2019 Speedo Sectionals Gainesville: Nicholas Sweetser, Nikki Miller, Caitlin Brooks Help Gators Dominate Final Day

Nikki Miller, Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The 2019 Speedo Sectionals in Gainesville concluded today with its final day of competition. Events included the 400 free relay, women’s 800 free, men’s 1500 free, 200 fly, 100 breast, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 back. After 4 days of nonstop racing and excitement, teams swam their final races and left the O’Connell Pool behind. The competitors finished out their last day strong, with many close races, significant time drops, and valuable points scored.

Women’s 400 Free Relay

The Gator Swim Club quartet of Juliana Lopez, Lain Shahboz, Leah Reisker and Talia Bates took home the gold, clocking in at a 3:56.40.

Right behind the Gators was South Florida Aquatic Club’s Mary Smutny, Kathleen Golding, Paige Lane and Mallory Schleicher with a 3:56.87. Blue Dolfins’ Micayla Cronk, Jaden Herbet, Isabella Bishop and Abigail Gibbons finished third with a 3:57.09.

Bolles School Sharks’ Anna Moore, Karaline Gavin, Leah Degeorge and Megan McGrath (A) (3:58.62), Bolles School Sharks’ Ria Malhotra, Sasha Ramey, Olivia Peoples and Nicole Sowell (B) (4:01.60), Hurricane Aquatics’ Sydney Knapp, Madeline Lauther, Roxanne Yu and Alaina Skellett (4:02.14), East Coast Aquatic Club’s Ryan Flynn, Ashley Cozad, Madison Cummings and Megan Murphy (4:04.80), and Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team’s Anna Freed, Katelyn Viera, Sarah Koenig and Kristen Nutter (4:05.36) rounded out the top eight women’s relays.

Men’s 400 Free Relay

Gator Swim Club’s Peyton Werner, Dylan Brisco, Nicholas Eunice and Julian Hill touched the wall at a 3:30.43 to claim the victory in the final relay event of the meet.

Bolles School Sharks’ (A) William Jones, Jackson Kirk, Rafael Nicola Ponce de Leon and Ethan Thomas placed second with a 3:32.44. Bringing up third place was Metro Aquatic Club of Miami’s (A) Adrian Aguilar, Andres Wong, Brandon Vives and Alexander Arrieta with a 3:35.64.

Bolles School Sharks (B) Nicholas Spillers, Ansen Meyer, Daniel Bowen and John Vandeusen (3:35.74), Sarasota Tsunami Swim Team’s Alexander Gardner, Rene Strezenicky Franko, Ian Brann and Arik Katz (3:37.05), Saint Andrew’s Aquatics’ Ethan Roach, Maximillian Zum Tobel, Tiago Pereira and Ricardo Martinez (3:38.28), South Florida Club of Miami’s Robert Wilson, Rafael Rodriguez, Lance Lesage and Miguel Sierra (3:39.07), and Metro Aquatic Club of Miami (B) Matthew Amor, Carlos Nava, Aaron Rodriquez and Nestor Montero (3:39.07) completed the top eight.

Women’s 800 Free

South Florida Aquatic Club’s Kathleen Golding took home the gold in the first event of the night, with an 18 second drop to touch the wall in an 8:49.37. Golding finished seven seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.

Gator Swim Club’s Savanna Faulconer placed second, dropping 17 seconds to finish with an 8:56.06. Highlander Aquatic Club’s Alixandra Roy brought home third place with a 9:04.83.

It was a close race for the rest of the top eight. Finishers included Sarasota Sharks’ Christina Cianciolo (9:08.15), South Florida Aquatic Club’s Mallory Schleicher (9:08.45), Area Tallahassee’s Stella Grace Watts (9:09.10), Treasure Coast Aquatics’ Blair Stoneburg (9:09.39), and Clearwater Aquatic Team’s Taylor Ward (9:10.29).

Men’s 1500 Free

Gator’s Nicholas Sweetser clocked in at a 15:30.27 to claim the victory in the men’s 1500 free.

Sarasota Tsunami Swimming’s Arik Katz placed second with a 15.33.92. Gator’s Matthew Anderson finished third in a 15:49.40.

Unattached Brendan Driscoll (15:54.86), Unattached Alfonso Mestre (16:08.40), St. Petersburg Aquatics’ Will Smith (16:08.71), St. Petersburg Aquatics’ Caleb Kravitz (16:08.85), and Bolles School Sharks’ Jacob Pishko (16:14.42) rounded out the top eight in the longest event of the night.

Women’s 200 Fly

Gator Swim Club’s Nikki Miller had over a two-second drop to bring home the win in the women’s 200 fly with a 2:14.88.

Highlander Aquatic Club’s Caroline Cooper finished second in a 2:16.22. It was a tie for third place, with South Florida Aquatic Club’s Mary Smutny and Sarasota Sharks’ Isabel Traba both going a 2:16.36.

Swim Florida’s Madeline Burt (2:16.69), Clovis Swim Club’s Jillian Hatch (2:18.94), Team Velocity’s Bella Answeeney (2:19.67), Blue Dolfins’ Abigail Gibbons (2:20.23) completed the top eight.

