2024 CA SAND Pumpkin Meet
- October 18-20, 2024
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- SCY (25 yards)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 Sandpipers Pumpkin Invite”
Desert Storm Swimming’s Sullivan Benes, 13, put up a blistering time of 9:32.71 in the 1000 freestyle at the Sandpipers’ Pumpkin Meet in October, taking off more than 18 seconds from his previous best of 9:51.06.
The swim ranks Benes 2nd for 13-year-old boys this season, only trailing Revolution Aquatic Club’s Joey Eaddy, who went 9:31.99 the same weekend at the CRIM October Specialty. Both swims are some of the fastest times we’ve seen from 13-year-olds in the last decade.
Dating back to the 2013-14 season, Benes is the 9th-fastest 13-year-old in the event, with everyone bunched up in the high-9:20/low-9:30 range, with the exception of Luka Mijatovic, who is lightyears ahead of the pack at 8:59.
13-Year-Old Boys’ 1000 Freestyle (SCY) Rankings, 2013-14 To Present
- Luka Mijatovic, 8:59.29 – 2023
- Sean Green, 9:26.05 – 2021
- Trey Freeman, 9:27.36 – 2014
- Mason Turner, 9:29.68 – 2020
- Cooper Lucas, 9:31.26 – 2019
- Braeden Haughey, 9:31.70 – 2017
- Owen Ekk, 9:31.97 – 2022
- Joey Eaddy, 9:31.99 – 2024
- Sullivan Benes, 9:32.71 – 2024
- Evan Keogh, 9:34.31 – 2019
Benes’ time was also done an altitude, with the altitude-adjusted time coming in at 9:26.41.
He also swam to personal bests in the 200 back (2:00.24), 200 breast (2:12.70) and 200 fly (2:01.59), not adjusting for altitude. Benes also logged a time of 1:49.80 in the 200 free, with his PB sitting at 1:45.95 set in September, and his 23.69 clocking in the 50 free was just two one-hundredths shy of his best time set last season.
On the girls’ side, U.S. Olympians Katie Grimes and Claire Weinstein highlighted the action, combining for six individual wins while going head-to-head in the 500 freestyle.
Grimes won the event in a time of 4:40.06, while Weinstein was a distant runner-up in 4:45.05. Grimes also paced the 100 free (50.06) and 100 fly (53.62), while Weinstein led the 200 free (1:46.29), 200 IM (2:02.55) and 200 breast (2:19.58), setting a new best time in the latter.
Weinstein also set a PB in the 100 back, clocking 56.26 to place a close 2nd to Sandpipers teammate Applejean Gwinn (56.20).
Gwinn, a UCLA commit, also won the 400 IM (4:25.48), and was the runner-up in the 200 free (1:52.41), 200 IM (2:03.06) and 3rd in the 100 fly (56.54).
Other Highlights
- Las Vegas Swim Club’s Max Carlsen, 17, won the boys’ 1000 free in a time of 9:06.47, ranking him 1st for 17-year-old boys in the country this season by more than six seconds. He set his best time of 8:57.77 this past March, which ranks him 20th all-time in the 15-16 age group.
- Boulder Henderson Heatwave’s Major Monroe, 11, ran the table in the boys’ 11-12 age group, winning all eight events he raced. Although none were best times, his top-ranked time came in the 50 back, where he went 28.61—his 28.09 from earlier in the season ranks 5th for 11-year-olds in 2024-25.
- Sandpipers’ Gabriel Manteufel won the boys’ 500 free (4:25.07) and 100 IM (52.42), setting a best time in the latter, and added lifetime bests in the 200 back (1:52.12) and 200 fly (1:53.53).
- His teammate Luke Ellis paced the 200 back (1:49.08) and 400 IM (3:56.72), and was also 2nd in the 500 free (4:31.87) and 100 back (51.20).
