U.S. Paralympic Trials: Elizabeth Marks, Anastasia Pagonis Set American Records on Night 3
Elizabeth Marks and Anastasia Pagonis ended the third and final night of U.S. Paralympic Trials by setting American records Saturday.
Marks clocked in at 33.13 seconds in the prelims of the S6 50 freestyle. She would win the event at night in a slightly slower 33.30, her fourth gold medal of the meet.
Pagonis set her time in the S11 50 free at 30.51 seconds at night. Both times are also Americas records.
Pagonis has dealt with a shoulder injury and a concussion on the road to vying for a second Paralympics.
“I want to have a comeback story for sure, especially with the setbacks I have had in the last year with a concussion and then shoulder surgery which was terrifying, only a year before the Games,” Pagonis told U.S. Paraswimming. “I’m looking forward to hopefully holding the world title in something other than just the 400-meter freestyle.”
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Jessica Long won two more events to take her tally for the meet to five. She went 1:13.24 to capture the S8 100 butterfly, then won the SM8 200 individual medley in 2:48.31.
Christie Raleigh Crossley was among the swimmers winning four events at the meet at the University of Minnesota. She went 1:08.24 to claim the S9 100 fly and 28.06 to lead the S9 50 free, the latter in a tough race with Audrey Kim (second in 28.84) and Alexandra Truwit (third in 29.63). Leanne Smith finished with four golds, winning the S4 50 free in 46.29 and the SM4 150 IM.
Noah Jaffe claimed the men’s S8 100 fly in 1:05.84 and the SM8 200 IM in 2:30.75.
Braxton Wong won a thrilling race in the men’s S9 100 fly, outtouching Owen McNear by .01 seconds to win in 1:06.22. In the men’s SM10 200 IM, Aaron Thomas was .11 ahead of Aiden Stivers, winning in 2:30.18.
Mallory Weggemann prevailed in the SM7 women’s 200 IM in 2:55.90, outdistancing Morgan Stickney. She also edged out McKenzie Coan in the 5 free with a time of 32.34. Summer Schmit put down a solid time of 2:39.34 to win the SM9 200 IM, while Olivia Chambers (2:28.52) prevailed over Colleen Young in the SM13 race. Gia Pergolini claimed the S13 50 free in 27.63, edging Chambers and Grace Nuhfer.
Jamal Hill set a dominant time of 25.26 seconds in the S9 50 free.
“I’m feeling really, really grateful to be here, coming into this trials I think a lot of people have high expectations of me, but it doesn’t make it any easier,” Hill said. “There were a lot of times during the season I wanted to throw in the towel. I want people to know they shouldn’t quit and should do their best.”
2024 Paralympic Team Trials Winners, Night 3
- Jessica Long (Women’s 100-meter Butterfly S8)
- Christie Raleigh Crossley (Women’s 100-meter Butterfly S9)
- Taylor Winnett (Women’s 100-meter Butterfly S10)
- Grace Nuhfer (Women’s 100-meter Butterfly S13)
- Piper Sadowski (Women’s 100-meter Butterfly S14)
- Noah Jaffe (Men’s 100-meter Butterfly S8)
- Braxton Wong (Men’s 100-meter Butterfly S9)
- Yassen El-Demerdash (Men’s 100-meter Butterfly S10)
- Evan Wilkerson (Men’s 100-meter Butterfly S12)
- Lawrence Sapp (Men’s 100-meter Butterfly S14)
- Leanne Smith (Women’s 150-meter Individual Medley SM4)
- Victoria Beelner (Women’s 200 -meter Individual Medley SM5)
- Elizabeth Marks (Women’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM6)
- Mallory Weggemann (Women’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM7)
- Jessica Long (Women’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM8)
- Summer Schmit (Women’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM9)
- Olivia Chambers (Women’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM13)
- Morgan Ray (Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM6)
- Noah Jaffe (Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM8)
- David Gelfand (Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM9)
- Aaron Thomas (Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM10)
- David Abrahams (Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM13)
- Jeff Lovett (Men’s 200-meter Individual Medley SM14)
- Leanne Smith (Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S4)
- Elizabeth Marks (Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S6)
- Mallory Weggemann (Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S7)
- Christie Raleigh Crossley (Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S9)
- Anastasia Pagonis (Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S11)
- Gia Pergolini (Women’s 50-meter Freestyle S13)
- Abbas Karimi (Men’s 50-meter Freestyle S5)
- Adin Williams (Men’s 50-meter Freestyle S7)
- Jamal Hill (Men’s 50-meter Freestyle S9)
- Yaseen El-Demerdash (Men’s 50-meter Freestyle S10)
- William Rankine (Men’s 50-meter Freestyle S12)