In a star-studded swim meet that included Olympic hopefuls Mark Gangloff, Cullen Jones, and Mary Descenza, the spotlight for FLA shined on one of our own.  In one of the few meets before Olympic trials begins in late June, Lauren Driscoll had been focusing on her one qualified event, the 200 backstroke, in workout before the meet started this weekend.  It looks as if she has more options now.

Driscoll made two more qualifying times; in the 200 freestyle on Friday, and the 100 Backstroke on Saturday.  Both times were well under the cuts, clocking a 2:02.97 (OT Cut is 2:03.39) and a 1:03.88 (1:04.59) in the 100 Back.  More impressive, however, was how much faster her races were in finals than in the prelim session.  “It shows a maturity that is happening with her right now”, said Coach Ian Cross.  “You want to swim fast enough in the morning to make finals, but once you get there, you always want to swim faster at night.  There is always more pressure swimming in finals, and this weekend Driscoll showed that she is up for the challenge.”  Cross went on to say that a big portion of her success has to do with her preparation before swims, and her work in practice. “Driscoll has worked very hard, and she is seeing what can happen due to diligence.  At the meet, when she decides to kick it into high gear, there is almost nothing I need to do as a coach.  I tell her to work walls, and go out fast, and the rest she does on her own.  She’s in the warm up pool early, preparing the way you’re supposed to, and getting really psyched up for her races.”  Lauren Placed 10th overall in the 100 back, and 2nd in the “C” final in the 200 Free.

Head Coach Duffy Dillon was excited that Driscoll doesn’t just have to focus on one event now, for Olympic Trials.  “It is always good to have more opportunities in life, and her hard work has given her more opportunities to swim fast at trials.  Focusing on one event can be hard sometimes, because you have to put all your eggs in one basket.  Now, that doesn’t have to happen. She has 3 opportunities to swim fast instead of one.”

Although Driscoll highlighted the racing for FLA, the team of 17 athletes that traveled to Charlotte had some very impressive swims. 
Damaris Iriondo, The Lone FLA Swimmer brave enough to swim the 1500 freestyle, improve 40 seconds from her previous best, dropping from 18:15 all the way down to 17:35; 10 seconds under the NCSA junior national cut.  “Reese wants to think of herself as a sprinter, or middle distance freestyle, because she likes the short, power races”, Said Coach Cross.  “But really, she can do any freestyle, from the 50 to the mile, and her most natural race is the mile.”  Coach Dillon’s evidence backed that statement up.  “Reese negative split the race by nearly 10 seconds.  It was a textbook 1500 performance.  We all hope she likes the race because she will get to do plenty more of them”.  Iriondo also went under the 1:00 mark in the 100 freestyle for the first time, going 59.65.

Lauren Cuervo, sporting the new Speedo LZR suit, went a lifetime best time in the 100 Backstroke, going 1:07.76.  “The LZR suit is awesome, but that race was all me”, Cuervo said after the race.  “I felt great, and I rocked it.  I knew I had to get home fast the last 50, and I did, and my time indicates that.  It was fun.”

FLA newcomers Sam James, Melanie Edgar and Kyle Goodfellow, along with team mainstay Martin Renwick, all made the 50 Breaststroke final on the last night of Competition.  Luis Galvan Placed 5th in the “C” final in the 50 Fly, his first Grand Prix Final ever.    Chelsea Britt, our other Olympic Trials Qualifier and teen phenom, dropped 8 seconds off of her 200 breaststroke and qualified for USA Swimming Junior Nationals (and also made finals in the event), all at her first ever Grand Prix.  Dameon Nicholas and Leo Rodriguez, also in their first Grand Prix event, swam great, and went in-season best times in everything they swam.