2023 FUTURES — West Fargo
- July 26 to 29, 2023
- LCM (50m)
- Hulbert Aquatics Center, West Fargo, North Dakota
- Meet Central
- Livestream
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2023 Futures Championships – West Fargo”
The 2023 USA Futures Championships got underway across all five sites this evening. The Region 3 meet is being held in West Fargo, North Dakota, this year and is hosted by the West Fargo Flyers. Today’s lineup featured the 200 free, 100 breast, 200 fly, women’s 800 free, and men’s 1500 free.
Due to the other four sites reaching their athlete cap, the West Fargo meet was opened to teams outside of the region.
The first event of the session was the women’s 200 free. Taking the win in a time of 2:03.23 was the #14 ranked swimmer in the class of 2024, Annika Parkhe. Parkhe, who placed 18th in the 50 fly at the Nationals Championships, finished ahead of 14-year-old Jaqueline Zipagan and 17-year-old Isabelle Enz. Zipagan, who swims for Bluefish Swim Club, swam a personal best of 2:05.30, while Enz, a Wisconsin commit, finished just behind in 2:05.44.
A pair of University of Minnesota swimmers claimed the top two spots in the men’s 200 free. The faster of the two and setting a new personal best by over three seconds was Kaiser Neverman. The rising senior touched in 1:50.12 ahead of future teammate Grant Wodny, whose 1:53.33 was also personal by over three seconds. Wodny will join Neverman on campus this fall.
Taking the women’s 100 breast was 13-year-old Grace Koenig-Song. Koenig-Song’s time of 1:12.13 was a little off her personal best of 1:10.53, a time that ranks her as the 23rd fastest in the 1314 age group. In a close race for second, it was Erika Ilkiu who finished in 1:12.74 ahead of Grace Drabot’s time of 1:12.89. Both of their times were new personal bests, with Ilkiu dropping 1.09 and Drabot dropping .1 of a second.
The University of Minnesota star breaststroker and three-time reigning NCAA champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, Max McHugh, won the men’s 100 breaststroke rather handily. His time of 1:00.49 was off of his personal best of 59.57, but more than fast enough for the win in West Fargo and faster than the 1:00.77 he swam at Nationals. Finishing 2nd in a new best time was Austin Swim Club’s Adam Fusti-Molnar. His time of 1:02.08 dipped under his former personal best of 1:02.19.
The women’s 200 fly saw a trio of teenagers top the field. Leading the way was All Star Aquatics Madeleine Simmons. The 16-year-old swam to a new personal best of 2:15.95, a drop of close to four seconds from the time she swam in May at a Sectionals meet in Richmond. Bluefish’s Kristina Dipietro, 17, and Scarlet Aquatics’s Elinor Schinsky, 19, rounded out the podium with a time of 2:17.51 and 2:17.52
The men’s 200 fly also saw three teenagers finishing one-two-three. Leading the way with a time of 2:02.77 was 17-year-old Alfred Robinson. The Aggie Swim Club product’s time was an improvement by over five seconds. The 2nd and 3rd-place finishers, Aiden Musick and Diego Rosario, also both 17, finished with respective times of 2:03.39 and 2:04.83.
The penultimate event was the women’s 800 free. Taking the win was Minnesota Golden Gopher Eliot Kennedy. Her time of 8:55.91 was a little off the 8:49.38 she swam at US Nationals, which was good for 33rd place. Finishing second was future Columbia Lion Mia Avasino, whose time of 9:06.70 was over a minute faster than her seed time. Entering the meet, she had a personal best of 9:14.64 dating back to July 2021.
The last and longest event of the evening saw the men’s 1500 free contested. Taking the win was Michigan’s Jack Callan. Callan took the win in 15:38.58, a massive improvement over the 15:52.92 he swam at the 2023 Summer Nationals meet. His swim in West Fargo also represents a new personal best by over three seconds. Rounding out the podium were a pair of teenagers, 17-year-old and Bellingham Bay Swim Team’s Miles Cratsenberg, who finished in 16:11.70, and Bluefish’s 16-year-old Zachary Parent, who finished in a time of 16:13.65.
NCAA champs should not be allowed to attend Futures. USA Swimming needs to re-implement their time standard cap for Futures in 2024 and beyond. Ridiculous.
McHugh should head to a pro program and commit to the long pool. Paris won’t happen from Minnesota.
McHugh and Callan should have gone to the Pro Swim in Irvine to make some cash….
McHugh and Callan should have gone to TYR Pro to win some money with those times.
i can’t be the only one who thinks futures should be for the “future” of swimming, not college/pro swimmers who fly past these kids.
Futures is supposed to be a stepping stone between lower level meets and national level meets. If you want to race against kids go to an age group meet.
Or college kids can go to Sectionals instead.
Futures was 18&U before
I think we need another championship meet. Let’s start pushing for Regional sr champs again. Because Nationals, Juniors, Senior zones, Sections, TYR Pro Champs, Futures, and LSC champs aren’t enough.
I hear that they are adding a northwest side of Pueblo Colorado Sr Swimming international championship
I forgot NCAA Summer Champs and YMCA LC champs. I suppose AAU has summer nats?
We have gone from everyone gets a trophy to everyone gets a national champ meet
Bro, let the kids swim
Parkhe committed to swim at Stanford not too long ago