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If Teagan O’Dell’s recent performance at a club meet in Texas is an indication, the Santa Margarita swimmer is headed toward another huge season this spring.
Racing last month for the Mission Viejo Nadadores at the West Speedo Winter Juniors, O’Dell posted several strong times including a winning touch in the 200-yard individual medley faster than her national high school record from 2023.
O’Dell won the race in 1 minute, 52.61 seconds, about three-quarters of a seconds faster than her still-standing national high school record of 1:53.38.
The Cal-bound senior also captured the 200 freestyle (1:42.46) and 100 backstroke (50.70) under Orange County record times and led off the sprint relay with a 50 free split (22.14) that dipped under her county record.
O’Dell, The Register’s three-time O.C. female swimmer of the year, led off the 800 free relay with a 200 free split of 1:42.27.
In the 400 free relay, she blasted a 47.74 leadoff that that would have shattered her county-record of 48.37.
Orange County high school records need to be set during the high school season.
The Mission Viejo Nadadores and Irvine Novaquatics placed fifth and seventh, respectively, in the women’s standings.
Bianca Nwaizu of the Novaquatics placed third in the 100 breast in 59.73, which would have tied O’Dell’s county record from 2023.
On the boys side, the Irvine Novaquatics placed third.
The Novaquatics were led by Northwood’s Derek Hitchens, whose fourth-place finish in the 100 free (43.73) was under Olympian Derya Buyukuncu’s county record (43.85) for Woodbridge in 1994.
Please send swimming news to Dan Albano at [email protected] or @ocvarsityguy
