Luke Ellis, Luka Mijatovic Take Home Mile NAGs at California Speedo Sectionals
Luke Ellis and Luka Mijatovic each lowered national age-group records this week at the California Winter Speedo Sectionals hosted by Golden West Swim Club.
Ellis won the final of the 1,650 free on Thursday night in 14:29.48. That time trims just shy of two seconds off the NAG set in the spring by Kentucky’s Levi Sandidge at 14:31.47 at the SEC Championships.
Second place went to Ellis’ Sandpipers teammate Gabriel Manteufel in 14:41.11. The 16-year-old was within four seconds of Liam Custer’s NAG. But a mark went down thanks to Mijatovic, the third-place finisher. The 14-year-old from Pleasanton Seahawks lowered his own NAG by more than 15 seconds, from 15:00.95 to a time of 14:45.79.
Ellis split 1:36.76 later in the opening night to help Sandpipers win the 800 free relay in 6:37.10.
Mijatovic added a win on Friday at the four-day meet at Golden West College in Huntington Beach. He started by taking home the 200 free in 1:36.30, edging out Manteufel by .34 seconds. He ended up third in the 400 individual medley, behind Sandpipers’ Dillon Wright (3:45.01) and Ellis (3:45.21). But Mijatovic’s time of 3:49.32 chopped two seconds off Thomas Heilman’s age-group record of 3:51.46 from 2022.
On the opening day of the meet, Claire Weinstein won the 1,000 free in 9:17.85. That’s her best time and it gets to just over 3.5 seconds away from the NAG set in 2013 by Katie Ledecky (9:14.22). The Sandpipers swimmer won the event by 41 seconds. Weinstein anchored the 800 free relay in 1:42.29, which was led off by Katie Grimes time of 1:42.90. The Sandpipers won in 7:00.01. Rebecca Diaconescu and Applejean Gwinn were the middle two legs.
Weinstein won the 200 free on Friday in 1:43.77 with Diaconescu second in 1:44.41. Grimes won the 400 IM on Friday in 4:00.10.