MISSION VIEJO – The smiles and high fives from Katie McLaughlin seemed to flow with a new-found confidence and comfort over the weekend at the TYR Fran Crippen Memorial Swim Meet of Champions.
And once again Sunday, her world-class execution in the pool featured a similar ease.
If this really was a farewell meet of sorts for the Mission Viejo Nadadores standout, she certainly looked ready for the next step.
The 17-year-old capped her final pre-collegiate Swim Meet of Champions by capturing the 100-meter butterfly in the 10th-fastest time in the world this year to help highlight the final night of racing at the Marguerite Recreation Center.
The Cal-bound swimmer outdueled USC’s Kendyl Stewart, her future teammate for this summer’s FINA World Championships in Russia, to clock a lifetime-best time of 57.87 seconds. The time is the fastest by a U.S. woman this year and outdistanced Stewart’s 58.05, which ranks 13th in the world this year.
But that wasn’t the only time reference that mattered Sunday.
“It’s my last meet as a Nadadore,” said McLaughlin, who earned high-point honors. “It was fun. It was good to be at the pool here, at home, with my teammates.”
McLaughlin left the door open to racing for the Nadadores again but plans to swim for Cal next year. She said she hasn’t decided where to train for the 2016 Olympic Trials, a fact not lost upon Nadadores coach Bill Rose after the 100 butterfly.
“It kind of culminated our entire meet and our entire time together,” he said. “I just wish her the best. … I can’t get in her way.”
Rose noticed that McLaughlin appears more mature.
“She knows how good she is and now she believes it,” he said. “She knows where she wants to go. She’s at peace with herself.”
The future of Rose’s fleet received a boost from Grant Shoults. The Santa Margarita senior-to-be earned his Olympic Trials times in the 100 butterfly (54.49) and 200 individual medley (2:03.83). He sliced about 21/2 seconds from his best in the 200 IM to finish second to Riptide’s Anton Panferov (2:03.03).
Shoults and Aquazot’s Corey Okubo (University) tied for second behind Sean Grieshop, 16, of Texas-based Nitro in the men’s high-point race.
Sonia Wang of Aquazot also earned a Trials standard, clocking a 2:18.29 in the 200 IM. SOCAL’s Ella Eastin (Crean Lutheran) touched second (2:17.12).
The meet-ending 400 medley relay featured an unique team for Golden West as Ryan Nelson, 21, and his brothers Wade, 19, Zachary, 17, and Dylan, 16, raced together for the first time on a relay.
Contact the writer: dalbano@ocregister.com
