Carson Tigersharks compete

Abby Niehoff was the youngest of the Carson Tigersharks competing at the Senior Championships Saturday, but the 11-year-old ended up as one of the most successful.

Niehoff qualified for the B finals in three events and placed in all three. She placed second in the 50 freestyle and 100 backstroke (10th overall) with times of 27.24 seconds and 1:08.10 in the respective races. She was also fifth in the B 500 freestyle final (5:44.53).

"It was really exciting to watch Abby race because she had her three best times this morning, and then in the finals, she had her best times in the 50 free and the backstroke," Tigersharks age group coach Jackie Boudreau said. "She was a little slower in the 500, that's probably her best event, but it was her third race in about half an hour, so she was tired.

"Abby and Garrett (Clayton) are my two youngest kids here and this morning I took them aside and told them they should take pride in being able to come out here and compete against the older swimmers and I thought they really stepped up."

Clayton, 12, turned a time of 1:12.83 to qualify for the C final of the 100 breaststroke.

Justin Barber went 10:02.68 to win the 1,000 freestyle and lead a contingent of Tigersharks in the event. Andrew Willett placed fourth (10:36.29), Kiel Costella fifth (10:38.10), Adrian Zeh eighth (11:04.98) and Jeff Stroup 15th (11:26.63).

Willett also placed fourth in the B final of the 200 freestyle (1:57.28).

Rebekah Niehoff placed fifth in the 500 freestyle 5:32.29. She also won the C final of the 100 backstroke (1:06.94).

Lauren Metcalf placed second in the B final (5:36.06), just three seconds ahead of teammate Barbara Perkins in third (5:39.95). Sarah Lillegard of the Douglas Dolfins took second in the C final (5:45.58) and Jessica Goddard of the Tigersharks was third (5:47.33).

Metcalf also logged a time of 4:57.43 in the 400 individual medley to complete a overall performance for the day.

"The 400 I.M. and 500 free, that's a tough double," Tigersharks head coach Jim Puleo said. "And the really impressive thing about Lauren is that she swam her best times in the morning and then came back in the finals and swam even faster."