Kropp, Seo lead locals at L.A. Grand Prix

GLENDALE — One of the highlights of the summer swimming season, the Los Angeles Grand Prix attracted athletes from high school to college and beyond to McDonald’s Swim Stadium at the University of Southern California Thursday through Sunday.

Included in that group were some of the best local talent, such as current high school standout Young Tae Seo of Crescenta Valley High, former prep stars and current collegiate swimmers Yumi So and Sara Sun, both former Falcons, and those in between stages, such as recent Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy graduate Andrea Kropp.

Kropp and Seo, who each won CIF individual titles for their respective schools in May, provided the top local highlights of the weekend by reaching championship finals in one event each.

The Princeton University-bound Kropp’s time of 2 minutes 29.98 seconds in the 200-meter breaststroke on Saturday was good for fourth place overall and she capped the meet off by placing fourth (12th overall) in the A consolation final of the 100 breaststroke in 1:11.21 on Sunday evening.

Kropp, who competes for Rattler Swim Club, also finished second (10th overall) in the 400-individual medley A consolation final in 4:50.98 on Friday.

Seo, whose CIF heroics as a freshman helped the Falcons finish runner-up in Division II this season, enjoyed his best day of the Grand Prix on Saturday, as well, taking seventh in the 400-individual medley in 4:30.71, while also finishing fifth (21st overall) in the B consolation final of the 200 breaststroke in 2:23.90. On Friday, he was sixth (14th overall) in the 200 butterfly A consolation final in 2:04.52 and reached the B consolation final of the 200-individual medley on Sunday, where he was second (18th overall) in 2:07.79.

So, who just completed her freshman season at USC, made her only finals appearance on Sunday, taking seventh (15th overall) in the 100 butterfly A consolation final in 1:01.11.

So and Seo both competed in relay events for Swim Pasadena.

The relay highlight for Seo was a third-place finish along with William Cobau, Keisuke Yagi and Titiyut Nuntapramote in the 400-medley relay in 3:58.48 on Sunday. Seo, Sam Jardine, David Jakl and Cobau finished 19th in the 400-freestyle relay in 3:42.49 on Friday and Seo teamed with the same trio to place 11th in the 800-freestyle relay in 8:05.50 on Saturday.

On Saturday, So, Victoria Lepesant, Elyssa Pedote and Kathryn Campbell placed 10th in the 800-freestyle relay in 8:47.01 and the next day So teamed with Berklie Oscarson, Isabella Schamber and Campbell to place 13th in the 400-medley relay in 4:31.33.

Sun, a 2007 Crescenta Valley graduate who attends UC Berkeley, competed in several individual events for California Aquatics, but had most of her success in relay events.

She finished second in the 800-freestyle relay along with Erica Dagg, Dana Vollmer and Katherine Raatz in 8:22.69 on Saturday and teamed with Raatz, Amanda Sims and Colleen Fotsch to place fourth in the 400-freestyle relay in 3:55.34 on Friday.

Sun did not advance out of the prelims in the 100-, 400- and 800 freestyle.

Swim Pasadena’s Madeline Talt, a 2010 Sacred Heart graduate, finished 35th in the 1,500 freestyle in 18:17.26.