Day 1 of the 2019 Speedo Sectionals Minneapolis brewed up a competitive storm. The meet will take place at the University of Minnesota’s Jean K. Freeman Aquatics Center on July 18th-21st. There was a dash of brotherly love, a spice of age-experience, and a whole batch of fast swims from Wisconsin Aquatics on the first day. The first day brought fast times and wins by 16 year olds, as well as 28 year olds.
Wisconsin Aquatics seems like they know the recipe for success and lead the meet after day one of swimming with 281 points. Illinois Club’s Barrington Swim Club at 92.5 points and Fox Valley Swim Team at 74 points come in second and third.
The Speedo Sectionals Minneapolis live results and webcast can be found on the meets home page.
Women’s 800m Free
Rachel Stege of Fox Valley showcases her young energy at 16 years old and wins the Women’s 800 freestyle at 8:48.32. Abbey Erwin (8:55.07) and Maggie Graves (8:58.92) slides under 9 minutes to finish second and third.
Lillian Reader touches fourth with a time of 9:00.98 and Magadalena Emary comes in fifth at (9:02.40). Claudia Chang (9:03.28), Jane Smith (9:04.76), and Emily Bucaro (9:04.79) round out the top 8 for the women.
1 Stege, Rachel 16 Fox Valley Swim- 8:51.79 8:48.32 2 Erwin, Abbey 20 Univ Minnesota-M 8:52.69 8:55.07 3 Graves, Maggie 15 Barrington Swim- 8:58.30 8:58.92 4 Reader, Lilian 14 Barrington Swim- 9:10.79 9:00.98 5 Emary, Magdalena 19 Barrington Swim- 8:58.45 9:02.40 6 Chang, Claudia 16 Aquajets Swim Te 9:02.90 9:03.28 7 Smith, Jane 17 Barrington Swim- 9:03.50 9:04.76 8 Bucaro, Emily 15 Barrington Swim- 9:11.04 9:04.79
Men’s 800m Free
Dylan Moffatt was the first men winner of the weekend cruising into first with a time of 8:16.24. Matthew Hillmer was a close two seconds behind him at 8:18.57. Cameron Kelley at 8:22.02, Ryan Netzel at 8:23.94 and Graham Miotke at 8:24.32 battled the race out to the finish.
Robert Niemann swam into sixth at 8:27.63 and Timothy Rizzo placed seventh at 8:32.93. A teammate of the Women 800 Freestyle winner, Lucas Conrads of Fox Valley concludes the top 8 at 8:37.03
1 Moffatt, Dylan 17 Linn-Mar Swim Te 8:29.68 8:16.24 2 Hillmer, Matthew 19 Wisconsin Aquati 8:27.48 8:18.57 3 Kelley, Cameron 20 Linn-Mar Swim Te 8:28.70 8:22.02 4 Netzel, Ryan 19 Wyoming Aquatics 9:25.82Y 8:23.94 5 Miotke, Graham 18 Wisconsin Aquati 8:40.40 8:24.32 6 Niemann, Robert 19 Wisconsin Aquati 8:30.49 8:27.63 7 Rizzo, Timothy 18 Riptide-MN 8:31.91 8:32.93 8 Conrads, Lucas 16 Fox Valley Swim- 8:37.62 8:37.03
Women’s 100m Freestyle
The sprinters set a competitive tone for the rest of Minneapolis Speedo Sectionals, with two girls breaking 56 seconds in the 100 free. 16 year-old Grace Cooper from delta aquatics slammed the wall first with a time of 55.76. Only eight hundredths behind, Elizabeth Nelson squeezed below 56 with a time of 55.84.
Hannah Burvill of Iowa Hawkeyes Swim Club kept it cool with a low 56 (56.19), while Lillie Hosak (56.65), and Mckenna Stone (56.85) followed with 56’s. Alana Palmer (57.08), Reily Tiltmann (57.28) and Pyper Doo (57.44) rounded out the A final with 57’s.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
The Men’s 100 free was a tight race across the field at this Speedo Sectionals, counting no lane out of the potential to win. Lane 5’s Wisconsin Aquatics Matthew Novinski clutched a 50.98 to take the event. Mizzou’s Jack Dahlgreen took the runner up with a time of 51.18
Outside smoke Stjepan Fiolic (51.24) made it to third, followed by Connor Boyle (51.24), Joseph Myhre (51.70), and Michael Linnihan (51.94). Fellow Wisconsin Badger swimmers, Kevin Braun (52.03), and Griffin Back (52.22), came next with low 52’s.
1 Novinski, Matthew 20 Wisconsin Aquati 51.04 50.98 2 Dahlgren, Jack 19 U. of Missouri-M 51.29 51.18 3 Fiolic, Stjepan 22 Hawkeye Swim Clu 52.21 51.24 4 Boyle, Connor 16 Fox Valley Swim- 50.75 51.42 5 Myhre, Joseph 21 Hawkeye Swim Clu 51.82 51.70 6 Linnihan, Michael 17 Elmbrook Swim Cl 51.87 51.94 7 Braun, Kevin 21 Wisconsin Aquati 52.00 52.03 8 Back, Griffin 21 Wisconsin Aquati 52.25 52.22
Women’s 200m Breaststroke
Chippewa Valley’s Lily Borgenheimer took the lead at the 100, and kept the lead to the finish with a winning time of 2:36.58. Vanessa Herrmann at 2:36.69 and Sylvia Kobylak put up a good fight to touch second and third.
