2022 Southern Zone South Sectionals: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2022 Southern Zone South Sectional Championships

• February 10 – 13, 2022
• Rosen Aquatic Center
• Orlando, Florida
• Long Course Meters (50m)
• Result via Meet Mobile – “2022 Southern Zone South Sectional Championships”

The first night of racing at the 2022 Southern Zone South Sectionals is a brief, but action-packed session consisting of only the men’s and women’s 50 butterfly, breaststroke, and backstrokes. Among those highlighting the session are Florida-trained Olympians Caeleb Dressel and Natalia Hinds, along with Olympian Michael Andrew.

Also among the top seeds in tonight’s sprint session are Virginia commit Zoe Skirlboll in the 50 breaststroke, Puerto Rico’s Yeizel Morales in the men’s 50 backstroke, and Canadian backstroker Megan Wheeler in the women’s 50 back.

Follow along below for a live recap and analysis of the sprinting action.

Women’s 50 Butterfly

Top 3:

1. Natalie Hinds – 26.35
2. Sirena Rowe – 27.28
3. Sofia Jorge

Natalie Hinds started things off tonight with an event-winning 26.35 in the women’s 50 butterfly and was the only woman in the field to crack 27 seconds. Hinds shaved 0.06 seconds off her former PB in the event, which she set back in 2019 with a 26.41.

Following Hinds was Azura Florida Aquatics’ Sirena Rowe who posted a 27.28 for the silver medal. Rowe, who swam for NC State up until last year and was a part of their NCAA title-winning 200 medley relay in 2021, was a little slower than her best time of 26.95.

Metro Aquatic Club of Miami’s Sofia Jorge placed third overall in a 27.61. With that swim, Jorge becomes the second-fastest 13-year-old American in history behind Olympic legend Dana Vollmer who swam a 27.42 at that age.

Marcela Scaramuzza and Julimar Avila placed 4th and 5th overall in the event with their swims of 28.13 and 28.14, respectively.

Note: Results have not yet been posted for events 3-8. We will update our recap once results are made available.

Men’s 50 Butterfly

Top 3:

1. Caeleb Dressel – 23.44
2. Michael Andrew – 23.68
3. Davidson Vincent – 24.85

Olympians Caeleb Dressel and Michael Andrew went head to head in the men’s 50 butterfly, but Dressel got the job done and touched with a 23.44, while Andrew posted a 23.68. Dressel’s swim was a bit slower than his personal best time and American record of 22.35, which he set a few years ago en route to 2019 World Championships gold.

Michael Andrew was the United States’ second entry at 2019 Worlds and placed 4th overall in the event with a 22.80.

Davidson Vincent of Azura Florida Aquatics was third overall with a 24.85. That swim is quicker than what he delivered last month at the Azura Winter Open where he won the 50 butterfly in a 25.18, having swum a 24.98 during prelims.

Women’s 50 Backstroke

Top 3:

1. Grace Gavin – 29.87
2. Taylor Schwenk – 29.94
3. Annie Wohlgemuth – 30.22

University of Cincinnati commit Grace Gavin of Loggerhead Aquatics swam her way to a gold medal in the women’s 50 backstroke. Gavin hit the wall in a 29.87 to out-touch 14-year-old Taylor Schwenk who was a 29.94.

Gavin holds an official PB in the event of 29.16 from back in 2017, while Schwenk’s fastest-ever performance is a 29.85. Schwenk swam that time just last month.

Annie Wohlgemuth and Megan Wheeler both nearly cracked 30 seconds here but fell just short with a 30.22 and 30.28, respectively. Wohlgemuth, who will stay in-state for college when she heads to Florida State in 2023, has been roughly a second faster in the event with a 29.12, while Wheeler shaved 0.17 seconds off her 30.45 entry time.

Men’s 50 Backstroke

Top 3:

1. Yeziel Morales – 26.72
2. Luigi Franco – 27.10
3. Felipe Costa – 27.51

Yeziel Morales of Puerto Rico swam a 26.72 to take gold in this event but was a bit slower than his own national record in the 50 backstroke of 25.52. He swam that NR last year at the CCCAN Championships. Nearly cracking the 27-second mark here was Luigi Franco representing Trinity Prep Aquatics.

Franco’s performance was a little slower than the 27.08 he delivered in the summer of 2021 at the FL RAFC Summer Soltice Open. Franco is in his senior year of high school and has committed to swim at UC San Diego beginning in the Fall of 2022.

Franco’s teammate Felipe Costa was right behind him in the 50 back, posting a 27.51, while Carlos Cobos was 4th overall in a 27.70.

Women’s 50 Breaststroke

Top 3:

1. Nicole Frank Rodriguez – 32.63
2. Micaela Sierra – 32.84
3. Zoe Skirboll – 32.89

Top seed in this event Zoe Skirboll nearly got to the wall first in the 50 breast, but a pair of Azura Florida Aquatics swimmers managed to overtake her.

Nicole Frank Rodriguez was victorious in the event with a 32.63 as she shaved nearly a second off her entry time of 33.55. Teammate Micalea Sierra meanwhile swam a 32.84 for second place in the breaststroke sprint, also cutting nearly a second off her entry time of 33.73.

Skirboll got into the wall for third place and was a little bit slower than her entry time of 32.55. Skirboll’s PB in the event comes from last year when she placed first in the 16&Under 50 breast at the ISCA International Senior Cup.

Men’s 50 Breaststroke

Top 3:

1. Michael Andrew – 27.79
2. Caeleb Dressel – 28.22
3. Julio Horrego – 28.42

In their second duel of the night, Michael Andrew and Caeleb Dressel capped off the session with a 50 breaststroke. Andrew clinched the win this time around, posting a 27.79 to Dressel’s 28.22. Andrew, who is more accustomed to racing the breaststroke than is Dressel, trailed his time from the 2019 World Championships where he swam a 26.88 during semi-finals before placing 7th overall in finals with a 26.93.

Dressel on the other hand holds a PB of 27.89 in the event, which he swam several years ago at the 2018 Mel Zajac Jr International meet in Vancouver Canada.

Julio Horrego rounded out the podium here with a 28.42, nearly catching Dressel, while William Heary touched in 4th place with a 29.39.