A MEET OF EPIC PROPORTIONS
Winter Junior Nationals is USA Swimming's Championship, where the top 18 and Under athletes from around the United States suit up and race their hearts out to determine exactly who is the best in the nation. 229 teams traveled to Austin from Alaska to Louisiana and all points in between to give their best and see how they stack up. The task of qualifying for Winter Junior Nationals is in itself a feat not to be taken lightly. Cut times are designed by USA Swimming to be exclusive so that only the hardest working and most determined athletes across the United States earn the right to attend. Qualifying for Juniors is a rite of passage and a key goal for Nitro's Performance groups. Making a cut is a feat not to be taken lightly.
PRELIMS IS FINALS
The meet itself is one of epic proportions. Earning the right to compete at the meet is one thing, earning a chance to swim in finals is a whole different ball game. Only the top 24 athletes in each event get a chance to swim in front of all the fans in the stands and watching at home, on one of USA Swimming's biggest stages - Finals at Winter Nationals. Not only does making it back at night require hours of training, focus and preparation, it also requires that athletes be present, excited and amped up for morning swims. The phrase "Prelims is finals" is one that was often heard throughout the weekend. Mental preparation is key as races often come down to 100ths of a second. Nitro Nation's own George Flanders can attest. George brought down the house with a 48.39 100 yard butterfly and wound up in a three way tie. He squeaked into finals on Friday night with a near full second drop in a 100. That's the kind of performance it takes. From prelims to finals, the emotional roller coaster is real - national level swimming is no joke. If an athlete doesn't swim fast in the morning, they don't swim at finals. Plain and simple.
FINALS
In front of the fans in the stands, finals is THE party. The big show. The chance to shine on the biggest of big stages. Finals at Junior Nationals is where energy is at its highest, fans are in the stands, records are broken, and legends are made. For athletes, it's the time where preparation meets opportunity, the moment where focus is of utmost importance, and the instance where training pays off. The key to performing well under pressure is breathing, relaxing, and visualizing. Trust in teammates, coaches, family members, training plans, and the work put in displaces doubt, anxiety, or fear. The only acceptable mindset is fearless. In finals, all it takes is everything you've got.
Nitro Nation had some fantastic finals performances. From our Men's 200 Medley Relay victory Wednesday to Jeremy Kelly's 4:23 500 FR Thursday, to Logan Walker's :48 100 BK Friday and Aliana Marakovic's 2:13 200 BR Saturday and all points in between - the high points were out of control! The relays, Women and Men, exceeded expectations, scored valuable team points and flat-out delivered. Eye popping splits came from EVERYONE THAT DOVE IN! Not a moment was wasted in finals. From relay splits to individual events to finals swims to spirit and energy - the team exceeded expectations.
HIGHLIGHTS AND BREAKOUT SWIMS
- Kaden Alarcon: 200 FR Relay split - 1:41.81!
- Landon Alarcon: 200 BR -4.18 (-3.33%)
- Danny Bishop: 100 FR Relay split - 46.25!
- Ian Cullicott: 100 FR Relay Split - 46.66!
- Norah Cullicott: 100 FR Relay split - 52.63!
- Maddie Dunn: 200 FR -.87 (.76%)
- George Flanders: 200 IM -4.42 (-3.92%)
- Kelson Flynn: 100 FR Relay split: 44.87!
- Abigail Hardy: 200 FR Relay split: 1:54.84
- Ally Hilbrich: 100 BK Relay split - 57.75!
- Trinity Hoang: 100 FR Relay split: 51.39!
- Jeremy Kelly: 500 FR -12.24 (-4.44%) 100% Lifetime Bests
- Micky Koltz: 50 BR Relay Split - 29.85
- Aliana Marakovic 200 BR -3.88 (-2.82%) 100% Lifetime Bests
- Avery Mehok: 100 BK -1.31 (-2.28%)
- Jasmine Park: 50 BK: 26.71 50 BK relay split!
- Hannah Pecze: 100 BR Relay Split - 1:03.58
- Mauricio Posadas: 200 IM -2.19 (-1.92%) 100% Lifetime Bests
- Oliver Rowe: 500 FR -11.90 (-4.24%)
- Kylie VanderMeer: -.75 (-1.41%) 100% Lifetime Bests
- Logan Walker: 200 BK -2.55 (-2.35%) 100% Lifetime Bests
- Paula Warren: 200 FR -1.39 (-1.24%)
- Kaylee Wu: 50 FR Relay Split - 23.9!
- Thomas Wu: 50 BR Relay Split - 25.2!
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
- NITRO Men's 200 Medley Relay - FIRST PLACE FINISH!
- NITRO Men's 400 Medley Relay - 2ND PLACE FINISH!
- Jeremy Kelly: 100 FR 44.06 - #33 All Time for 15-16 year old boys, ST-LSC Record, NITRO TEAM RECORD
- Aliana Marakovic: 200 BR #30 All Time for 13-14 year old girls, ST-LSC Record, NITRO TEAM RECORD
- Jeremy Kelly: 50 FR - #67 All Time for 15-16 year old boys
- Jeremy Kelly: 500 FR - #69 All Time for 15-16 year old boys
- Logan Walker: 100 BK, 200 BK, 100 Fly, NITRO TEAM RECORDS
- Women: 30th place team finish (out of 229)
- Men: 5th Place team finish (out of 229)
- Combined: 8th place team finish! GO NITRO!
WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED
Dare to dream big. Set that crazy goal. Don't listen to the haters. Do what it takes to get there. You're tougher than you think and you've got what it takes. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. It's just December - the season ain't over yet. The bus just got rolling.