Men’s 200 Fly

Episcopal AmberJax’s Sterling Crane dropped three seconds to claim the victory in a 2:01.08.

Unattached Miguel Cancel placed second with a 2:02.71. Third place went to T2 Aquatics’ Mason Laur in a 2:04.35.

Unattached Dillon Hillis (2:04.38), Episcopal AmberJax’s Jace Crawford (2:04.64), Unattached Jake Adcock (2:06.82), Blue Dolfins’ Davis Hanley (2:07.63), and Blue Dolfins’ Mason Herbet (2:09.71) rounded out the top eight.

Women’s 100 Free

Gator Swim Club’s Isabella Garofalo touched the wall in a 56.43 to win the women’s 100 free.

Blue Dolfins’ Micayla Cronk placed second with a 56.47, with Gator Swim Club’s Talia Bates touching the wall with a 56.98 for third place.

The rest of the top eight included Gator Swim Club’s Sherridon Dressel (57.13), Unattached Ella Bathurst (57.15), Gator Swim Club’s Emma Ball (57.18), Gator Swim Club’s Kelly Fertel (57.21), and Berkeley Barracudas’ Chloe Grimme (57.73).

Men’s 100 Free

With over a half-second drop, Gator Swim Club’s Alberto Mestre Vivas brought home the gold in the men’s 100 free with a 50.60.

Unattached Grant Sanders finished second with a 50.76. Gator Swim Club’s Gerry Quinn placed third with a 51.16.

Gator Swim Club’s Andrea D’Arrigo (51.96), Gator Swim Club’s Tate Callahan (52.13), Gator Swim Club’s Viktor Toth (52.42), Gator Swim Club’s Santiago Corredor (52.85), and Saint Petersburg Aquatics’ Lukas Cote (52.88) completed the top eight.

Women’s 200 Breast

Vanessa Pearl, unattached, clocked in at a 2:32.05, dropping over two seconds to win the women’s 200 breast.

Sarasota Sharks’ Gracie Weyant placed second with a 2:36.36, with Gator Swim Club’s Adrianna Deboer finishing third in a 2:37.54.

Bolles School Sharks’ Anna Moore (2:38.50), Bolles School Sharks’ Madison Koutavas (2:39.54), Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club’s Saige Kemeny (2:41.07), Episcopal AmberJax’s Emily Merton (2:44.64), and Unattached Ella Bathurst (2:45.91) rounded out the top eight.

Men’s 200 Breast

Swimming unattached and dominating the event by almost 6 seconds, Marco Guarente placed first in the men’s 200 breast with a 2:15.39.

Riptide Aquatics Jared Pike placed second with a 2:21.87. Grant Sanders, unattached, finished third in a 2:22.58.

The rest of the top eight included Sarasota Sharks’ Brett Riley (2:22.76), T2 Aquatics’ Andrew Garner (2:23.65), East Coast Aquatics Club’s Kevin Degrijze (2:23.77), Gator Swim Club’s Dylan Brisco (2:26.79), and Saint Petersburg Aquatics’ Christopher Dieffenthaller (2:28.23).

Women’s 200 Back

Gator Swim Club’s Caitlin Brooks placed first by almost three seconds, dropping time to touch the wall in a 2:11.32.

Unattached Rosie Zavaros placed second with a 2:14.31. Third place went to

Sarasota Sharks’ Emma Weyant with a 2:15.84.

Gator Swim Club’s Georgia Darwent (2:16.88), Episcopal AmberJax’s Mary Kelley (2:17.07), Cane Aquatics’ Alaina Skellett (2:18.78), Cane Aquatics’ Roxanne Yu (2:21.20), and Blue Dolfins’ Micayla Cronk (2:21.91) rounded out the top eight.

Men’s 200 Back

Ridgefield’s Kieran Smith dropped over four seconds to claim his fourth victory of the meet, this time in the 200 back with a 2:02.38.

Tampa Elite Aquatics’ Brett Saunders placed second with a 2:05.05, and

Flood Aquatics’ Joshua Zuchowski finished third in a 2:05.08.

Unattached Dakota Mahaffey (2:05.44), South Florida’s Lance Lesage (2:06.42), Saint Petersburg Aquatics’ Lukas Cote (2:07.77), Sarasota Sharks’ Liam Custer (2:08.22), and United Swim Club’s Hayden Kwan (2:08.24) completed the top eight for the final event of the meet.

The 2019 Speedo Sectionals in Gainesville, Florida was filled with many time drops, fast swims, and close races. Standout swims, including those of Emma Weyant and Kieran Smith, added to the excitement of the competition. In the conclusion of the four-day meet, Gator Swim Club came out on top. Having dominated the meet with many first place finishers and top eight presences, the Gators had both the men’s and women’s highest team scores.

Below are the top three teams with the most points throughout the meet.

Men’s Team Scores

Gator Swim Club: 1724
Bolles School Sharks: 726
South Florida Aquatic Club: 682

Women’s Team Scores

Gator Swim Club: 1562
Blue Dolfins: 949.5
Sarasota Sharks: 934.5

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