U.S. SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS : Parmenter’s Presence Felt in a Glimpse of the Future

Jennifer Parmenter of Granada Hills showed again Friday night why she is one of the rising stars of swimming.

Parmenter, 14, set a national 13-14 age-group record in the 200 individual medley final of the Phillips 66 National Swimming Championships at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center.

But she still had to take a back seat to the recent past.

Parmenter (2:17.00) finished behind Allison Wagner (2:15.99) and Summer Sanders (2:16.33), a two-time Olympic gold medalist attempting a comeback at age 22.

Parmenter, who won both individual medleys at the spring nationals, held the lead after 100 meters thanks to a strong backstroke leg. But Wagner overtook her in the breaststroke and Parmenter ran out of room on the freestyle leg.

Sanders’ second-place finish guaranteed her a spot in the Pan Pacific Championships next week in Atlanta. Parmenter had to wait two hours, until the final event was completed, before she learned she made the team.

“I was excited for this,” Parmenter said. “I wasn’t tired after the prelims and this is probably the best field I’ve ever competed against. I was ready.”

Buenaventura’s Rebecca Gilman came within a second of her first 1,500 freestyle final. Instead Gilman, 15, was the second-fastest qualifier not in the final.

But Gilman didn’t wilt. She caught Nicole Schrader in the final five meters to win the heat (16:47.18) and cut over two seconds off her best-ever time.

Gilman finished 11th.

Sarah Nichols of Conejo-Simi, swimming in the same heat, faded after the first 300 meters, finishing in 17:11.98.

Kristine Quance of Northridge missed her first final in four individual events but placed second in the consolation final of the 200 individual medley in 2:17.99.

Jason Stelle of Westlake Village qualified for his third consolation final in the 200 individual medley with an Olympic trial qualifying time of 2:06.45. Steele finished third in the consolation.

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