Leah Hayes Unleashes 1:54.09 200 IM, Now #3 All-Time 15-16, Bella Sims Hits #9 | SwimSwam

By Spencer Penland on SwimSwam

2021 SPEEDO WINTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS WEST

• December 8-11, 2021
• Jamail Texas Swim Center, Austin, Texas
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Prelims: 9 am (ET)
• Finals: 5 pm (ET) – Wed. relays at 6 pm
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream

GIRLS 200 IM – FINALS

• Winter JRs Meet Record: Alex Walsh – 1:53.69 (12/6/2018)
• West Meet Record: Zoie Hartman – 1:54.62 (12/6/2018)

Podium:

• GOLD: Leah Hayes (TIDE) – 1:54.09
• SILVER: Bella Sims (SAND) – 1:54.90
• BRONZE: Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 1:56.11

16-year-old Leah Hayes out of Fox Valley Park District in Illinois won the women’s 200 IM at the West Speedo Winter Junior Championships last night, bringing down the West meet record in the process. Hayes clocked a 1:54.09, obliterating her previous personal best of 1:56.38, and leading Sandpipers of Nevada’s Bella Sims, also 16, into the finish.

For her part, Sims held tough with Hayes through the front half of the race, but Hayes unleashed a blistering 33.66 on the breast 50 to pull away from the Sandpiper. Sims’ freestyle prowess allowed her to close the gap a little bit on the final 50, but it would prove to be too little too late, and Hayes got her hand on the wall 0.81 seconds ahead of Sims.

Both performance boosted the girls into the all-time top 10 for 15-16 girls. Hayes is now #3 all-time in the age group, sitting just 0.07 seconds off Alex Walsh’s NAG, while Sims is now #9 all-time. Here is the updated all-time top 10 for 15-16 girls in the SCY 200 IM:

Rank	Time	Swimmer
1	1:54.02	Alex Walsh
2	1:54.03	Dagny Knutson
3	1:54.09	Leah Hayes
4	1:54.18	Julia Springer
5	1:54.25	Meghan Small
6	1:54.47	Elizabeth Pelton
7	1:54.79	Charlotte Hook
8	1:54.80	Jasmine Tosky
9	1:54.90	Bella Sims
10	1:55.15	Ella Eastin

Both girls pulled off impressive doubles in individual races last night. For Sims, she raced the 200 IM coming off her victory in the 500 free, where she clocked a 4:31.28 to shatter the Winter Junior Championships meet record by 5 seconds. Hayes’ first race of the night was the 200 IM, but she would go on to take 2nd in the B final of the 50 free shortly after, swimming a 22.86 to break 23 seconds for the first time in her career.

15-year-old Teagan O’Dell from Irvine Novaquatics took 3rd last night, swimming a 1:56.11 to establish a new personal best. The swim already puts the 15yo at #13 all-time in the 15-16 age group, and she’s now the #5 performer all-time among 15-year-olds, coincidentally bumping Bella Sims out for that spot.

Here is the all-time top 5 for 15-year-olds:

Rank	Time	Swimmer
1	1:54.48	Alex Walsh
2	1:54.79	Charlotte Hook
3	1:55.14	Elizabeth Pelton
4	1:55.32	Missy Franklin
5	1:56.11	Teagan O’Dell

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Leah Hayes Unleashes 1:54.09 200 IM, Now #3 All-Time 15-16, Bella Sims Hits #9