Aiden Hayes Swims 51.78 100 Fly at Missouri Sectionals; Charlotte Hook Goes 2:10 in 200 Fly in Cary
This weekend features Sectionals meets taking place across the United States, including in Cary, N.C., Cleveland, Columbia, Mo., and Gresham, Ore., and the first evening of finals features an impressive performance from Aiden Hayes, a rising sophomore at NC State and 2021’s Male High School Swimmer of the Year, in the 100 butterfly. Representing Sooner Swim Club at the Columbia meet, Hayes recorded a time of 51.78.
Hayes dropped about nine tenths of a second in one day as he entered with a mark of 52.67 before swimming 52.45 in prelims and then 51.78 at night. Hayes ranks seventh in the United States in the event this year behind Caeleb Dressel, Shaine Casas, Michael Andrew, Trenton Julian, Dare Rose and Luca Urlando.
Meanwhile, several of Hayes’ Wolfpack teammates were in action in Cary, including World Championships team member Katharine Berkoff. Berkoff placed third in the 50 free in 25.69 while North Carolina’s Grace Countie touched out NC State’s Kylee Alons, 25.34 to 25.37.
The highlight swim of Thursday evening in Cary belonged to Charlotte Hook of the host TAC Titans. Hook was the third-place finisher in the 200 fly at the U.S. Olympic Trials last year and again at April’s International Team Trials, and she took silver in the event at the Short Course World Championships in December. At this Sectionals meet, she checked in with a time of 2:10.64, about a second ahead of NC State’s Grace Sheble (2:11.66). Hook’s season-best time of 2:08.80 ranks 18th in the world for 2022, and her lifetime best sits at 2:07.92. Hook will be heading across the country to swim for Stanford in the fall.
SwimMAC Carolina’s Baylor Nelson, the B-final winner in the men’s 200 IM at the International Team Trials, won that event in Cary in 2:00.62, while other quick times came courtesy of NC State teammates Noah Henderson (50 free, 22.38) and Noah Bowers (200 fly, 1:57.89). Meanwhile, in Columbia, Missouri’s Jack Dahlgren went 1:49.36 to capture first place in the men’s 200 free.