14-Year-Old Luke Mijatovic Fires Off 1:37 in the 200 Free at Pleasanton Senior Open

2023 PLEASANTON SEAHAWKS SHORT COURSE SENIOR OPEN

• November 3-5, 2023
• Pleasanton, California
• Short Course Yards (25y), Prelims/Finals
• Results on Meet Mobile: “Pleasanton Seahawks SC Senior Open”

14-year-old Luka Mijatovic picked up another win and three more best times on Saturday at the Pleasanton Seahawks Short Course Senior Open.

After crushing his own National Age Group Record via an 8:55 in the 100 yard free on Friday, Mijatovic opened the Saturday finals session with a 1:49.08 in the 200 yard IM.

That moves him up to 8th-place all-time in the 13-14 rankings, albeit still four seconds behind Michael Andrew’s still-unfathomable record of 1:45.27 from 2014.

Mijatovic’s swim knocked nine-tenths of a second off his previous best from the Far Western Championships in March.

Two races later, Mijatovic placed 2nd in the 200 free in 1:37.57. That’s another lifetime best and moves him to 3rd all-time in the age group behind Thomas Heilman (1:34.68) and Daniel Diehl (1:36.75).

His previous best time in that race was 1:38.21 that was also done at Far Westerns.

He also was 2nd in the 200 back in 1:48.74, another best time. knocking two seconds off his best time from February.

Mijatovic doesn’t age up until April 22 of next year, so assuming he gets in a fully-tapered short course meet between now and then, he still has a chance at chasing some of those records. On Sunday, though, he is scheduled to race the 500 free, 200 fly, and 100 free. Based on the number of personal bests that he has swum this week, his own record of 4:22.50 in the 500 free might not last until March.

The swimmer who beat Mijatovic in the 200 free was 17-year-old Marre Gattnar, who swam 1:36.51. The 17-year-old from North Bay Aquatics is committed to Harvard next fall and is the defending California High School State Champion in the 100 back.

Gattnar’s collegiate choice has not slowed down his progress at all. That 200 free was a best time by two-and-a-half seconds, and he also won the 50 free in a best time of 19.77.

Both of those times would be the best for Harvard early in the collegiate season and he should have an immediately impact on the Crimson relays upon arrival next year.

Other Saturday Highlights:

• 15-year-old Brooke Bennett of the host Pleasanton Seahawks won a pair of events on Saturday, taking the 200 IM (2:03.61) and 200 breast (2:19.98). That 200 IM swim was within six-tenths of her personal best in the event.
• Cal commit Ariana Smith won the 200 back in 1:58.97, just ahead of 15-year-old Lulu Groen, who was 2nd in 1:59.12. Groen dropped two seconds from her personal best with that time.
• Seth Collet from Alto  Swim Club won the boys’ 200 back in 1:47.73, a 2.3 second improvement on his previous personal best. Already the CIF Central Coast Champion in the 100 back, the uncommitted high school junior seems to be expanding his repertoire this season.
• Jada Duncan won the 50 free in 23.13 with 14-year-olds Stella Canoles (23.35) and Ella Busquets (23.43) close behind. Busquets is the daughter of World Championship bronze medalist and four-time Olympian sprinter Ricky Busquets and US National Champion Emily (Plummer) Busquets.
• Edward Huang of the California Dolphin Swim Team, another Cal commit, won the 100 fly in 47.61, shaving two-tenths off his best time.
• Ewan Lonergan of Quicksilver Swimming, an SMU commit, broke two minutes in the 200 breaststroke for the first time, winning in 1:58.41. The 200 breast has been a strength of the SMU program in the Greg Rhodenbaugh era.