Taylor Earns Second Gold At Junior National Swim Championships

Posted Aug 7, 2008 by Adam Adkins

Updated Aug 7, 2008 at 07:44 PM

Newsome High senior Jason Taylor on Thursday evening won his second gold medal at the 2008 Speedo Junior National Swimming Championships in Minneapolis, Minn., this time taking first in the 400 meter freestyle.

Taylor, swimming for the Brandon Sports and Aquatics Center, turned in a winning time of 3 minutes, 55.19 seconds at the University of Minnesota Aquatics Center, which was more than a second faster than runner-up Trevor Scheid (3:56.31).

Taylor claimed his first gold medal at the national meet Monday night in the 800 meter freestyle with a winning time of 8:07.77, which was nearly a second faster than that event’s runner-up.

Taylor, one of Hillsborough County’s top returning swimmers this season, won a Class 2A state title in the 100 meter butterfly as a junior, becoming the first Wolves swimmer to win an individual crown at the state meet.

Also, Tampa Prep senior Grace Fredlake, swimming for Tampa Bay Aquatics, took 16th in the 400 meter freestyle on Thursday. That finish came on the heels of Fredlake’s 10th-place finish in the 800 meter freestyle on Monday.