Ashley Steenvoorden triumphs Women’s 400m freestyle title – ConocoPhillips National Championships
Ashley Steenvoorden of Minnesota Aquatics won the title of Women’s 400m freestyle swim on the first day of the 2011 ConocoPhillips National Championships on Tuesday, August 2, in Palo Alto, California, at the Stanford University’s Avery
Aquatic Centre.
The 20-year-old Steenvoorden dominated the medium distance freestyle swim, by submitting an extraordinary effort of 4 minutes and 07.63 seconds. With her impeccable effort, she remained 0.91 seconds ahead of her strongest competitor, Chloe Sutton of Mission
Viejo Na, who submitted a second fastest time of 4 minutes and 08.52 seconds.
The 19-year-old Sutton was 0.73 seconds ahead of her following swimmer, Elizabeth Beisel of Bluefish Swim Club, who reached the podium for the bronze medal, by posting a time of 4 minutes and 09.25 seconds.
Steenvoorden impressed the arena with her immaculate swim, as she overwhelmed the efforts of two renowned players, Sutton and Beisel. Sutton is the gold medallist of 400m event at the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships in Irvine, while Beisel won the title of
400m Individual Medley (IM) at the 2011 Shanghai World Championships. In addition, Beisel also clinched the title of Women’s 200m IM, earlier in this session.
Nonetheless, Beisel, was trailed by Allison Schmitt of North Baltimore, who failed to overcome her effort with a difference of 0.18 seconds, posting a fourth fastest time of 4 minutes and 09.43 seconds. She was followed by Gillian Ryan of Parkland Aquatic,
who remained only 0.08 seconds slower and clocked a fifth finest time of 4 minutes and 09.51 seconds.
Catherine Breed of Pleasanton Seahawks was the seventh best finisher of the eight-lap swim, as she was just 0.26 seconds behind her former swimmer and touched the finishing wall to produce a time of 4 minutes and 09.83 seconds. The eighth fastest spot was
secured by Haley Anderson of Trojan Swim Club, who displayed an effort of 4 minutes and 10.29 seconds.
In addition, the arena applauded the tremendous effort of all participants, while the winners received medals and accolades for their undisputed efforts after the completion of all events.
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