By Danny Whirlow, Swimming World College Intern.
The conclusion of the 2019 Speedo Sectionals Cleveland meet was bittersweet. Some swimmers could go home, their seasons’ over. Others would soon return to their pools to prepare for bigger meets. The Ohio State Swim Club reveled in victory, celebrating their 2088.5 combined points. The next closet contender was Club Wolverine, who in total had 1588.5 points.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Hannah Bach of the Cleveland Swimming Institute took home the first gold of the evening. Her time was a 32.03. Returning to the podium would be Ohio State Swim Club’s Hanna Gresser for the silver medal and Club Wolverine’s Erin Szara for the bronze. Their times were 32.23 and 32.57, respectively.
Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics’s Kasia Norman would finish in fourth place with a 33.05, and Hudson Explorer Aquatic’s Claire Tuttle finished fifth at 33.15. Anna Martin of the Ridgewood Y Dolphins took sixth place with a 33.47. Claudia Butterfield of the Cincinnati Marlin clocked in at 33.79, netting her seventh place. Eighth place went to Catherine Obaimhirgin of Great Lakes Sailfish Swimming, whose time was a 34.24.
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
Teamwork continued to be the theme of the Ohio State Swim Club’s dominance, with a trio of swimmers sweeping the 50 breast in style. Hudson McDaniel (28.23) claimed first place, with Jason Matthews (28.64) in second, and Evan McFadden (28.67) in third. Their smiles glowed on top of the podium.
“I felt pretty good, I’m pretty confident in our racing abilities, we just have to work on details, like starts” McFadden said. On Ohio State’s team-oriented approach, he added: “We all see results together, at meets like this, so its awesome.”
Photo Courtesy: Danny Whirlow
And coming off a hamstring injury, Matthews was excited to start putting up results again. “Training day-in and day-out with these guys, you really become a family.” In less than two weeks, they look to put even stronger results at Nationals, and beyond that, their eyes are set on Olympic trials and Big 10 Championships.
Club Wolverine’s Matthew Segal finished in fourth with a 29.37. Mitchell List of the New Albany Aquatic Club took fifth place at 29.76, and Novi Sturgeons’ Travis Nikiewicz touched shortly after him for sixth place. Nikiewicz time was a 29.80. Bearcat Swimming’s Dalton Lillibridge finished in seventh place with a time of 29.94, and Karl Helmuth of the Massillon Aquatic Club took eighth place with a 30.13.
Women’s 200 IM
SwimStrongville’s Felicia Pasadyn would conquer another intermediate medley event, securing a national cut in the process; her time, a 2:17.84. Paige McCormick of Hudson Explorer Aquatic hit the wall at 2:19.57, securing second place. Molly Kowal of the Ohio State Swim Club finished in third place with a 2:20.11.
Hot on Kowal’s heels was Club Wolverine’s Emma Cleason, finishing fourth with a 2:20.16. Ohio State Swim Club’s Veronica Tafuto (2:21.24), Alissa Cook (2:22.64), and Hanna Gresser (2:22.84) would take fifth, sixth, and seventh place, respectively. Cleason’s teammate Sophia Tuinman finished eighth with a time of 2:23.42.
Men’s 200 IM
Dominic Polling of Bearcat Swimming won the gold while also obtaining an Olympic qualifying time; his time was a 2:03.60. Hudson Explorer Aquatic’s Ross Polazzo took home the silver medal, who finished with a 2:05.50. The bronze medal went to Polling’s teammate, Blake Hanna, whose time was a 2:06.49.
Photo Courtesy: Danny Whirlow
Ohio State Swim Club’s Daniel Gloude took fourth place with a 2:07.31, and Bearcat Robert Oland finished fifth with a 2:08.17. Zane Rosely of Club Wolverine finished sixth at 2:09.44. Unattached Scott Piper’s 2:11.37 won him seventh place and rounding out the top eight was Ohio State Swim Club’s Andrew Loy with a 2:12.20.
Women’s 1500 Freestyle
Nicole Fye of Ohio State Swim Club distinguished herself early, winning with a time of 17:05.87. Sylvia Stewart-Bates secured second place for the Lake Erie Silver Dolphins. Her time was a 17:14.44. Fye’s teammate Natalia Jaspeado claimed third with a 17:16.74.
Powel Crosley Jr. YMCA’s Lucy Callard would find fourth place at 17:19.80, while Ohio Clippers’ Selina Reil took fifth with a 17:24.94. Kaylee Williams of Club Wolverine finished sixth at 17:29.60. Brooke Lamoureux of Firestone Akron Swim Club would take seventh place at 17.33.54, fending off a surging Elisabeth Lohner of Oly Swimming. Lohner’s time was a 17:33.65.
Men’s 800 Freestyle
Charles Clark of Vacationland Swim Club finished in first place, but Cincinnati Marlin Kellen Roddy did not make it easy. The two battled back and forth throughout the event, with Clark ultimately getting the win, leaving Roddy in second place. Their times were 8:23.01 and 8:24.25, respectively. Tyler Jones of Bearcat Swimming finished in third place with a time of 8:26.07.
Jones’ teammate Connor Rumpit would finish not much later, touching the wall at 8:31.77. Southwest Y Michigan Swimming ’s Kriyakos Peristeridis took fifth at 8:33.79, and Club Wolverine’s Andrew Babyak’s sixth place finish came at 8:34.26. Seventh went to Ohio State Swim Club’s Carson Burt, who clocked in at 8:37.05. Babyak’s teammate Bora Unalmis would finish in eighth place at 8:39.67.
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Georgia White of the Ohio State Swim Club added another gold medal to her collection after her 57.15-swim. She was joyful not just for herself, but for her team.
“It was an awesome weekend, not just for me, but for my team overall. We saw a lot of drops and best times, its been a lot of fun. Our team culture is phenomenal, the coaches truly care about our development as swimmers; they see beyond who we are, they see who we can be.”
Photo Courtesy: Danny Whirlow
White’s teammate Lucija Jurkovic-Perisa would also collect some more hardware, claiming the silver medal; her time was a 57.38. Club Wolverine’s Sydney Stricklin received the bronze medal with a time of 57.40.
Another teammate of White, Taylor Petrak, finished in fourth place at 57.54. Bearcat Swimming’s Madeline Exton took fifth place at 57.85, just barely out-touching Claire Abasse of Liquid Lightning, who settled for sixth place at 57.86. In seventh place was Ella Piersma of the Cincinnati Marlins, whose time was a 57.95. Finally, Stricklin’s teammate Abigail Ketslakh would finish in eighth at 58.29.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Ruslan Gasiev put the exclamation mark on the end of the incredible story that was Ohio State Swim Club’s meet. With his victory in the 100 free, at a remarkable 50.26, he secured himself an Olympic trial cut, met with thunderous cheers from his teammates. Oly Swimming’s Rodolfo Aguilar-Fernandez take second place at 51.71, while Gasiev’s teammate Paul Delakis secured third place with a time of 51.76.
Bearcat Din Selmanovic would finish close behind Delakis at 51.81; his time netted him fourth place. David Madej of SwimStrongville finished fifth with a 52.10. Hudson Explorer Aquatic’s Jay Johnson and Club Wolverine’s Aaron Sequeira split hairs at the finish, with Johnson touching at 52.33 and Sequeira at 52.37. They placed in sixth and seventh, respectively. Rounding out the top eight was Selmanovic’s teammate, Michael Balcerak, who clocked in at 52.80.
Photo Courtesy: Danny Whirlow
I swam at prelims