Rylee Erisman, Baylor Stanton Double at Junior Nationals East; Audrey Derivaux Scorches 1:53 200 IM
The first day of individual racing at USA Swimming’s Junior Nationals eastern meet saw Rylee Erisman follow up her strong relay double Wednesday with two wins in the 500 and 50 freestyle while Baylor Stanton took care of business in two boys’ events. Meanwhile, Audrey Derivaux became the second-fastest 15-16 swimmer in U.S. history in the 200-yard individual medley.
Erisman kicked off the session with a wire-to-wire, four second victory in the 500 free. The 16-year-old future Cal Bear entered with a best time of 4:43.35 before going 4:39.77 in prelims and then 4:34.60 for the win in the final. Following Erisman was St. Petersburg’s Brinkleigh Hansen in 4:38.51 while Supernova Swim Team’s Elizabeth Eichbrect, the winner of the 1000 free, placed third (4:41.63).
Later on, Erisman posted a time of 21.95 for the win in the splash-and-dash. She was one-third of a second behind her best time of 21.61, a mark which ranks second all-time for the 15-16 age group behind Claire Curzan. Lakeside Swim Team’s Charlotte Crush finished just behind Erisman in 22.02, with Huntsville’s Abby Chan in third (22.25).
In boys’ competition, Stanton won a scintillating race in the 500 free against Colin Jacobs and Trent Allen. The Gwinnett Aquatic Club Swimmer sat in third place and then second for the opening 400 yards of the race, but he had another gear remaining to push past Jacobs on the ninth 50-yard split. Stanton held on by 0.12 down the stretch, 4:17.39 to 4:17.51. Allen, representing Carmel Swim Club, came in third (4:18.99).
Minutes later, Stanton raced the 200 IM and pulled ahead of SwimAtlanta’s Collin Holgerson on the breaststroke leg before pulling away down the stretch. Stanton touched in 1:42.85, with Holgerson second in 1:43.23 while Carmel’s Yi Zheng came in third (1:44.37).
As for Derivaux, a blistering 34.11 breaststroke leg propelled her past Crush, the early leader, and into a lead she would not relinquish. Derivaux came home in 1:53.87, a time that only Teagan O’Dell (1:53.38) has surpassed among swimmers that age. The swimmers Derivaux moved ahead of include one who went on to win Olympic silver in the 200-meter IM, Alex Walsh. Crush took second here in 1:54.87 with the TAC Titans’ Reina Liu third (1:56.60).
The boys’ 50 free went to Mecklenburg Swim Association’s Mike Rice in 19.30, followed by Greensboro’s Albert Smelzer (19.62) and Central Ohio’s Jack Lloyd (19.79).
