Long Beach native and world record-holder Jessica Hardy and World Championship medalist Dana Vollmer (Granbury, Texas) will also swim at the meet. Other National Team swimmers expected to compete in Long Beach include Fullerton Aquatic Swim Team members Margaret Hoelzer (Huntsville, Ala.), Katie Hoff (Towson, Md.), Ariana Kukors (Auburn, Wash.), Caroline Burckle (Louisville, Ky.), and Robert Margalis (St. Petersburg, Fla.).
Mission Viejo swimmers Chloe Sutton and Deni Cullom as well as National teamers Alex Vanderkaay (Rochester, Mich.), Felicia Lee (Wayne, N.J.), Ben Hesen (Jeffersonville, Ind.), Elizabeth Pelton (Baltimore, Md.), and Andie Taylor (Issaquah, Wash.) will also join the star-studded lineup in Long Beach.
The USA Swimming Grand Prix Series serves as an opportunity for swimmers to race against some of the best competition in the country as they continue their preparation for the 2010 ConocoPhillips National Championships (3 Aug) and the 2010 Pan Pacific Championships (18 Aug), both taking place in Irvine, CA. Other stops in the Grand Prix series include: Columbia, MO (12 Feb); Austin, TX (4 Mar); Columbus, OH (1 Apr); Charlotte, NC (13 May); Santa Clara, CA (17 Jun); and Los Angeles, CA (8 Jul).
Tickets for the 2010 Southern California Grand Prix of Swimming are $7 per session. An all-session pass is available for $30. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Finals start at 5 p.m., Friday through Sunday and at 4 p.m. on Monday. Prelims begin at 9 a.m., Saturday through Monday and at 5 p.m. on Friday. A full meet time line and a meet psych sheet are available from SoCal Swimming on-line.
A leaderboard can be found online at www.usaswimming.org. Race footage from the Grand Prix meet will be broadcast online on www.swimnetwork.com.
