USA Swimming vs. Virginia Swimming’s 2005 A/BB Championship

Hargrave Aquatics went on the road for a three-day competition in Lynchburg, Virginia, February 25-17, 2005. The meet, the 2005 A/BB Swimming Championships, was the second meet in a three-tiered championship season. Competition was hosted at Lynchburg’s Jamerson YMCA, although the meet was not a YMCA event.

Hargrave Aquatics athletes Joseph Campbell and Chelsea Law, both from Gretna, distinguished themselves in three individual events during the course of the meet. “Their efforts in these swims highlighted the most fun you can have in swimming,” said William Wiebking, Hargrave Aquatics’ Age Group coach. “They were real tough, scrappy fights in order to win. One competing coach termed many of these types of swims as ‘epic.’ I think it is the way everyone wants it.” Campbell experienced an ‘epic’ race in the 1650y Freestyle. Law experienced hers in the 50y and 100y Freestyles.

The meet was also scored. Out of 16 teams, Hargrave placed 10th, with many of its fastest members pre-qualified for the 2005 Senior Championship to be held in Charlottesville, March 11-13, 2005 or the 2005 Short Course Age Group Championship to be held in Radford, March 17-20, 2005. Being qualified for these meets makes athletes ineligible for A/BB competition.

Law, age 12, managed a victory in a very close contest in the Girl’s 11-12 100y Freestyle, winning the entire event with a time of 1:01.44. Second place went to Alex Taylor of Lifetime Aquatic with a time of 1:01.86. Both girls struggled for dominance during the course of the event, with Law finishing on a long reach. Law’s 1:01.44 time qualifies her for the Age Group Championship. Her seed time was a 1:02.54.

Law also qualified for the Age Group Championship in the Girl’s 11-12 50y Freestyle with a 27.67. She finished second behind event winner Susanna White of the Lynchburg Piranhas, who won in a time of 27.58. Law was less than 1/10 of a second from the leader, but within a close mix of eight girls. This event was so hotly contested, that the other six girls behind White and Law also qualified for Age Groups in an amazing achievement for all athletes.

Law also took 5th place in the 100y Breaststroke, 1:21.16; 5th place in the 200y Freestyle, 2:16.17; 6th place in the 200y Individual Medley (IM), 2:32.17, (an Age Group qualifying time); and 13th place in the 100y Butterfly, 1:18.65. She also received several positive comments from other coaches on her overall meet performance.

Joseph Campbell, age 13, stepped on the block for the 1650y Freestyle, or mile, with only one other competitor. Logan Nardo of Poseidon Swimming joined him in a race that ultimately had no losers. “Due to their age and lack of experience, I think both boys stepped up to the block without knowing what to expect,” said Coach Wiebking. “This was only Joseph’s second race in the 1650, and there was an extremely low turn-out of competitors.”

The low turnout actually helped Campbell and Logan during their race. Instead of eight or more people swimming during the heat, the focus shifted to a duel between the two boys. Campbell and Logan made a spectacular show for the crowd as they matched each other lap per lap. Campbell would gain distance on the laps, while Logan gained distance on the turns. The entire Poseidon team of about 40 athletes and most of the pool was in a huge uproar during the race, with the Poseidon team members taking many strategic yelling positions surrounding the pool. Unfortunately, Hargrave Aquatics was not able to match the vocal firepower of 40 screaming Poseidon kids.

After nineteen minutes of this grueling race, Logan would win with a 19:22.87. Campbell, however, finished with a 19:23.47, less than a second from his competitor. Both boys dropped well over 30 seconds from their seed time and both earned an Age Group cut for their efforts. Basically, no one lost!

Campbell was also 1st in the 1000y Freestyle, 11:46.80; 8th in the 500y Freestyle, 5:46.73; 8th in the 200y Backstroke, 2:28.91; 14th in the 200y Freestyle, 2:13.50; and 16th in the 200y IM, 2:34.14.

David West, age 10, of Altavista, also earned three additional Age Group cuts after a 1st in the 500y Freestyle, 6:33.02, 3rd in the 200y Freestyle, 2:31.48, and 5th in the 100y Freestyle, 1:10.22. He previously earned two cuts in the 50y and 100y Backstroke. He also earned 6th in the 100y IM, 1:22.40, and 16th in the 50y Breaststroke, 44.43.

Seniors Brittany Abbot, age 14 of Republican Grove, and CJ Olp, age 15 of Blairs, managed to earn 44 and 50 points respectively. Both athletes worked hard during the course of the meet. Abbott ultimately took 6th in the Girl’s 13-14 100y Backstroke, 1:09.72. Olp grabbed 5th in the 15&Over Men’s 500y Freestyle, 5:25.11.

Several new Hargrave Aquatics team members experienced A/BB Championships for the first time and performed exceedingly well. Hannah Patterson, age 10 of Martinsville, Kristin Smith, age 10 of Chatham, Ali Stephens-Pickeral, age 10 of Danville, and Sara Williams, age 10 of Chatham, captured a large majority of the time improvements for the team, with the highest finish coming from Stephens-Pickeral with a 6th place in the Girl’s 10&Under 100 Breaststroke, 1:34.13.

Other Top 16 swims include:
Brittany Abbott
in 13-14 Girl’s events: 11th 200y Freestyle, 2:09.87; 12th 200y IM, 2:28.63; 9th 500y Freestyle, 5:42.84; 8th 200y Backstroke, 2:29.87.
Megan Bennett, age 12 of Danville, in 11-12 Girl’s events: 14th 200y Freestyle, 2:20.63.
Katie Dougherty, age 12 of Brosville, in 11-12 Girl’s events: 10th 500y Freestyle, 6:11.48; 14th 200y Breaststroke, 3:02.89; 15th 200y Freestyle, 2:21.48.
Jennifer Murphy, age 13 of Altavista, 13-14 Girl’s events: 15th 200y IM, 2:30.04; 16th 500y Freestyle, 6:05.70.
CJ Olp in 15&Over Men’s events: 9th 100y Breaststroke, 1:12.97; 10th 200y Freestyle, 2:00.73; 10th 200y Breaststroke, 2:42.06; 11th 50y Freestyle, 25.02; 11th 100y Freestyle, 55.10; 16th 200y IM, 2:28.50.
Hannah Patterson in 10&Under Girl’s events: 8th 200y Freestyle, 2:46.48; 10th 500y Freestyle, 7:18.32.
Jason Reese, age 11 of Gretna, in 11-12 Boy’s events: 5th 50y Freestyle, 28.58; 5th 200y Freestyle, 2:17.26; 5th 500y Freestyle, 6:02.13; 8th 200y IM, 2:41.03; 10th 50y Butterfly, 33.49; 10th 100y Butterfly, 1:17.15.
Kristin Smith in the 10&Under Girl’s events: 12th 500y Freestyle, 7:23.99.
Ali Stephens-Pickeral in the 10&Under Girl’s events: 15th 50y Breaststroke, 44.00.

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