Julia Sebasti\u00e1n, Manuella Morano, and more of Argentina\u2019s top swimmers gathered in the Province of Santa Fe for the 2015 Argentina Short Course Nationals. Many swimmers are targeting national records – some of which have stood since 2002 -while a host of upstarts are looking to make a splash.<\/p>\n
In the women\u2019s 50-meter breast, Julia Sebasti\u00e1n topped the event posting a 31.64. The 2014 South American Games gold medalist was just shy of her record time of 31.39 set last September. Ana Belen Presumido took second with a 33.44, while Alejandra Chaar wound up third with a 34.89.<\/p>\n
Santiago Grassi opened the meet with a victory in the men\u2019s 50-meter fly with a 23.80. Grassi won in convincing fashion over Agustin Elio Acosta, who clocked a 25.28. Gabriel Morelli finished third in 25.49.<\/p>\n
Ivo Cassini just missed cracking the eight-minute barrier in the men\u2019s 800-meter freestyle, but his 8:00.32 was enough to win the event over second-place finisher Martin Carrizo Yungez (8:04.70). Lucas Altamira was a distant third with an 8:25.81.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s 400-meter free was dominated by Delfina Pignatiello. The fifteen-year-old rocked a 4:15.63, which was well ahead of Florencia Panzini\u2019s 4:23.01. Catalina Berraud Galea swam a 4:24.86 to get third.<\/p>\n
Santiago Bergliaffa dropped over four seconds from prelims to win the men\u2019s 200-meter back in 2:01.47. The top seed heading into finals, Juan Cruz Teres, fell to second in 2:04.26.Juan Ignacio Paleaz finished third in 2:06.52.<\/p>\n
In the women\u2019s 100-meter fly, Argentine swimming veteran Cecilia Andrea Bertoncello cruised to a first-place finish with a 1:02.37. Tamara Pons took second with a 1:03.88, while Constanza Moreno Lares was third with a 1:05.37.<\/p>\n
Gabriel Morelli (1:01.46) touched out Nicolas Petelin (1:01.46) in a tight men\u2019s 100-meter breast. Joe Alberto Vera Ortiz Molina clocked a 1:03.35 to get third. The top seed, Joaqu\u00edn Serra was penalized with a DQ for an illegal pullout.<\/p>\n
In the women\u2019s 200-meter IM, Virginia Bardach Martin overpowered finals to take the crown in 2:13.81. The next closest finishers were Julia Sebasti\u00e1n (2:20.19) and Manuella Morano (2:21.79).<\/p>\n
Joe Alberto Vera Ortiz Molina avenged his third-place finish in the 100 breast with a victory in the men\u2019s 200-meter free. His 1:50.73 was just enough to outlast Ivo Cassini\u2019s 1:50.78. Thomas Joaquin Silva wasn\u2019t far behind, finishing third with a 1:51.27.<\/p>\n