Southern California is a Big Part of the Success Story at the 2021 USA Olympic Team Trials

The 2021 Olympic Team Trials have come to a dramatic conclusion, leaving us hungry for the games to start next month. Southern California Swimming found itself in the thick of the action throughout WAVE 1 and WAVE 2. Eleven SCS teams contributed to the SCS presence at the meet (see list below).

A record high eleven teenagers made the Olympic team this year, the most since 1996.  Southern California Swimming contributed its fair share to the youth movement, thanks to the Las Vegas Sandpipers of Nevada, who put two teenagers on the team, Bella Sims and Katie Grimes. The Sandpipers also placed twenty year old Erica Sullivan and two post grads, Blake Pieroni and Bowe Becker on the team. Throughout the meet Sandpipers of Nevada were the talk of Omaha.

Overall, twenty-three swimmers represented SCS teams in the finals or semi-finals over the course of the eight day, WAVE 2 Trials (see list below). Seven of the swimmers representing Southern California teams made the Olympic Team: Zach Apple, Michael Brinegar and Annie Lazor from Mission Viejo, Katie Grimes, Bella Sims, Erica Sullivan, Blake Pieroni and Bowe Becker from the Sandpipers. Three other swimmers with a long history and origins in SCS, also made the team: Katie McLaughlin, Tom Shields and Abby Weitzeil.

Trenton Julian, of Rose Bowl, made the most appearances in the finals, placing in the top eight three times, 
in the 100 Fly, 200 Fly and 200 I.M., and once in the semis of the 200 Free.

Three SCS swimmers have previously won berths on the USA Open Water Olympic team:  Jordan Wilimovsky (KSWIM), Haley Anderson (MVN) and Ashley Twitchell (TAC).

Teams Participating in the 2021 Olympic Team Trials: 

Boulder City Henderson
Brea Aquatics
Cal Lutheran
Canyons Aquatics
COLA
Fullerton Aquatic Swim Team
Guacho Aquatics
Irvine Novaquatics
KSWIM
La Mirada Armada
Mission Viejo Nadadores
Riverside Aquatics
Rose Bowl Aquatics
SOCAL Swim
Sandpipers of Nevada
Santa Maria Swim Club
Trojan Aquatics Club


Athletes in the Finals or Semi-Finals representing SCS teams or having a long history and origins with SCS:

*denotes an Event qualifying athlete for the 2021 Olympic Team

ANDERSON, Haley MVN
800 Free 8:20.51
400 Free 4:06.87
1500 Free 15:55.60

APPLE, Zach MVN 
*100 Free 47.72
*200 Free 1:46.45
50 Free Semi  22.27

BECKER, Bowe SAND
*100 Free 48.22
50 Free Final 21.78

BRINEGAR, Michael MVN
*1500 Free  15:00.87
*800 Free   7:49.94

GALLANT, Will MVN
1500 Free 15:17.34
800 Free  7:57.97

GRAVELY, Brennan  FLOR
1500 Free 15:25.26

GRIMES, Katie SAND
800 Free  8:20.36
*1500 Free 15:52.12

GROTHE, Zane BCH
200 Free 1:47.93

JULIAN, Trention  ROSE/CAL
200 Free semis  1:47.50
200 Fly 1:56.35
200 IM  1:59.21
100 Fly 51.78

KOZAN, Justina MVN
400 IM  4:42.72

LAZOR, Annie  MVN
100 Brst 1:05.60
*200 Brst  2:21.07

McLAUGHLIN, Katie  CAL
100 Fly  57.72
*200 Free  1:57,16

MILLER, Cody  SAND
100 Brst 1:00.37

ODGERS, Isabelle TASC
200 Brst  2:29.59

PIERONI, Blake  SAND
*200 Free  1:46.57
100 Free  48.16

SHIELDS, Tom  CAL/NOVA
200 Fly  1:58.73
*100 Fly  51.19

SIMONS, Nick  SAND
100 Back 54.52

SIMS, BELLA  SAND
800 Free  8:23.55
*200 Free 1:57.53

SULLIVAN, Erica  SAND
800 Free 8:24.02

TWITCHELL, Ashley  TAC-NC
400 Free 4:10.51
1500 Free  16:01.62

TUGGLE, CLAIRE  SMSC
400 Free  4:15.26
200 Free   Semis - 1:58.85
100 Fly 1:03.20

WEITZEL, Abbey  CAL/Canyons
*100 Free  53.53
*50 Free  24.30

WILIMOVSKY, Jordan  KSWM
1500 Free  15:05.29
800 Free  7:53.07

Congratulations to everyone who competed at Olympic Trials!
We are so proud of you.   Thank you for representing SCS.