Incoming Seward High School senior Lydia Jacoby sped through her swimming semifinals on Monday after her fourth-seed finish in the qualifiers, advancing her to Tuesday night’s final meet for a chance at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
“We’re ecstatic, honestly,” her coach Solomon D’Amico said after the meet on Monday night in Omaha, Nebraska. He said NBC sports broadcasters remarked Jacoby was the “future of the breaststroke” after her performance on Monday.
Jacoby beat the national age group record for 17- to 18-year-olds in her semifinal race with a 1:05.71 time, putting her at third seed overall in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke heading into the finals on Tuesday.
Earlier on Monday in the qualifiers the 17-year-old took fourth seed overall, reaching the finish line first in her group with a time of 1:06.40.
Reach reporter Camille Botello at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com.
