Junior Event Up For Grabs

Several top clubs, swimmers vie for national titles in Clermont

Indianapolis, Ind. - Sunny Central Florida is the destination for the 2004 Speedo Junior Synchronized Swimming Championships, April 1-3, 2004. All events will be held at the USAT National Training Center in Clermont, Fla.

More than 300 elite athletes ages 14-18 will vie for junior national titles in the solo, duet, trio and team events. Also up for grabs are 10 roster spots on the 2004 U.S. Junior National Team.

The Walnut Creek Aquanuts (Calif.) will look to repeat as Speedo Junior champions. The Aquanuts tabbed the 2003 title by placing first in the duet and team competitions behind the efforts of Kate Hooven and Becky Kim who are now swimming in college at Ohio State University. The Riverside Aquettes took top honors in solo and trio.

Walnut Creek is led this year by national teamers, Annebelle Orme and Erin Bell. Orme finished sixth in the solo event at the 2003 Speedo Juniors. She will be challenged by Christina Jones of Santa Clara, who is coming off a second place finish at the German Open in Bonn, Germany earlier this month. Jones and teammate Jessica McMahon also tabbed sixth in the duet competition at that same event.

The team event could bring an exciting finish. Walnut Creek, Riverside, Santa Clara (Calif.), Seattle (Wash.) were all finalists last year. The Cincinnati Synchrogators and Indy Synchro (Ind.) may also reach finals. The Synchrogators took top honors in team at the 2003 Esynchro Age Group Championship while, Indy finished fourth.

The Speedo Junior Championships is hosted by the Central Florida Sports Commission and the Orlando Loreleis Synchro Club.

"It's always exciting to welcome a high profile junior competition to our community," says John P. Saboor, Executive Director of the Central Florida Sports Commission. "We look forward to showcasing both Lake County and the USA Triathlon National Training Center to yet another organization within the Olympic family."

Florida is home to 1996 Olympic gold medalist Tammy Cleland-McGregor. She is head coach of the Walnut Creek Aquanuts and also the 2004 Junior National Team. McGregor hails from Sanford, Fla. and swam for the Orlando Loreleis.

Top routines will advance to the U.S. National Championships, April 28 - May 1 in Stanford, Calif., while top athletes will progress to the final phase of the Junior Team Trials to determine the U.S. Junior National Team, held in San Jose, Calif., May 14-16. The U.S. Junior National Team is slated to compete at the FINA Junior World Championships, July 21-25 in Moscow, Russia.