Gillilan going to Jr Nats!

Gillilan Qualifies For Junior National Swim Meet

November 16, 2008….Minneapolis, MN.

The long-term goal for Bradley Gillilan is to sign a scholarship to swim at a Division 1 University, and the latest stop in that quest was the USA-Swimming Grand Prix Series Swim Meet held at the University of Minnesota this past weekend. Gillilan’s short-term goal was to achieve a Junior National Qualifying Time Standard in the 1,650 Yard Freestyle, and he met that goal this weekend.

Gillilan, swimming for Excel Aquatics and a Junior at Lebanon High School, is the first swimmer from Lebanon to participate in a Grand Prix level meet.

Inspired by getting to watch first-hand Olympic Gold Medalist Ryan Lochte swim during the meet, Gillilan stepped up and had an outstanding meet. Gillilan added to his résumé with dynamic swims in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle, the 500 Yard Freestyle, and the 1,650 Yard Freestyle.

Sunday was the final day of competition and Gillilan took part in the longest race in pool-based swimming, the 1,650 Yard Freestyle, also called “The Mile”.

Bradley won his heat with a time drop of 16.20 seconds, turning a 16:12.75. The swim was good enough for an overall ranking of 10th in the event, and good for a NCSA Junior National Meet qualifying time standard.
The NCSA Junior National Meet will be held in Orlando, FL in March 2009.

“Bradley’s goal was to swim gain a Junior National Cut in the Meet in the 1,650 and he accomplished that,” Excel Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes noted. “He also beat several Division 1 college swimmers who were at the meet, and that always makes the college coaches sit up and notice when a high school aged swimmer does that.”

On Saturday afternoon, Gillilan dropped 3.25 seconds in the 500 Free while posting a personal best time of 4:46.59. Gillilan moved up from being seeded 54^t going into the meet in the 500, to a 29^t place finish.

Gillilan finished 13^th in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle with a personal best time of 9:47.56, a drop of 10.81 seconds, on Friday afternoon. His time in the event was a NCSA Junior National “Bonus” Qualifying Time Standard. Since he now has a standard cut in the Mile, the Bonus cut allows him to swim in the 1,000 at the meet as well.

Also on Friday Gillilan was a member of Excel’s 14^th Place Relay in the 800 Yard Freestyle Relay, helping Excel score an additional 6 points.

“Bradley will be back in the pool on Monday night, preparing for his next meet in 3 weeks”, Barnes explained. “We will do some long distance moderately paced swims as a way to wind down from this meet, and then on Tuesday we will start to focus on the events our squad will be swimming at the Excel Aquatics Meet of Champions the first weekend of December.”

For more information on swimming opportunities visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com.

Wilson County Swimmer Scores at Grand Prix Meet

Gillilan Places 13th in 1,000 Free at Grand Prix Swim Meet

November 14, 2008….Minneapolis, MN.

Lebanon’s Bradley Gillilan, competing for Excel Aquatics, placed 13th in the 1,000 Yard Freestyle at the USA Swimming Grand Prix Meet at the University of Minnesota. The 1,000 was swum on the first day of competition on Friday. The meet runs through Sunday.

Gillilan, a Junior at Lebanon High School was seeded 32^nd going into the event.

Gillilan turned a time of 4:51 in the first 500 of the 1,000 yard race, splitting just 2 seconds above his best 500 time, and returned in a 4:56 in the last 500, for a final time of 9:47.56

“Bradley dropped 11 seconds from his best time in the event”, Excel’s Assistant Coach John Barnes noted. “His seasonal goal is to turn a 9:39 and get a Junior National time cut, and he just took a large step towards achieving that goal.”

“When Bradley is aggressive in the first half of his swims he usually has great times, his training with Excel has given him the conditioning to be able to finish races if he gets out after it on the first half.”

Gillilan will swim the 500 Yard Freestyle on Saturday, and the 1,650 Yard Freestyle on Sunday.

For a link to the results from the Grand Prix Meet, visit www.ExcelAquatics.com.

Gillilan Going North

Gillilan to Compete at Grand Prix Swim Meet in Minnesota

November 9, 2008….Excel Aquatics’ Bradley Gillilan is heading north to Minneapolis, Minnesota this coming weekend for USA Swimming’s Grand Prix Meet.

This prestigious meet is only open to those who have achieved qualifying time cuts, and will be held Nov 14-16^th at the University of Minnesota’s Aquatics Center.

Gillilan, a Junior at Lebanon High School, achieved qualifying times in the 500 Yard Freestyle, 1000 Yard Freestyle, and 1650 Yard Freestyle. Gillilan will be the first swimmer from Lebanon to compete at the Grand Prix level in swimming.

“This meet is a step above USA Swimming’s Senior Sectional meets”, Excel Aquatics Assistant Coach and Lebanon resident John Barnes explained. “We have had some intense training for this meet, skipping another meet on our schedule in order to prepare for this one. If Bradley remains focused on his reason for being there, he will have a good meet.”

“This will be some great exposure for Bradley to college level coaches who will have some of their swimmers there. Olympic and National team members will be competing. As a result the exposure will work both ways. College coaches will be exposed to Bradley, and conversely, Bradley will be exposed to some of the top swimmers in the United States. He will see how they prepare for their swims, and witness the strategy they execute in their swims.”

“Training is only half the equation in swimming, if the coach is not teaching race strategy and the swimmer is not implementing that strategy, then the swimmer will not reach their potential. That combination of proper training and teaching of strategy is what makes Excel Aquatics so successful.”

Friendship Christian sophomore and Mount Juliet resident Luke Blackwell, also a member of Excel Aquatics, achieved qualifying times in the 1000 Freestyle and 1650 Freestyle for the Grand Prix Meet. Blackwell was unable to make the trip due to other obligations.

For more information about swimming, visit www.SwimWilsonCounty.com