffiths finished 6th. The boys relay of Bob, Nolan Koon, Danny Colvin and Nui Harris finshed 7th.
Results can be found by clicking HERE.
