San Jose – A total of 1,189 swimmers from 88 teams in Pacific
Swimming competed in the 2007 Junior Olympic Championships July
19-22 at Independence High School in San Jose.
San Jose – A total of 1,189 swimmers from 88 teams in Pacific Swimming competed in the 2007 Junior Olympic Championships July 19-22 at Independence High School in San Jose.
The Morgan Hill Makos brought five swimmers, and managed to place in the top half in team scoring.
Competing in their first championship meet were Christiana Bridges, 11, in the 40-meter freestyle and Karen McElheny, 14, in the 400-meter individual medley.
Both swam well despite “first championship” jitters, coach Mark Scott said.
Macie Kerr, 13, swimming in her first championship meet in the fast and tough 13-14 age group, competed in the 200-meter breast stroke and cut more than eight seconds off her personal best.
Rachel Cretcher, 13, enjoyed an excellent meet.
In her first event, she cruised to a huge drop in the 100-meter breast stroke, easily winning her heat and moving into the top half of her age group. Rachel placed ninth in the 1500-meter freestyle, narrowly missing the finals.
Cretcher came back and took off almost 10 seconds in the 800-meter freestyle, narrowly missing the Far Western championship cut by two seconds.
She finished off the meet with an excellent race in the 400-meter freestyle, improving her time by six seconds, placing in the top 20 in that event, and earning a new personal best.
Estelle Richardson used the meet as a “tune up” for the Far Western championships in Concord, Aug. 1–5.
Richardson did not rest before the Junior Olympics, yet managed personal bests in all but one event, which she still won.
Her win in the 1500-meter and second place finish in the 800-meter freestyle, where she made a seven-second improvement, were good, solid, tired swims. Richardson also placed fourth in the 400-meter freestyle, winning a close race for fourth through seventh places.
Showing some flexibility, Richardson also snuck in an eighth-place finish in the 400-meter individual medley.
Richardson’s finishes were enough to place her in the top 10 for individual high point honors among the 15-16 girls.
The Far Western championships in Concord will likely be attended by more than 1,200 swimmers from 20 states and foreign countries.
Competition is stiff, times are fast, and it is the last championship meet of the long course season that Makos are qualified for.
Running consecutively with the Far Western meet is the Coast Valley Aquatic League championships, hosted at the Morgan Hill Aquatics Center Aug. 3-5.
There will be more than 1,000 swimmers from the CVAL in attendance at the championships, and more than 50 Makos in the pool as well.
