2011 National High School Top 16 times

Medley Relay:

1^st 1:30.78

8^th 1:1:32.37

16^th 1:33.41

200 Free:

1^st: 1:34.28

8^th: 1:37.66

16^th: 1:38.12

200 IM:

1^st: 1:41.30 (National Record)

8^th: 1:47.82

16^th: 1:49.22

50 Free:

1^st: 20.09

8^th: 20.36

16^th: 20.50

100 Fly:

1^st: 47.14

8^th: 48.52

16^th: 48.95

100 Free:

1^st: 43.32

8^th: 44.73

16^th: 45.00

500 Free:

1^st: 4:17.29 (holding 51.4)

8^th: 4:24.61 (52.9)

16^th: 4:26.24 (53.2)

200 Free Relay:

1^st: 1:21.01 (National Record) ( 4x 20.25)

8^th: 1:23.68 (20.9)

16^th: 1:24.38 (21.1)

100 Backstroke:

1^st: 45.49 (National Record)

8^th: 48.50

16^th: 49.25

100 Breaststroke:

1^st: 53.80

8^th: 55.34

16^th: 55.83

400 Free Relay

1^st: 3:00.71 (4x 45.1)

8^th: 3:04.72 (46.1)

16^th: 3:05.71 (46.4)

Don't Wake a Sleeping Lion

Lots of the news coming out of Shanghai this week at the 2011 World Swimming Championships has Phelps looking 'beatable'.   

Yes, he did get out touched in the 200M Free by teammate Ryan Lochte, and he is sitting in 5th in the 200 Fly after semi's (where he still hold the world record, and has never been beat before in international competition).   I just want to say - don't get cocky.   To quote Aaron Peirsol, the recently retired backstroke dominatrix, "If I were swimming right now, I would be running scared all the way to London.  Phelps came into this (the world champs) with his eyes set on London.  This will only motivate him more."


I was cheering for any American chasing Phelps, and I will continue to do so this week.  It can only help USA in 2012.


On a side note, I do think that USA's best spokesperson for our swim teams, Natalie Coughlin, is also having a good, but not great, performance thus far.  Well...Good.  Get pissed and get even in 2012.  That girl rocks it - and knows how to bring it at the Olympic Games.   Plus her I.Q. is higher than her shoe size - and thus deserves way more attention than Phelps.
The most impressive swim so far has been from Rebecca Soni when she came close to her own World Record in the 100 breaststroke. 

In truth - I cannot remember a year that USA dominated the worlds - in the year before the Olympics.  We just prioritize the 4 year meet over the yearly.  Well done, USA.


The worst of it all is that France is having a great meet.  Bernard included (the guy who talked smack about the Men's 400 Free Relay in 2008).    I hate that.   Let's hope the american swimmers do too when they go back to their workout pools.  Let it push them all the way to yet another dominating performance in London.

Can't Miss Race of 2011 - Men's 200 IM

By Mike Gufstoson - USA Swimming.org


On pool decks throughout the 2011 swim season, crowds gathered, cameras pointed, Sharpies and kickboards and caps in-hand, smiles abundant. “Ryan, I love you!” screams one bubbly, pony-tailed 13-year-old girl from the stands. Listen close before Ryan Lochte dives into the water, donning his patented pink or sky-blue swim brief, and one can hear gleeful cries, the declarations of adoration -- as if Ryan Lochte were a second-coming of Paul McCartney. 

Which is remarkable since, relatively speaking, Lochte’s Olympic accomplishments pale in comparison to his Team USA brethren. 

It’s true. The Florida native, cool and whimsical like an ocean breeze, Ryan Lochte has “only” one individual Olympic gold medal -- the 200m backstroke. Scanning the World Championships Team USA roster, at least by Olympic pedigree, Ryan Lochte should not be as popular as he is. He has eight individual Olympic gold medals LESS than his teammate Michael Phelps. Comparing the two on paper is like comparing Michael Jordan to Dwayne Wade. 

Which is why this meet starting Sunday is so vital for Ryan Lochte. 

Few times in an athlete’s career are monumental stepping stones -- important, giant, momentous leaps from one plateau to another. When the basketball is placed in an athlete’s hands at the last seconds, and the coach says, “Make this shot.” Or when time has expired, and the receiver is sprinting down the sidelines, the football in the air, and a last-second touchdown catch is not just hopeful, but necessary. “Legends rise to the occasion,” the saying goes, and next week’s upcoming 200IM is Ryan Lochte’s potential occasion, the first step, if he wants to become a legend. 

Because for months and years now, we’ve banked on the potential of Lochte. We’ve set up elaborate hypotheticals in our heads – “Phelps vs. Lochte with fins” or “Phelps vs. Lochte in the 2016 Olympics in the 50 fly” or “Phelps vs. Lochte in a 4-hour workout.” But we’ve never seen them race head-to-head when something was on the line for both athletes. And that is what this week is. 

It’s finally important for both athletes. 

