Usually when a USAS team has a team meet, everyone goes to the same meet at the same pool. But last weekend, Blast chose a differen style.

Blast’s goal was to give every swimmer every opportunity to achieve their maximum potential in their best events. 

So, while high school swimmers got a chance to kick back and enjoy their taper, age groupers had the opportunity to pick among three meets, which best suited their competitive and family interests. 

Andrew Knudsen and Kristen Jennings

Each meet offered something a little different for each swimmer on the team. Seventeen swimmers were entered in the Crawfish One-Day meet, 14 swimmers in the NuWave meet and two swimmers in the IMX meet in Laurel, Miss. Some swimmers did the weekend double, Saturday at Crawfish and Sunday at NuWave. 

At the Crawfish meet, the “Super 17” had over 75 percent best times, set six team and one state record established by Kristen Jennings in the 11-12 girls’ 200 back with a time of 2:14.86. 

The team records were set by Kara Kopcso in the 13-14 girls’ 50 and 100 back and the 100 free. The back times were also team Open records. 

Twelve swimmers notched 100 percent best times including Cuinn Alexander, Cade Alexander, Emily Burkhalter, Margaret Larsen, Adaira Chapman, Yakira Chapman, Hope Winkler, Sydney Dupont, Riley Dupont, Landry Dupont, Anna Rawls and Brooke Vinturella. 

At NuWave Blast had a “Fab 14” dropping times and two swimmers coming very close to breaking state records. 

The full results were not in at press time, but the best time percentage was as at least as high as the Crawfish meet. Griffin Guzan had a “lights out” meet with seven of eight best times and his 100 back just missed the state record by half a second. 

The “G-man” unofficially broke five or six team records also.

Look for team records update. Alex Cloutet just missed breaking her own state standard in the 200 breast by .12 of a second. Matthew Stegen raced to a state qualifying time in the 50 back stroke. Emily Burkhalter, Brooke Vinturella, Nicholas Bienvenu, Emily Prieto, Grace Tucker, Kristen Jennings, Katie Fearn and Gianni Scramuzza all had good swims on Sunday. And finally, the “Dynamic Duo” of Andrew Knudsen and Robert Klazynski traveled to Laurel, Miss., on Sunday for the Hubfins IMX meet. Klazynski had 100 percent plus best times.

He had four best times in three swims. Klazynski’s 1,000 (11:52.30) and 1,650 (19:32.79) were PRs and he added best times in the 200 free and 100 breast.

Knudsen, after warming up with good swims in the 100 breast and 50 back, broke two state records. Knudsen broke the 11-12 boys’ state record in the 1,000 by almost 20 seconds when he flipped at 40 and recorded an 11:34.78 1,000, breaking Christian Riess’ standard and continued racing to touch at 19:10.37, eclipsing IAC’s Matthew Wilson’s 19:27.66. 

Blast swimmers now hold eight 11-12 girls’ short course state records and two 11-12 boys’ short course state records.