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The 2018 Gainesville Speedo Sectionals kicked off today in Gainesville, Fla. The meet will be held July 6-9 at the O’Connell Center on the University of Florida’s campus.
2018 Speedo Sectionals Gainesville Day One Results
Women’s 1500 Free
Bolles’ Kensey McMahon dominated the meet’s opening event, winning the women’s mile in 16:41.91. She finished nearly 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up, making her final time a new personal best by exactly one second.
Gator’s Kahra Williams finished second in 16:55.66 while Sarasota’s Emma Weyant took third in 16:58.35.
Bolles’ Leah Degeorge (16:59.02), Saint Petersburg’s Peyton Palsha (17:03.89), Gators’ Georgia Darwent (17:05.36), Marcella Ruppert-Gomez (17:07.29) and Sarasota’s Christina Cianciolo (17:14.29) rounded out the top eight.
Men’s 800 Free
In what proved to be a close men’s 800 free, Saint Petersburg’s Robert Finke ultimately took the title in 8:05.15 He finished only two-tenths ahead of the runner-up.
Central Chesapeake’s Ben Lawless finished closed behind in 8:05.38 followed by Sarasota’s Drew Clark who took third in 8:10.35.
Lane 4’s Peyton Werner (8:26.66), Saint Petersburg’s Will Smith (8:30.15), John VanDeusen (8:31.40), SWIM’ Ryan Staunch (8:37.18) and Metro Aquatic’s Nestor Montero (8:37.19) completed the top eight.
Women’s 4×50 Medley Relay
Gator’s Juliana Lopez, Caitlin Brooks, Leah Reisker and Talia Bates won the first relay event of the weekend, taking home the title in 1:56.34.
Club Seminole’s Madeline Cohen, Nicole Blank, Tayla Lovemore and Leila Johnston finished second in 1:58.72 and Swim Florida’s Olivia McMurray, Madeline Burt, Elizabeth White and Hannah Burdge took third in 1:59.18.
Metro Aquatics (2:00.50), East Coast Aquatics (2:01.18), Bolles (2:03.08), South Florida (2:03.22) and Gulliver (2:03.25) rounded out the top eight teams.
Men’s 4×50 Medley Relay
Westminster Academy’s Davion Conley, Anthony Barbar, David Lambert and Robinson Molina combined to win the meet’s first men’s relay, taking the title in 1:43.17.
Club Seminole’s Paxton Rhoads, Alex Cronin, William Pisani and Juan Sequera finished second in 1:46.93 and Gator’s Alec Dawson, Ivan Gutierrex, Dylan Brisco and Mason Wilby took third in 1:47.55.
Bolles (1:47.95), Metro Aquatic (1:48.74), Performance Aquatics (1:50.35), Saint Andrew’s (1:51.27) and South Florida (1:51.27) were also in the eight fastest teams.
Women’s 4×50 Free Relay
The quartet of Kaitlyn Cronin, Kirschtine Balbuena, Georgia Bates and Victoria Bindi gave the Gators their second relay win of the night, getting their hand to the wall first in 1:45.30.
Club Seminole’s Cohen, Blank, Lovemore and Johnston teamed up again to take second in 1:47.12 while Gator’s B relay team of Laci Herron, Sydney Kang, Reisker and Julia Rodriquez was third in 1:49.51.
Swim Florida (1:49.65), East Coast Aquatics (1:49.80), Gulliver (1:49.84), Bolles (1:50.94) and Hurricane (1:51.25) completed the top eight.
Men’s 4×50 Free Relay
Westminster Academy’s Barbar, Lambert, Austin Saunders and Molina teamed up to give their team their second relay win of the night in 1:35.70.
Gator’s Dawson, Julian Hill, Gutierrez and Wilby finished second in 1:36.54 while Metro Aquatics’ Aitor Fungairino, Adrian Aguilar, Carlos Nava and Adrian Moya took third in 1:37.84.
Also in the top eight were Bolles A (1:37.91), Bolles B (1:39.50), Performance Aquatics (1:40.10), Metro Aquatics B (1:40.47) and East Coast Aquatics (1:41.16).
Mixed 4×50 Medley Relay
Club Seminole’s Cohen, Pisani, Blank and Sequera combined to win the mixed medley relay in 1:50.99, just over three seconds ahead of the second-place team.
Gator’s Hau Weng Cheong, Dawson, Brooks and Rodriquez took second in 1:54.00 and AquaKids’ Samuel Bauta, Mary Smutny, Hailey Jerew and Miguel Cancel were third in 1:55.83.
Saint Andrews (1:55.96), Planet Swim (1:56.07), South Florida (1:57.02), East Coast Aquatics (1:57.23) and Swim Florida (1:58.31) finished fourth through eighth.
Mixed 4×50 Free Relay
Cronin, Hill Trevor McGovern and Balbuena won the evening’s final event in 1:42.93 to give the Gators their third relay win of the night.
AquaKids’ Bauta, Smutny, Jerew and Cancel finished second in 1:43.50 and East Coast Aquatics’ Madison Cummings, Chade Nersicio, Quoctuan Ho and Nixon Hernandez took third in 1:45.00.
Gator B (1:45.56), Swim Florida (1:46.69), Storm (1:46.87), Saint Andrew’s (1:47.26) and East Coast Aquatics B (1:50.15) completed the top eight.
Prelims for the second day of competition will begin Saturday at 9:00 a.m. EST.
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Shawn Cowper Daniels