This is gold. Matters little if the coach has no pull, and the places they do will be competitive for that coach’s endorsement. Delicate balance. Obviously the best scenario is one where they can get in without it, but the kinds of schools you’re looking at are highly rejective, so every little bit helps. Second the idea of looking up the conference best times, though the conference meet times aren’t a bad idea in my opinion, tactical implications notwithstanding.
We’ve got some good rising Juniors on this board! Good luck.