2022 NT American Long Course Meet
- July 20-23
- Garland ISD Natatorium
- LCM
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 American Long Course”
A few incoming college freshmen posted fast times at the 2022 NT American Long Course Meet last month in one of their final competitive tune-ups before the NCAA season begins this fall.
Leading the way was Zhier Fan of Metroplex Aquatics, who clocked three times that would qualify for Olympic Trials if he can repeat them in the qualifying period after November 30. The Stanford commit shaved nearly four seconds off his previous best in the 400-meter IM, swimming a 4:21.93 that ranks him sixth among 18-year-old boys this season. Fan also set a new personal best in the 200 IM, reaching the wall in 2:02.48 to remain the sixth-fastest performer this season for his age. He was under the Paris Olympic Trials cut in the 100 breast with a 1:02.10, but he was more than a second slower than his personal best from April’s International Team Trials.
Sage Sungail tallied four wins, all in personal-best times, including some huge time drops by sprint event standards. The SMU commit took .44 seconds faster off his previous-best 50 freestyle time from prelims, in the process moving up to fifth this season among 18-year-old boys. In the 100 free, Sungail went more than half a second faster than his previous best from last month with a 50.83. He also dropped almost half a second in the 100 fly (54.99) and added a 1:51.69 in the 200 free to rise the ranks to No. 12 this season for his age.
Nova Southeastern University commit Luka Samsonov lost the 100 back title by .01 seconds to John Culver of Dallas Mustangs, but the 18-year-old Samsonov had already earned his first Junior Nationals cut during prelims with a personal-best 58.36. He may have also hit his stride prematurely in the 200 back, where he went slower than his personal best from prelims (2:07.81) on his way to taking third place in the final (2:08.05).
On the girls side, Scarlet Aquatic Club’s Kathleen Turano chipped away at five personal bests, becoming a top-10 performer among 14-year-old girls this season in three events. She dropped nearly five seconds in two months in the 400 free, firing off a 4:23.76 that ranks No. 8 this season for her age. Turano took four seconds off her personal-best 800 free time of 9:03.32, moving up to No. 8 this season. She also posted a personal best in the 1500 free, improving by nearly seven seconds from just a couple months ago.
Scarlet teammates Chloe Kim and Iris Kim had impressive meets, too. Chloe recorded five personal bests and three victories, including a 2:25.36 in the 200 breaststroke that ranks eighth this season among 15-year-old girls. Chloe also threw down a 2:17.46 in the 200 fly, moving up to 13th this season for her age. Her other individual win came in the 100 fly (1:02.84).
Iris, 14, just missed a few personal bests in the 200, 400, and 800 free races, but she did make her mark with a record 100 free split of 58.03, which ranks 13th this season for her age.
Fellow Scarlet swimmer Richard Poplawski broke the 52-second barrier for the first time in the 100 free (51.99), one of four personal bests for the 16-year-old. His 1:54.17 in the 200 free ranks ninth this season for his age while his runner-up effort in the 200 IM (2:06.27) leaves him as the No. 12 performer this season. Poplawski also cruised to a win in the 400 free (4:03.18).
Jacob Turner achieved a Junior Nationals standard in the 100 breast with 1:05.35, finishing about three seconds behind Fan. Fellow Metroplex 16-year-old Grant Hu climbed into the top-20 rankings this season with a 4:31.17 in the 400 IM that sits at No. 20.
