By Delaney Lanker, Swimming World College Intern
The 2016 Pleasant Prairie Speedo Sectionals began this evening in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin.The Lake Forest Swim Club is the host of the meet. This four day long course meters meet is a great opportunity for many swimmers to bets their times and qualify for Olympic trials.
This afternoon, the men’s and women’s 800 freestyle was swam. It was a finals only event. There were 41 women’s entires and only 22 men’s entries.
In the women’s 800 free Iowa Flyers Swim Club’s Ruby Martin, 16, won the event. She bested her seed time, touching the wall with a 8:47.38. This is an Olympic trials qualifying time. Kirsten Jacobsen, 18, of Barrington Swim Club finished in second place with a 8:51.72. Her teammate Magdalena Emary, 16, came in third place going a 8:54.52 for the bronze medal.
First place seed going into the event was Wave Bloomington’s Melissa Pish, 16, she came in fourth place tonight with a 8:59.48, this was over sixteen seconds slower than her entry time.
In the men’s 800 freestyle Joseph Turk, 18, of Phoenix Swimming won the event. He bested his entry time and went a 8:38.04. This is a Futures Championship qualifying time. Chicago Wolfpack’s Jacob Furlong came in second place with the time of 8:40.71. Barrington Swim Club’s Mitchell Gavars was the bronze medal finisher with the time of 8:42.58. Gavars was the top seed going into the meet, but added over twelve seconds to his entry time tonight.
The meet will continue tomorrow. Prelims begin at 9 am (Ct) tomorrow and finals begin at 6 pm (CT). The men’s and women’s 100 back, 100 breast, 200 free, 100 fly, 200 IM and 800 freestyle relay will be swam.
Full results available on Meet Mobile.
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