Jenna Silvestri at 2:37.76, Jordyn Wentzel at 2:38.03, and Callahan Dunn at 2:38.81 touched in the middle of the pack, only seconds behind the winning time. 18 & Under swimmers at this Speedo Sectionals Minneapolis Brigid Gwidt touched at 2:39.51 and Mallory Jump at 2:40.58 respectively.
1 Borgenheimer, Lily 20 Chippewa Valley- 2:34.06 2:36.58 2 Herrmann, Vanessa 19 AquaStorm-ND 2:36.36 2:36.69 3 Kobylak, Sylvia 17 West Swim Club-I 2:35.69 2:37.65 4 Silvestri, Jenna 18 Wisconsin Aquati 2:37.23 2:37.76 5 Wentzel, Jordyn 18 Aquajets Swim Te 2:40.63 2:38.03 6 Dunn, Callahan 17 Una Hsc-IL 2:38.17 2:38.81 7 Gwidt, Brigid 16 Ozaukee Aquatics 2:39.41 2:39.51 8 Jump, Mallory 18 St Charles Swim- 2:40.89 2:40.58
Men’s 200m Breaststroke
The McHugh brothers demonstrated pure brotherly competition while crushing the field taking first and second of the Men’s 200 Breaststroke. 19 year-old Maxwell McHugh used the home pool advantage and touched at 2:14.00. Mchugh also qualified for the Olympic Trials with his 2:14.00 time. Three years older than Maxwell, Connor McHugh touched shortly after him with a time of 2:15.17
Coming in a time with 2:17.18 was Caleb Aman, followed by Hayden Zheng (2:18.65), and Mitchell Hovis (2:18.97). Sixth place was Evan Yoder (2:19.450, with Benjamin Attenberger (2:20.67), and Eli Fouts (2:25.76) finishing out the final heat.
1 McHugh, Maxwell 19 Univ Minnesota-M 2:14.27 2:14.00 2 McHugh, Conner 23 Una Uofm-MN 2:16.81 2:15.17 3 Aman, Caleb 19 Wisconsin Aquati 2:17.14 2:17.21 4 Zheng, Hayden 16 Aquajets Swim Te 2:22.11 2:18.65 5 Hovis, Mitchell 20 Wyoming Aquatics 2:19.99 2:18.97 6 Yoder, Evan 20 Univ Minnesota-M 2:18.36 2:19.45 7 Attenberger, Benjamin 20 Wisconsin Aquati 2:20.25 2:20.67 8 Fouts, Eli 19 Wisconsin Aquati 2:23.00 2:25.76
Women’s 200m Butterfly
28 year-old, 2009 Kenyon Graduate, Hannah Saiz made a statement in the 200 fly this evening. Saiz won the event with a time of 2:13.59. 19 year old Ruby Martin took second (2:14.43), while Madison Waechter (2:16.82) took third.
In fourth place, Brecken Merkel at 2:17.30, fifth went to Kaylen Schoof at 2:18.25, and sixth was Winter Craig at 2:19.06
Anna Feng and Alexandra Reddington battled it out for seventh place going times of 2:20.33 and 2:20.59 respectively.
1 Saiz, Hannah 28 Schroeder YMCA S 2:13.15 2:13.59 2 Martin, Ruby 19 Unattached-AZ 2:14.23 2:14.43 3 Waechter, Madison 20 Wisconsin Aquati 2:17.30 2:16.82 4 Merkel, Brecken 16 Edina Swim Club- 2:16.89 2:17.30 5 Schoof, Kaylyn 17 Elmbrook Swim Cl 2:18.25 2:18.25 6 Craig, Winter 17 Riptide-MN 2:18.33 2:19.06 7 Feng, Anna 18 Crimson Aquatics 2:18.59 2:20.33 8 Reddington, Alexandra 20 Wisconsin Aquati 2:16.91 2:20.59
Men’s 200m Butterfly
Wisconsin Aquatics Men take a second win of the night, with Joseph Millinovich flying into the wall first with a time of 2:02.60. From the Ywca Flying Fish, Matthew Gibson was not too far behind with a time of 2:03.71.
Fellow Wisconsin Aquatic swimmer Frank Niziolek takes third at 2:04.75. Niziolek was followed by Luke Hutchinson at 2:05.27, Jeffrey Vitek at 2:05.33, and Griffin O’Leary at 2:05.71. 17 year old’s Aayush Deshpande of Fox Valley and Kaiser Neverman of Green Bay YMCA finish with 2:06.15 and 2:08.61 respectively.
1 Milinovich, Joseph 21 Wisconsin Aquati 2:04.19 2:02.60 2 Gibson, Matthew 15 Ywca Flying Fish 2:04.31 2:03.71 3 Niziolek, Frank 19 Wisconsin Aquati 2:03.59 2:04.75 4 Hutchinson, Luke 21 Uic Aquatics-IL 2:05.49 2:05.27 5 Vitek, Jeffrey 19 West Swim Club-I 2:04.72 2:05.33 6 O'Leary, Griffin 15 Barrington Swim- 2:06.74 2:05.71 7 Deshpande, Aayush 17 Fox Valley Swim- 2:04.54 2:06.15 8 Neverman, Kaiser 17 Green Bay YMCA-W 2:07.74 2:08.61
Day Two of Speedo Sectionals Minneapolis will bring the 200 freestyle, the 400 Individual Medley, the 100 Backstroke and the 400 Freestyle Relay. Prelims will begin promptly at 9 a.m. CT and finals will begin at 6 p.m. To compare Minneapolis Speedo Sectionals to others, check out sites at Gainsville and Greensboro.
