By Delaney Lanker, Swimming World College Intern
The Austin Speedo Sectional Championships began today at the University of Texas. The men’s and women’s 100 free, 200 breast, 200 back and 200 fly were swam.
In the women’s 100 freestyle, Fort Collins’ Zoe Bartel won the event with a 57.85. Taking the silver was Denver Swim Academy’s Lindsay Painton with a 58.22 and finishing in third place was Rally Sport Aquatic’s Josie Valette with a 58.70.
Daniel Carr, unattached, took the gold medal in the men’s 100 free with a 51.55. In a close second and third place was Christopher Nicholson of Rally Sport Aquatics touching in at a 51.68 and Jacob Huerta of Costal Bend (51.81).
The top two swimmers in the women’s 200 breast qualified for Olympic trials. Unattached, Stina Colleou won the event with a 2:29.98 and for her second top three finish on the night was Bartel of Fort Collins. Bartel’s teammate Bailey Kovac touched the wall third with a 2:35.88.
Arizona Gold’s Ty Dang took gold in the men’s 200 breast. He finished in the time of 2:17.16, which is an Olympic qualifying time standard. His teammate Antonio Ramirez came in second place with a 2:19.55 and in third was Austin Smith of Altitude Performance Swimming (2:20.69).
In the women’s 200 back, Gold Medal Swim Club’s Taylor McCoy came in first place with an Olympic trials cut of 2:15.85. Denver Hilltoppers’ Haley Rowley took the silver with a 2:16.53, also an Olympic trials qualifying time. Kovac from Fort Collins took her second bronze medal of the night with a 2:16.94.
For his second gold of the night, Carr, unattached, won the men’s 200 back with a 2:01.74 and an Olympic trials cut. Tucson J Stingray’s Brooks Fail came in second place with a 2:06.30 and in a close third place was Kaleb Gould of Scottsdale Aquatic Club with a 2:06.95.
With a 2:14.99, Eleanor Matheson of Flatiron Athletic Club, not only won the event, but got the Olympic trials cut to the hundredth of the second. Kelly Huffer of Scottsdale Aquatics took the silver with a 2:15.40 and Fort Collin’s Coleen Gillilan took the bronze with a 2:17.45.
Mark Jurek of Arizona Gold won the men’s 200 fly with a 2:02.47. His teammate Seth Chun came in with a 2:05.30 for second and the bronze went to Bradley Jackson of Flatiron Athletics Club (2:07.68).
Full results available on Meet Mobile.
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