Three Incoming Freshmen at Juniors
August 04, 2015 | Swimming & Diving
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SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Incoming freshman Caroline McTaggart won a pair of races at the 2015 Speedo Junior National Championships, one of three newcomers who took part in the five-day event (July 30-Aug. 3).
McTaggart was victorious in the 100 Freestyle and the 100 Butterfly and also made the A final in the 50 Free and the B race in the 200 Free. After taking the first day off from the pool, McTaggart swam each of the last four morning and evening sessions. On July 31, she was third after the 100 Free preliminaries (55.93) and improved on that in the evening to win the A final with a time of 54.89.
Following a seventh-place finish in the B final (15th overall) of the 200 Free (2:03.82/2:03.20 prelims) on Aug. 1, McTaggart was back in the win column on Aug. 2 in the 100 Fly. She was fifth after the morning session with a 1:00.56, but dropped under the minute mark in the evening with a 59.47 to claim her second victory of Junior Nationals.
On the last day of competition on Aug. 3, McTaggart was fourth after the 50 Free prelims with a time of 25.85 to make the A final, where she placed sixth (25.65).
Also competing in San Antonio were fellow incoming freshmen Mary Pelton and Sandra Soe. Pelton made a trio of evening finals, including a victory in the C race of the 200 Free. She was 18th in the prelims (2:03.57) and swam a minute quicker in the final with a 2:02.49.
Pelton also reached the B final of the 100 Free and 50 Free. She was ninth in the prelims (56.51) in the 100 Free and second (10th overall) in the final with a 56.39. In the 50 Free, Pelton went 11th in the morning (26.22) and was fourth in the B final (12th overall) with a mark of 26.20. She also swam two other races, finishing 29th in the 200 Individual Medley (2:20.63) and 34th in the 400 Free (4:23.62).
Soe also had a five-race meet, reaching the C final in the 400 Free on Aug. 1. She was 23rd in the morning (4:21.13) and placed eighth in the evening (24th overall) with a 4:23.78.
In a pair of long-distance races, Soe was 18th in the 800 Free (8:56.34) and 38th in the 1500 Free (17:24.26). She also had a 43rd-place showing in the 200 Free (2:05.70) and went 2:21.53 (58th) in the 200 Backstroke.
