Chandler Bray has more speed than Michael Andrew and Reece Whitley. Chandler Bray has been having an outstanding season. So outstanding we have even given a name for it ( The Bray Way. ) Bray has banged down the doors on this summer season. First, the 15 year old finished 2nd in the 100 Meter Breaststroke behind Cody Taylor at the Indiana Senior state meet getting his junior national cut and from there, his shocking performance continued. After prelims of the 100 breaststroke at junior nationals Bray posted a 1:03.18. That time not only seeded him 4th in the A-Final but, it would have beat Cody Taylor's time at state. Now, Taylor is more focused on nationals -- you can be sure he'll swim really fast, but fast is exactly what Bray did in the A-Final. Bray was able to get 3rd overall with a blistering 1:02.87. That time is serious business. Just in case you don't really know how fast that is, that time beat out both rising breaststroke star Reece Whitley and the youngest U.S. swimmer to go pro, Michael Andrew. He was about half a second faster than each of them. It even gives Andrew Seliskar a run for his money. Each time Bray swam the event he placed higher on the 15-16 fastest 100 breaststroke in U.S. rankings. Bray's 200 breaststroke time would have actually placed him 6th overall but he was disqualified. Bray is close to starting his junior year in high school. Do not be so surprised if he becomes the swimmer to beat at the end of the year in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM. Bray moved to Avon Indiana from Terre Haute Indiana a few years back and since then, he has been on fire. Remember this kid is only 15. Amy Bilquist Future Olympian? Speaking of a swimmer who just moved, it was probably the best move of Amy Bilquist's life when she moved from Goodyear, Arizona to Carmel, Indiana a year ago. It's clear something about the move changed Bilquist in a huge way. Bilquist had a fantastic junior national meet where she became a three time national champion. She won the 100 backstroke and the 100 and 50 meter freestyle and help Carmel break a national record in the 400 freestyle relay, a record set back in 2010 by a Colorado Stars team that had Olympic champ Missy Franklin anchoring. Bilquist broke her own 15-16 state record in the 100 meter freestyle in a time of 54.85. That time puts her 3rd ever in the U.S. history books in her 15-16 age group. It also ranks her 6th in the country so far this year. So that asks the question, is Amy Bilquist Indiana's next Olympian? Before you shake your head keep in mind the top 6 100 freestylers make the Olympic team and Bilquist is sitting right on that 6th spot. Bilquist definitely has some easy speed. You know what we mean if you watched her at junior nationals when she swam the 50 free in what looked like an easy win right from the start. She posted a blistering 25.28. Shocked? Shouldn't really be. Back at the 2012 Olympic Trials at Omaha as a 14 year old she finished 64th in the 50 meter freestyle event. She has a great chance in the 100 free but what about the 100 backstroke? At the Santa Clara grand prix back in june Bilquist got 2nd to Franklin in the 100 backstroke beating out Elizabeth Pelton. With the Rio Olympics two years away you can almost be assured Bilquist will only get faster. Wilson Beckman on the rise. Wilson Beckman of Munster has been swimming outstanding these past few months in the backstroke. Earlier this year Beckman competed at the Indiana High School state championship meet where he captured a 2nd place finish to Michigan freshman Aaron Whitaker. What was really impressive about Beckman's swim was the fact that he broke 50 in the event going a 49.82 and he will be returning as a senior. Don't be shocked if at the state meet he pulls a 47-high. Beckman has kind of been a silent attack in the backstroke. There was so much hype on the Carmel girls at junior nationals a lot of other Indiana star performances kind of got overlooked. One of those for sure had to be Beckman's 10th place finish in the 100 meter backstroke where he posted a blistering 57.58. Beckman is not that big but, have you seen the guy's underwaters? He is a fish and honestly, Beckman kind of came out of nowhere but it's clear that the Munster star is going some big places. Keep an eye on him as he prepares to start his senior year of swimming. Hannah Kukurugya 200 Meter Butterfly. There is just something about northern Indiana this year. Not only is it home to nationally high ranked swimmers like Aaron and Kyle Whitaker and Blake Pieroni but located in that area is Crown Point, Indiana. Crown Point has become a powerhouse this year with their girls team getting state-runner up to Carmel. They are kind of like a lesser Carmel for northern Indiana. Despite Carmel's huge seccess, I hate to use the word lesser considering Crown Point's Hannah Kukurugya went a crushing 2:10.64 in the women's 200 meter butterfly. That time was definitely double take material. That time also ranks Kukurugya 6th at nationals. We knew she was good but, 2:10.64? Wow. Kukurugya also got 3rd in the B-Final of the 400 meter IM at junior nationals. Keep an eye out for this girl. She had an exquisite freshman year of swimming and she is only getting better in the meter races. Kukurugya will soon start her sophomore year in high school and if she is kept in the distance events that 500 free state record is going down in flames. She was only a about a second away from it when she won the state crown in a blistering 4:47.83. Sometimes, people get to a point in their swimming where they can only go so fast anymore, they peak but I do not see Kukurugya slowing down anytime soon. Blake Pieroni and Brandon Colonis faring well at IU. Even though Pieroni is focusing on nationals he still helped Indiana University in the relay's at junior nationals. Pieroni actually anchored an eye-popping 1:48.39 in the 4x200 free relay to help Indiana University win and break the meet record. That time actually would have won the 200 individual freestyle, beating freestyler of the meet Townley Haas. Throughout all of IU's star recruits it seems that West Lafayette native Brandon Colonis is the underdog. There's nothing wrong with being the underdog. It only makes you strive to be better. Especially if you are swimming side by side with the likes of Pieroni and breaststroke star Cody Taylor. Colonis was a part of the 4x200 free relay and also the 4x100 free that both captured meet records. He was also the breaststroker in the 4x100 medley. It's clear Colonis has a huge role to play on this new IU freshman squad. But what will he do? He did break 1:50 in the 200 IM at the Indiana high school state meet when he posted a 1:49.87. That's moving. Colonis' times are actually more impressive in the 200's but his 56.60 in the 100 breaststroke proves he's still no pushover when it comes to speed. Colonis is about to start his freshman year with the Hoosiers and because of his hard work ethic, he could shock many. Who is Ian Finnerty? Who is Ian Finnerty? Well, we will tell you who he is; he's one of the most under the radar swimmers this year. Four events at junior nationals (top 20 in most) and Finnerty swims for Indiana University Swim Team and was a part of the 4x100 medley relay leading off with a 58.07 backstroke. He also led off the 4x200 free relay with a pretty impressive 1:52.15 and 51.32 in the 4x100 free relay. Finnerty is only 17...no one would have figured if they saw how he swam this passed weekend. He had the fastest breaststroke leg in the 200 yard medley relay back at the Indiana high school state meet with a blistering 24.32 50 breaststroke. Oh yeah, let's not forget about the 48.18 100 fly he posted in the prelims of the high school state meet. |
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJR Kelly. Archives
July 2015
Categories
All
|