Avon’s Madison Kennedy (Photo courtesy of New Wave Sports Marketing)
IRVINE, Calif. – The biggest meet of the year so far begins Wednesday with the 2014 U.S. national championship meet and Avon’s Madison Kennedy is entered in two events.
Kennedy is the top seed in Sunday’s 50 meter freestyle and is seeded 11th in Wednesday’s 100 meter freestyle race. Racing begins Wednesday at 9 a.m. with the finals scheduled for 6 p.m.
It’s a huge meet for swimmers across the nation. It will serve as the U.S. national team selection meet for several upcoming international events including the 2014 Pan Pacific championships in Australia later in August and the 2015 World Championship meet in Kazaan, Russia.
Performances from the nationals will also help USA Swimming select teams for the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and the 2015 World University Games in South Korea.
And of course, on the horizon, is the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.
Kennedy is the top seed at the national meet in the 50 freestyle thanks to her career-best time of 24.78 seconds at the Charlotte Grand Prix in May. Texas sprinter Simone Manuel is the second seed (24.80 seconds) with former California teammate and 12-time Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin seeded third (24.97). The University of Georgia’s Megan Romano is the fourth seed with a qualifying time of 24.98 seconds. There are over 100 swimmers qualified to race in this event
Kennedy’s best finish at the nationals in the 50 free was second place finishes in 2010 (25.09 seconds) and in 2009 (25.15) in this same pool in Irvine.
Kennedy is seeded 11th in the 100 freestyle with a time of 54.93 seconds. Her best finish nationally in the 100 freestyle was an 8th place finish at the 2012 Olympic trials.
The meet will be televised on NBC on Saturday and Sunday from 4-6 p.m., with additional coverage on Sunday night from 11 p.m. to midnight on NBC Sports Network.
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