Geans hits qualifying times at sectional

!"The swimmer from Bentonville has qualified for the Junior National Championships.

By Tom Glave

Posted: July 28, 2009 at 6:11 a.m.

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BENTONVILLE — Bentonville junior Pearson Gean took another leap in his swimming career last week, qualifying for the Speedo Junior National Championships for the first time.

Gean swam qualifying times in two events during last week's Speedo Champions Series Central Section Region VIII Long Course Swimming Championships on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia.

"He did pretty well," Northwest Arkansas Aquatics and Bentonville High coach Steve Duwel said. "The big thing is he came out of there with three junior cuts. That was the next step we were hoping for."

Gean, also the starting quarterback at Bentonville High School, hit cuts in the 50-meter freestyle and 100 butterfly during an excellent week of swimming.

Gean will not, however, compete in the Junior National meet on Aug. 10 in Federal Way, Wash., a commuter town outside of Seattle.

"The fact that he made it is probably more important than going," Duwel said.

Gean has swam at the National Club Swimming Association JuniorNationals the past two springs but the summer Junior National meet requires faster times.

Gean finished eighth in the 100 fly at the sectional meet. He finished tied for 11th in the 50 free in 24.04.

Gean finished in the top 24 in the preliminaries of all six of his events, giving him the chance to swim in the A (top eight), B (next eight) or C finals in the evening.

He was close to junior cuts in two other events, just missing in the 100 free and 200 fly.

The 100 free was his first event of the meet and set the tone, Duwel said. Gean later dropped five seconds off his seed time in the 200 fly.

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Siloam Springs senior Ellis Miller, who swims for the Razorback Aquatic Club AquaHawgs, also had an outstanding week at Missouri.

Miller was already qualified for Junior Nationals in seven events and did not add any new Junior cuts.

He did win the 100 backstroke and place in the top 10 in all six of his events at the sectional meet.

"He did great in his backstrokes," said Duwel, who coached Miller inthe past. "Those were spectacular swims."

He was third overall in the 200 backstroke after setting the best time during the prelim.

Miller also finished tied for third in the 200 fly, fourth in the 100 fly, seventh in the 100 free and 10th in the 200 free.

He will be attending the Junior Nationals for the third year in a row and is qualified in 50, 100, 200 freestyles, 100 and 200 backstrokes and 100 and 200 butterflies.

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Other NWAA swimmers also did well at the sectional, Duwel said.

Heritage junior Jim Parker swam well in the 100 fly, breaking a minute.

"Physically he swam really well," Duwel said. "As far as race strategy, he can make some improvements. Going in to (Arkansas Swimming Inc.) state this weekend, he can make some adjustments. But I think he feels pretty good where he is physically."

Bentonville junior Justin Potter cut 20 seconds of his best time in the 200 fly.

Recent Bentonville graduate Katie Brown, who will swim at Missouri State this fall, improved times in two of her events.

"It's always difficult to train and be ready to go when you're in that limbo period between your senior year and first year of college," Duwel said. "She did a good job of going and dropping some times. I give her a lot of credit."

Sports, Pages 5, 6 on 07/28/2009

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