Minnesota Grand Prix returns for 2009

Want a chance to get your young swimmers in front of the names that make up their sport of choice?


Some of the best of the USA National Swimming Team converge on the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center for three days of competition November 13 -15. For the National team members it is the first step in accumulating points toward the $20,000 grand prize. For other swimmers, it is a chance to do their thing and see how they stack up. They come from Washington State to Connecticut, from California to Florida, essentially all four corners of the United States. You can see former and future Olympians, teenagers and adults all appearing here in Minnesota. They are starting their preparations for the ConocoPhillips National Championships and the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships both scheduled for next August.


This is a chance to bring out your young swimmers and let them connect with the names and celebrities from the sport of their choice. You get get up close and get autographs from many of the current and future stars. Top U.S. swimmers, including Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Soni (Plainsboro, N.J.) and World Championship silver medalist Tyler Clary (Riverside, Calif.), will be here. In addition to Soni and Clary, the field in Minneapolis will be headlined by U.S. Olympians Kate Ziegler (Great Falls, Va.) and Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo, Calif.) and Bulgarian Olympian Mike Alexandrov. Minnesota native and Paralympic record-holder Mallory Weggemann (Eagan, Minn.) and U.S. National Team members Christine Jennings (Longmont, Colo.) and Ashley Steenvoorden (East Brunswick, N.J. & The University of MN) will also compete in the event.


The psyc sheet gives an indication of the blazing times that will be displayed this weekend. Here are the events (less relays) with the top seeds and their times. Along with a few familar names. Most of the events have anywhere from 70 to 120 entries, all seeded at times faster than any swimmer you have ever seen.


Event 1 Women 1000 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Ziegler, Kate M 21 The Fish-PV 9:18.35

2 Sutton, Chloe E 17 Mission Viejo Nadadores-CA 9:33.11

3 Brandon, Bonnie D 15 Mission Aurora C-CO 9:45.47


4 Steenvoorden, Ashley N 19 University of Minnesota-MN 9:50.29

5 Brandon, Loren E 18 University of Minnesota-MN 9:58.79

6 Tommerdahl, Lissa M 19 University of Minnesota-MN 10:05.23


Event 2 Men 1000 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Koucheravy, Thomas M 24 Trojan Swim Club-CA 9:02.03

2 Daniec, Jan J 17 Mission Viejo Nadadores-CA 9:07.05

3 Cullom, Charles D 18 Mission Viejo Nadadores-CA 9:12.63



Event 3 Women 100 Yard Breaststroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Soni, Rebecca I 22 Trojan Swim Club-CA 58.10

2 Clark, Corrie L 27 Suburban Seahawks Club-MA 59.82

3 Freeman, Katlin N 22 Santa Barbara Aquatics Club-CA 1:00.48

4 Tyler, Jillian D 21 University of Minnesota-MN 1:01.10



Event 4 Men 100 Yard Breaststroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Alexandrov, Mihail P 24 Unattached FORD-AZ 51.80 *

2 Mahoney, Sean R 21 Unattached CAL-PC 52.07

3 Lowe, Matthew T 24 Longhorn Aquatics-ST 53.18



Event 5 Women 200 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Ziegler, Kate M 21 The Fish-PV 1:44.78

2 Erndl, Erika A 31 Swim Florida-FL 1:44.87

3 Jennings, Christine E 22 Unattached-MN 1:47.60

4 Sutton, Chloe E 17 Mission Viejo Nadadores-CA 1:47.72

47 Staats, Abigail E 18 University of Minnesota-MN 1:56.55



Event 6 Men 200 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Clary, Scott T 20 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 1:33.10

2 Klueh, Michael P 22 Longhorn Aquatics-ST 1:33.25

3 Madwed, Daniel L 20 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 1:33.66

35 Papenfuss, Matt J 19 University of Minnesota-MN 1:42.38



Event 7 Women 100 Yard Butterfly

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Ahlin, Michaela M 22 Washington State University-IE 53.40

2 Bechtel, Christina G 16 Excel Aquatics-SE 54.61

3 Whitaker, Talor A 21 Washington State University-IE 55.19

4 Ogden, Julie R 17 Lawrence Swim Team-IN 55.39

5 Jamison, Kaylee R 20 University of Minnesota-MN 55.55



Event 8 Men 100 Yard Butterfly

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Brady, Christopher D 21 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 45.24

2 Dunford, Jason E 22 Unattached-PC 45.43

3 Mandel, Alon 21 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 46.70



Event 9 Women 200 Yard IM

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Clark, Corrie L 27 Suburban Seahawks Club-MA 1:57.80

2 Proud, Stephanie M 21 Unattached GSC-FL 1:58.65

3 Soni, Rebecca I 22 Trojan Swim Club-CA 1:58.78



Event 10 Men 200 Yard IM

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Ally, Bradley K 22 Unattached GSC-FL 1:40.49

2 Clary, Scott T 20 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 1:41.67

3 Schultz, Andre 21 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 1:42.69



Event 13 Women 400 Yard IM

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Proud, Stephanie M 21 Unattached GSC-FL 4:07.00

2 Soni, Rebecca I 22 Trojan Swim Club-CA 4:15.45

3 Ahlin, Michaela M 22 Washington State University-IE 4:17.23



Event 14 Men 400 Yard IM

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Clary, Scott T 20 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 3:35.98

2 Ally, Bradley K 22 Unattached GSC-FL 3:38.20

3 Schultz, Andre 21 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 3:42.29

4 Clark, Ian R 25 Suburban Seahawks Club-MA 3:48.63



Event 15 Women 50 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Mileisyte, Rugile 21 Washington State University-IE 22.45

