DCST National Results – Day 2 Launer Crowned National Champion

DCST National Results – Day 2

Launer Crowned National Champion

            Day 2 of the YMCA National Championships was highlighted by Emily Launer winning the 400 meter Freestyle by an impressive 2.4 seconds over the second place finisher.  Emily is the second swimmer in the history of DCST to be a National Champion.  In prelims, Launer lowered her previous best time by 2.6 seconds, and in finals, she went an additional eye popping 4.5 seconds faster.  For her effort, Emily was named National All-American and set a new DCST Team Record.

            Grant Alef also was name a National All-American and set a new DCST Team with his 4^th place finish in the 100 meter Backstroke.  Alef earned his second National All-American honor of the day when he teamed up with Ryan Schultz, Kei Ishimaru and Jack Fergus to take 17^th place in the Men’s 200 meter Medley Relay.  This relay earned Schultz and Fergus the All-American honor for the first time in their careers, while it was a DCST career leading 31^st time for Alef.  This relay had an outstanding 4.3 second time drop on the day.

            As a team DCST had a very impressive day with 12 career best times out of 15 swims, which brings the two day total for DCST to 14 career best times out of a total of 17 swims.  DCST’s other time drops on the day were:  Sharron Isola - 100 meter Backstroke (.2 seconds), Jack Fergus - 100 meter Backstroke (1 second), Caitlynn Moon - 400 meter Freestyle (5.8 seconds), Grace Waller - 400 meter Freestyle (7.8 seconds), Ryan Schultz - 50 meter Breaststroke (1.2 seconds), Katie Hallenbeck - 200 meter IM (1.3 seconds), and the Girls 200 meter Medley Relay of Sharron Isola, Valerie Jones, Katie Hallenbeck and Emily Launer (.6 seconds).  In time trials, Grace Waller lowered her best 100 meter backstroke time by almost 7 full seconds, and Dylan Powers lowered his best 50 meter Freestyle time by .9 seconds.

Tuesday’s Results for DCST

            Women’s 100 meter Backstroke

                        Tara Gidaszewski – 1:10.33 (67^th)
                        Sharron Isola – 1:11.97 (119^th)
                        Sarah Fergus – 1:12.67 (126^th)

            Men’s 100 meter Backstroke

                        Grant Alef
                                    Prelims – 58.98 (5^th)
                                    Finals – 58.37 (4^th) – National All-American, New DCST Team Record
                        Jack Fergus – 1:04.46 (78^th)

            Women’s 400 meter Freestyle

                        Emily Launer
                                    Prelims – 4:25.67 (1^st) – New DCST Team Record
                                    Finals – 4:21.15 (1^st) – National All-American, New DCST Team Record
                        Caitlynn Moon – 4:40.10 (46^th)
                        Grace Waller – 4:49.92 (79^th)

            Men’s 50 meter Breaststroke

                        Ryan Schultz – 34.08 (97^th)

            Women’s 200 meter IM

                        Katie Hallenbeck – 2:32.60 (66^th)

            Men’s 200 meter IM

                        Kei Ishimaru – 2:16.78 (40^th)

            Women’s 200 meter Medley Relay

                        Sharron Isola, Valerie Jones, Katie Hallenbeck, Emily Launer – 2:07.98 (31^st)

            Men’s 200 meter Medley Relay

                        Grant Alef, Ryan Schultz, Kei Ishimaru, Jack Fergus
                                    Prelims – 1:53.02 (19^th)
                                    Finals – 1:52.93 (17^th)
                        All 4 swimmers earned National All-American honors

            Time Trials

                        Grace Waller – 100 meter Backstroke (1:11.25)
                        Dylan Powers – 50 meter Freestyle (27.81)

Team Scores after Day 2

            DCST Women – 18^th Place
            DCST Men – 23^rd Place
            DCST Combined Scoring – 21^st Place