NBC touts this as a rivalry, part of its build-up to the 2012 London Olympics. It’s good drama, but we’re still only in the long, building second act. We have yet to see where this plot is heading, and what lies ahead. Ryan Lochte is interviewed by media and is asked, naturally, about Michael Phelps. Usually, he will answer simply and say they are great friends, great competitors, and that he wants to beat Phelps – which is a given. But the more this is talked about, the more we measure Ryan Lochte by Michael Phelps. 

In other words, the only way Ryan Lochte can take the next step is that he must slay the dragon -- Michael Phelps. A world record would help. A few gold medals will help. But we’ve created the match-up. A match-up will decide not how good Michael Phelps is (we already know) but how good Ryan Lochte is. 

The problem? Phelps has backed away. Phelps pre-emptivly scratched last year’s Pan Pacific 200IM. Avoided it. 

But this summer is different. It is the lead-up to the London Olympics. This year is more important of a year of training than the last months preceding the Olympics. The foundations for success are cemented in this summer. The wiring is installed. The concrete is poured. 

Phelps has his 14 Olympic gold medals. He knows how to build his Olympic foundation, more than anyone. The question is: Does Lochte? 

After weeks, months, and years of waiting, we have our Phelps vs. Lochte match-up. On paper, these two will collide, like two stars in the sky flying different orbits, hurdling through space, each to their own destination. Until now, we’ve only guessed at the trajectory of Lochte’s star. We’ve speculated. But this week we will have answers. 

The men’s 200IM is the Can’t Miss Race for obvious reasons. So much has been put on Ryan Lochte’s shoulders – the adoration, autographs, cries, and support. And so much has been forced on Michael Phelps’ shoulders – the criticism, guessing, whispering, and wondering. 

Soon, we will have our ending to the second act -- the long, anticipatory drama -- one that will launch us into our conclusion of this story next summer in the Phelps vs. Lochte saga. But, unlike dramatic movies, in sports, sometimes the endings are written long before the thrilling third act. 

One year before, to be exact.   This race will take place July 27, 2011, Shanghai, China.  At the FINA International Long Course World Championships.

How Scoring Works at Meets.

I am happy to talk with you to help make it clear.  I hope this helps:

Dual Meet Scoring (one team vs. one team):

Individual Events:  The top 5 out of 6 score points:

6 points for 1st.  4 for 2nd.  3 for 3rd.  2 for 4th.  1 for 5th.  (16 possible points per event).

·        
Here you can actually win the points race without getting first.  If we were to get 2nd, 3rd, and 4th the score would be 9-7.   Depth matters more than speed often in these races.  Simply staying out of last place - so that all three of our athletes score means that the opponent only has two possible scoring athletes, and we have a good chance of out pointing the opponent.
There are 9 Individual events:  200 Free, 200 IM, 50 Free, Diving, 100 Fly, 100 Free, 500 Free, 100 Back, 100 Breast

Relays:  Only the top 3 places score points:  

8 points for 1st.  4 for 2nd.  2 for 3rd  (14 possible points).

·         In relay events; only the top 2 of the 3 relays from each team may score points.   Here getting 1st is the only way to out point the opponent.  Even if we were to get 2nd and 3rd - we would still be 2 points behind (6 to 8).   Getting 1st and 3rd is truly getting ahead in the score (10 to 4).
There are 3 relays in every meet:  200 Medley, 200 Free, and 400 Free.

It is our goal to score more than half of the available points in each event.  If we do this, the total will always be in our favor.  Once a team has scored its 94th point - it cannot lose as it now has more than half the total number of points allowed.
Every time we win a close race, it is at least one more point for us, and one less for the opponent.  A two point swing.  This is why our swimmers must do push-ups when they get out-touched.

Invitational Scoring (one team vs. many other teams):

Individual Points:  The top 16 finishers overall score points.   All 4 allowed athletes from every team are eligible to reach the top 16 finish - normally there will be 32 total participants in every event.   So outscoring your opponents on the board, or simply having a faster time than half the competition, will allow you to score points for the team (and your letter).   

20 points for 1st  (a 2 point bonus for 1st overall)
17 for 2nd
16 for 3rd
15 for 4th
14 for 5th
13 for 6th
12 for 7th
11 for 8th  (double digits for all top 8)
9 for   9th  (You do get a point bonus for the top spot among the bottom 8)
7 for  10th
6 for  11th
5 for  12th
4 for 13th
3 for 14th
2 for 15th
1 for 16th  (way more than everyone below you).

Relays - the same rules apply - all who place top 16 score points.  Only the points are worth 2 times that of an individual event.  40 for 1st,  34 for 2nd, etc..   With that many points on the line, Relays are massive point hogs.  Safe Starts are key, as we cannot afford to risk that many points.   Even though each swimmer contributes 25% toward the relay - each particapant will collect 50% of the points scored towards their letter.

Here at invitational’s our goal is to score all who enter each event.  Again, quality depth will win these meets.

There is a 3rd way meets are scored, and that only happens in the True Team Sections / State Format - I will not bother to bore you with that - as it is all dependent on the number of participants per event.   Suffice to say that in no other format is Depth rewarded as much as it is in this 3rd type of scoring.

The bottom line:  Everyone matters.  I am a firm believer in that.  We train that way.  We are scored that way.  We will behave that way.