The Psych Sheet

Colorado Swimmers Show off in Front of the Cameras

If you haven’t checked out the streaming video from the Speedo Champions Series Western Region Sectional meet on Swimnetwork.com, I strongly recommend you run to your computer and pull it up. You’ll want to witness all those great swims being posted by Colorado swimmers. On the women’s side, our Centennial State swimmers continue to dominate. Tonight, individually Missy Franklin took home two wins -- the 100M Freestyle and in the 200M Backstroke where she smashed Bonnie Brandon’s meet record from a couple of years ago. In both events, the second-place finisher was also from Colorado – teammate Caroline Piehl in the free and Evergreen’s Lexie Malazdrewicz in the backstroke, who also qualified for the Open with her swim. STARS Christine Wixted swam to a first-place finish in the 200M Breaststroke also with an Open time while Kathryn Johnson of North Jeffco finished second and likewise qualified for the Open.

On the men’s side, Jared Markham scored a victory in the 200M Backstroke.

While you’re at your computer checking results, be sure to head over to Swimmingworldmagazine.com and cast your vote for Missy Franklin as the top female high school swimmer of the 2009-2010 season. Just look to the bottom, right corner of the home page. Voting closes Friday, and Missy is neck-in-neck with Dagny Knutson of North Dakota.

Almost Like Being There in Oregon

Swimnetwork.com is providing live streaming coverage of the 2010 Speedo Champions Series Western Region Sectionals, which kicks off this afternoon in Mt. Hood with the Men’s and Women’s 800M Free. I’m not sure if they are covering every heat of every event, but I’m sure hoping so given we have so many of Colorado’s top swimmers participating.

Mount Hood Aquatics is also posting real-time results on its site. If the long course version is anything like the short-course championships held in March in Seattle, it should be pretty exciting. Colorado made its mark at that meet with Missy Franklin of STARS nabbing the women’s high point award and Jared Markham of Greenwood Tiger Sharks taking home the grand prize on the men’s side. Both are participating this week, but for each of them along with some of the state’s other elite swimmers, this meet is just a warm up to two weeks of competition in Irvine, Calif., host for both the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships Aug. 3-7 and the 2010 Speedo Junior National Championships Aug. 9-13.

Bottom line, it should be an exciting three weeks of swimming coming up as we get ready to bid adieu to the long course season.