2 Erndl, Erika A 31 Swim Florida-FL 22.70

3 Brandon, Bonnie D 15 Mission Aurora C-CO 23.47

4 Bagan, Tori G 17 SWAC Swim Team-IN 23.48

5 Ziegler, Kate M 21 The Fish-PV 23.48

21 Staats, Abigail E 18 University of Minnesota-MN 24.32



Event 16 Men 50 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Copeland, William F 23 California Aquatics-PC 19.05

2 Dunford, Jason E 22 Unattached-PC 19.09

3 Clark, Bennett G 23 California Aquatics-PC 19.44

34 Papenfuss, Matt J 19 University of Minnesota-MN 21.79



Event 17 Women 200 Yard Breaststroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Soni, Rebecca I 22 Trojan Swim Club-CA 2:04.75

2 Freeman, Katlin N 22 Santa Barbara Aquatics Club-CA 2:08.50

3 Clark, Corrie L 27 Suburban Seahawks Club-MA 2:10.61



Event 18 Men 200 Yard Breaststroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Alexandrov, Mihail P 24 Unattached FORD-AZ 1:51.96 *

2 Mahoney, Sean R 21 Unattached CAL-PC 1:51.96

3 Lowe, Matthew T 24 Longhorn Aquatics-ST 1:56.21



Event 19 Women 100 Yard Backstroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Proud, Stephanie M 21 Unattached GSC-FL 54.36

2 Brandon, Bonnie D 15 Mission Aurora C-CO 54.77

3 Mileisyte, Rugile 21 Washington State University-IE 54.88



Event 20 Men 100 Yard Backstroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Russell, David P 23 California Aquatics-PC 45.30

2 Tullius, Rexford C 22 Unattached GSC-FL 45.82

3 Mandel, Alon 21 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 46.47



Event 21 Women 500 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Ziegler, Kate M 21 The Fish-PV 4:32.71

2 Sutton, Chloe E 17 Mission Viejo Nadadores-CA 4:41.69

3 Jennings, Christine E 22 Unattached-MN 4:41.98

7 Steenvoorden, Ashley N 19 University of Minnesota-MN 4:53.01

8 Steenvoorden, Kristen M 19 University of Minnesota-MN 4:53.32

12 Brandon, Loren E 18 University of Minnesota-MN 4:56.03

35 Weggemann, Mallory E 20 Twin Cities Swim Team-MN 6:54.19



Event 22 Men 500 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Klueh, Michael P 22 Longhorn Aquatics-ST 4:09.32

2 Clary, Scott T 20 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 4:14.66

3 Houchin, Charles G 22 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 4:17.72

57 Papenfuss, Matt J 19 University of Minnesota-MN 4:46.77



Event 25 Women 1650 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Steenvoorden, Ashley N 19 University of Minnesota-MN 15:55.21

2 Sutton, Chloe E 17 Mission Viejo Nadadores-CA 15:56.97

3 Brandon, Bonnie D 15 Mission Aurora C-CO 16:11.62

4 Jennings, Christine E 22 Unattached-MN 16:16.69

5 Brandon, Loren E 18 University of Minnesota-MN 16:39.01

6 Tommerdahl, Lissa M 19 University of Minnesota-MN 16:40.00

7 Steenvoorden, Kristen M 19 University of Minnesota-MN 16:45.32



Event 26 Women 200 Yard Backstroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Proud, Stephanie M 21 Unattached GSC-FL 1:51.81

2 Brandon, Bonnie D 15 Mission Aurora C-CO 1:54.79

3 Anton, Katharine P 16 Cedar Rapids Aquatic-IA 1:59.04



Event 27 Men 200 Yard Backstroke

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Clary, Scott T 20 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 1:37.58

2 Tullius, Rexford C 22 Unattached GSC-FL 1:39.88

3 Schirk, Patrick C 22 Unattached-MA 1:40.22



Event 28 Women 100 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Erndl, Erika A 31 Swim Florida-FL 49.07

2 Mileisyte, Rugile 21 Washington State University-IE 49.81

3 Ziegler, Kate M 21 The Fish-PV 50.45

6 Caflisch, Erin L 18 Unattached-MN 50.91

26 Staats, Abigail E 18 University of Minnesota-MN 52.87



Event 29 Men 100 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Copeland, William F 23 California Aquatics-PC 41.75

2 Clark, Bennett G 23 California Aquatics-PC 42.78

3 Dunford, Jason E 22 Unattached-PC 42.79

29 Papenfuss, Matt J 19 University of Minnesota-MN 47.03



Event 30 Women 200 Yard Butterfly

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Ahlin, Michaela M 22 Washington State University-IE 1:56.46

2 Belk, Molly E 20 University of Minnesota-MN 2:02.69

3 Bechtel, Christina G 16 Excel Aquatics-SE 2:02.77



Event 31 Men 200 Yard Butterfly

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Ally, Bradley K 22 Unattached GSC-FL 1:42.56

2 Madwed, Daniel L 20 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 1:43.96

3 Dunford, Jason E 22 Unattached-PC 1:46.09



Event 32 Men 1650 Yard Freestyle

Name Age Team Seed Time

1 Klueh, Michael P 22 Longhorn Aquatics-ST 14:34.96

2 DeJong, Adam J 21 Univ. Of Michigan Swim Team-MI 15:07.16

3 Daniec, Jan J 17 Mission Viejo Nadadores-CA 15:19.02