14-Year-Old Ellis Crisci Hits 8:19.87 800 Free On Day 4 Of Columbia Sectionals

2023 REGION VIII SUMMER SECTIONALS – COLUMBIA

• July 12-15, 2023
• Mizzou Aquatics Center, Columbia, MO
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results on MeetMobile
  • “2023 Region VIII Speedo Summer Sectionals”
• Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Recap
• Day 3 Recap

The fourth and final day of racing has came to a close at the 2023 Region VIII Speedo Summer Sectionals in Columbia, Missouri. Today’s events included the women’s 1500 free, men’s 800 free, 50 back, 200 IM, 100 free, 50 breast and 400 medley relay.

Topping the combined team scores was the University of Missouri, who tallied a total of 1986.5 across the meet. They also led on the men’s side with 1019 points, while the University of Arkansas came out on top of the women’s standings with 1002.5 points.

Team Scores (Combined):

1. University of Missouri – 1986.5
2. Missouri State University – 1459.5
3. Empire KC Swim Club – 1370

Team Scores (Women):

1. University of Arkansas – 1002.5
2. University of Missouri – 967.5
3. Razorback Aquatic Club – 757

Team Scores (Men):

1. University of Missouri – 1019
2. Missouri State University – 822
3. Empire KC Swim Club – 784

Gena Jorgenson of Nebraska claimed her 4th victory of the meet in the 1500. The rising sophomore logged a 16:40.17, putting her just over five seconds shy of her personal best that she set at U.S. Nationals just a few weeks ago. Taking 2nd in the event was 16-year-old Nora Weber, who knocked 25 seconds off her best time to post a 17:03.95.

Mizzou’s Jibran Himsieh added his second win in the men’s 800 freestyle with a time of 8:17.25, dropping 10 seconds from the best time he set at this meet last year. Tsunami Swim Team’s Ellis Crisci, 14, also dipped below 8:20 with a best time of 8:19.87. Crisci’s swim debuts him on the all-time boy’s 13-14 800 free rankings at 12th, tying him with Olympic champion Bobby Finke. 

Mizzou’s Ashley Gill and Kansas City Blazers’ Sophia Paduano cracked 30 seconds in the 50 backstroke. Gill got her hand on the wall first at 29.70, while Paduano touched 2nd at 29.77. Winning the B-final was Isabelle Ackley, who also broke 30 with a time of 29.96. 

The men’s 50 backstroke belonged to Grant Bochenski, a rising junior at Mizzou. Bochenski won in 25.57, making it his second victory of the meet after winning the 100 back earlier in the competition. Robert Hill from Missouri State took 2nd (26.32), while Calvin Windle rounded out the podium in 3rd (26.54).

Nebraska’s JoJo Randby went 3-for-3 on breaststroke events, as she touched first in the 50 at 32.16. Arkansas swept the next two spots with Alaya Smith and Bradi Jones taking 2nd (32.46) and 3rd (32.70), respectively.

Winning the men’s 50 breaststroke was Mizzou’s Tyler Spillane, who was the only swimmer in the field to break 29 seconds with a 28.62. Earlier in the meet, Spillane was the runner-up finisher in the 100 breast. 

In the 200 IM, Sarah Barton from Nebraska hit a personal best time of 2:19.83 to win the event. Her swim marks a personal best by over two seconds, with her previous best time standing at 2:22.09 from Futures last summer. John Watson, a Mizzou recruit, secured his first win of the meet in the men’s 200 IM. Watson dropped over two seconds from his entry time to take 1st in 2:05.28.

Rounding out the individual victors of the night was Sierra Smith and Alireza Yavari in the 100 freestyle. Smith, a rising senior at Mizzou, shaved a few tenths off her best time to clock a 56.20, putting her about half a second of her teammate Francesca Smith in 2nd (56.61). 

The men’s race was extremely close, with the top three athletes touching within about a tenth of a second of each other. Yavari had the fastest closing 50 of all three at 26.41 to ultimately win in 50.64. Daniel Wilson touched 2nd (50.75), while his teammate Bochenski snagged the 3rd spot (50.77). 

Winning the 400 medley relay on the women’s side was Razorback Aquatic Club, who combined for a final time of 4:19.37. Coming out on top of the men’s race was Missouri State, who narrowly out-touched Razorback Aquatic Club by a tenth for a 3:53.17.