Jr National Team Members Sarah Rodrigues, Kennedi Dobson Battle at Holiday Classic in NJ | SwimSwam

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

2024 Eastern Express Holiday Classic XXXVII (37)

• December 20-22, 2024
• Werblin Recreation Center, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Meet Results

Georgia commit Kennedi Dobson and Texas commit Sarah Rodrigues both put up a ton of best times in secondary events last weekend at the 37th Eastern Express Holiday Classic at Rutgers.

Dobson, most accomplished as a middle-distance freestyler, won the 500 free, one of her specialty races, in 4:38.65. That’s about 1.7 seconds shy of the time she went earlier in the month to win the title at the lightly-attended U.S. Open.

She won four races total at the U.S. Open – besides the 500, that included the 1650 free, 200 IM, and 200 free.

And while she won the 500 free at this meet, the more notable results were an expansion of her range, posting lifetime bests in five events.

Kennedi Dobson‘s New PBs at the Holiday Classic:

• 100 free – 48.92 (1st)
• 1000 free – 9:33.20 (1st)
• 100 back – 53.26 (2nd)
• 200 back – 1:53.82 (2nd)
• 100 fly – 54.75 (4th)

That time in the 1000 free, a nearly-eight second improvement over her previous lifetime best, moves her up to 19th place all-time in the 17-18 age group.

In spite of those lifetime bests, she only picked up three wins individually (100, 500, and 1000 free). That’s owed in part to her USA Swimming National Junior Team teammate Sarah Rodrigues, who won the 100 back (52.88), 200 back (1:53.41), and 200 fly (1:58.54).

They were both upended in the 100 fly by Chloe Kim of Scarlet Aquatics, a Princeton commit. Recruited as more of a distance swimmer/IM’er, Kim knocked over four seconds off her lifetime best to win that race in 53.48.

Kim also added best times in the 200 back (1:55.33) and 50 free on a relay leadoff leg (23.50).

The highlight on the boys’ side was 13-year-old Ethan Han very-nearly breaking a National Age Group Record.

He won three races in the 13-14 age group, in spite of being on the younger end of the age group, including new personal bests in the 500 free (4:40.10), 100 breast (58.59), and 200 breast (2:10.24). He has aged up since March, when he became the #5 swimmer all-time in this event in the 11-12 age group, and this time is a best time by a second-and-a-half and a new lifetime best.

Other Highlights

• 10-year-old Abby Fang from Whitewaters swam 1:01.43 in the 100 yard fly. That’s the best time nationally this season, improving her own nation-leader by seven-tenths of a second.
• Anna Molettiere won nine races in the 11-12 age group, including lifetime bests in seven events.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Jr National Team Members Sarah Rodrigues, Kennedi Dobson Battle at Holiday Classic in NJ