Speedo Winter Juniors West: Gabi Brito Pulls Off 200 IM/50 Free Double
Gabi Brito pulled off an impressive double Thursday night at the Speedo Winter Juniors West Meet in Austin, Texas. The 15-year-old from Beach Cities Alpha won the 200 individual medley and 50 freestyle in the first big night session at the Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center.
Brito was controlled in the morning swims, getting through third in the IM and sixth in the 50 free. That set the stage for a speedy evening session.
She had enough in the tank to get the win in the 200 IM by going 1:55.99 at night. That held off the charge on the final leg by Mikayla Tan, who finished second in 1:56.13.
Brito came back one event later to drop a half-second in the 50 free and win in 22.09. She was nearly two tenths up on the field in that one.
Brito’s time in the 200 IM was two tenths off her best of 1:55.76 set in November. Her 22.09 in the 50 is a best time by two tenths (previously 22.30). Brito finished the night by splitting 53.58 off the front of the 400 medley relay in which Beach Cities Alpha finished second.
Behind Brito and Tan in the 200 IM was Kelsey Zhang, who finished third in 1:57.03. She was .13 seconds ahead of the top seed from prelims, Maddie Thornton, whose quickest time came in prelims at 1:56.97.
In the 50, Adalynn Biegler and Avery Daigle tied for second in 22.28. Fourth was Kennedi Southern in 22.34.
Kayla Han started the night by winning the 500 free in 4:38.28. She was three seconds ahead of Sydney Schoeck in 4:41.29. Han’s time is 1.4 seconds off the time she used to win the event last year.
Bellevue Swim Club won the girls 400 medley relay in 3:36.15, with the team of Sutton Forbis, Gracyn Kehoe, Clare Watson and Hailey Weiler.
On the boys’ side, Maxwell Stanislaus got the win in 4:16.90 in the 500 free. He was sixth tenths up on Grant Lilly, who went 4:17.50. For Stanislaus, it’s a best time by 1.99 seconds over the time that he clocked at this meet last year.
Santa Clara’s Shareef Elaydi led the way in the 200 IM with a time of 1:43.82. His time is .97 seconds quicker than he was at this meet last year for a best time. Elaydi had been fourth in prelims.
The top finisher in prelims, Ty Thomas, was quicker at night but settled for second in 1:44.21. Jackson Hartzler was a quarter-second back.
Jordan Ragland won the duel in the 50 free in 19.28. He was ahead of the top seed from prelims, Miles Blackson-Dunbar, who went 19.45. Blackson-Dunbar had one 19.37 in the morning. Tyler Porter went 19.52 to finish third. Thomas was fifth in 19.75 (he was 19.62 in prelims).
Rowan Cox set himself a difficult double. He finished fifth in the 500 free at 4:21.39, then seventh in the 200 IM at 1:48.28 (much slower than the 1:45.21 he went in prelims). He had been tied for eighth in prelims of the 50 free in 19.91 before scratching that event in finals.
The boys 400 medley relay went to Waterloo Swimming in 3:13.33 with the team of Benjamin Jaggers, Max Laine, Austin Ross and Julian Rusk in 3:13.33, .53 seconds ahead of DART Swimming.