USA Swimming Sectionals, Cambridge: Laura Sogar Doubles, Takes Down Some Records by Big Names

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, March 13. BLUEFISH's Laura Sogar put together a strong night of swimming with a pair of victories at the USA Swimming Sectionals held in Cambridge, Mass. Her most amazing feat of the night proved to be her 100-yard breast win that took down the pool (Tracy Caulkins) and meet (Rebecca Soni) records previously held by some gigantic names in the sport.

Sara Giberson of AGUA opened the night with a win in the women's 200-yard free when she clocked a 1:47.23. Badger's Ryan Feeley followed with a touch-out triumph over Peddie's Connor Signorin, 1:37.35 to 1:37.64, in the men's 200-yard free.

In another close finish, future Longhorn teammates Sogar and Lauren Norberg of Ithaca placed 1-2 with times of 1:01.06 and 1:01.41 in the women's 100-yard breast. Both swims beat the meet record of 1:02.12 set by Soni in 2005. More incredible, Sogar's time wiped out the 1981 pool record of 1:01.13 set by the illustrious Caulkins of Nashville.

Christian Higgins raced to a meet record in the men's 100-yard breast when he touched in 55.52. The swim eclipsed the 55.87 set by Ron Karnaugh in 2001.

Another meet record fell in the women's 100-yard fly when Colgate's Erin McGraw posted a 54.02 for the win. The performance bettered the 54.59 set by Alex Forrester in 2007. Peddie's Nimrod Hayet cleared the men's 100-yard fly record with a 47.79 as he shot down Brian Wilson's 2006 mark of 48.58.

Sogar returned in the women's 400-yard IM to hold off Giberson, 4:14.19 to 4:14.82, for the win, while Hayet also doubled up with a 3:51.98 in the men's 400-yard IM.

AGUA's Lauren Morford, Lia Neal, Annie Zhu and Giberson won the women's 800-yard free relay in 7:25.03 to best the meet record of 7:27.29 set by Germantown back in 2006. Peddie's Pete Fittin, Signorin, Wesley Mullins and Hayet crushed the men's 800-yard free relay record with a time of 6:42.83. The Massachusetts Bay Marlins held the previous record with a 6:47.73 set back in 2002.

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