Local trio heading to Junior Nationals

By Mike Szvetitz
Sports Editor, Opelika-Auburn News
Published: August 3, 2008

There’s nothing “junior” about this event.

And there’s definitely nothing “junior” about the three area swimmers who will compete in the event this week in Minneapolis — even if their age puts them in that category.

Aaron Middleton, Sam Kiefer and Megan Molnar will represent Auburn Aquatics — a local swimming club — at the Junior National Championships at the University of Minnesota. All three qualified for the event, which will host the best swimmers under the age of 18 in the entire country.

“It’s really not a ‘junior’ meet anymore,” Auburn Aquatics head coach Jeff Dellinger said. “It’s for anyone who’s fast enough to qualify under the age of 18. There’s going to be a lot of talent at this meet, and our three swimmers are a part of that.”

The three local swimmers will compete in a total of 11 events during the five-day meet, each with a solid chance of placing in the top eight in at least one of their events.

Middleton, an Auburn University signee who graduated from Ballard Christian School this past spring, leads the group this week. Middleton qualified in eight events (100-meter butterfly, 200m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 200m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 200m freestyle, 200m individual medley and 400m IM) for the Junior Nationals, but he will only compete in four.

Middleton said the reason he will only compete in both the butterfly events, as well as the 100m back and 100m freestyle, was a timing issue. The some events were stacked right on top of others, making it impossible for Middleton to do well in all eight.

So the soon-to-be AU swimmer chose the four he knew he could excel in.

“The goal is to win,” said the 18-year-old who’s been swimming 10 years competitively. “But, realistically, it’s to make the finals and swim as many best times as possible.”

Middleton’s best event is the 100m backstroke, where he is seeded 27th overall. This is his second year competing in the national event.

Molnar will also compete in four events this week, swimming in the 100m and 200m breaststroke and the 50m and 100m free.

The soon-to-be 10th grader at Auburn High has finished third in the state back-to-back years in the 100 breaststroke.

At 15, Molnar will be making her first appearance in the Junior Nationals.

“I’m both nervous and excited,” Molnar said. “There’s going to be a lot of competition there. I want to do well, but I’m really not going for anything but my best.”

Perhaps the most talented of the trio is Kiefer, who will be a senior at Opelika this fall.

Kiefer, 18, will swim in three events — 100m butterfly, 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle. Kiefer has won four state titles during his high school career, taking back-to-back championships in the 100-yard fly and 50-yard freestyle in his sophomore and junior years.

Kiefer is seeded seventh in the nation in the 100m butterfly this week, and hopes to improve on that ranking.

“My goal is to stay in the top eight and make the finals,” he said.

According to Dellinger, Kiefer and Middleton can do more than “just make the finals.”

“Both of them are swimming really well,” the coach said. “I’m expecting them to go a lot faster. Both of them have the ability to place.”

But just doing their best is all Dellinger’s really concerned about.

“I’m real proud of the way they’ve grown over the last couple years,” Dellinger said. “They’ve really turned into strong competitors.

“It’s fun to see them grow up and start making some of their goals a reality.”

The first day of competition is today, but the local swimmers won’t make their debuts until Tuesday.

| 737-2513