2025 Columbia Sectionals Day 2 Recap

2025 Speedo Sectionals – Columbia

• Wednesday, July 9 – Saturday, July 12
• Mizzou Aquatics Center, Columbia, MO
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Packet
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results on Meet Mobile” Region VIII Speedo Summer Sectionals”

The 2025 Columbia Sectionals meet hit the halfway mark last night with more impressive performances by midwestern college stars and age groupers.

European student-athletes showed out in the first individual event of the night, the 200 freestyle. On the men’s side, NCAA Division II runner-up Volodymyr Gavrysh picked up a dominant win in 1:49.44. He was the only swimmer under 1:51, and he now sits less than a second and a half from Illia Linnyk’s 1:48.13 Ukrainian National Record. The women’s event went to Giulia Marchi, a rising Nebraska senior originally from Italy. Marchi stopped the clock in 2:02.94, over a second better than her previous listed personal best of 2:04.00 from this meet last year.

Representing Razorback Aquatics, Hayden Gibson became the meet’s first double winner by capturing the 400 IM title. The University of Arkansas commit posted a 4:53.12, beating her 4:54.43 best time from earlier in the summer. Gibson previously won the 200 backstroke yesterday.

After a narrow 50 fly loss yesterday, 16-year-old Lucy Velte came back to dominate the 100 fly. Representing Empire KC Swim Club, Velte touched in 1:00.38, .08 off her personal best. Velte also anchored Empire KC’s victorious 200 free relay. The team logged a time of 1:46.04.

The other three 200 relays went to the host pool team, the University of Missouri. The Tiger men clocked 1:31.89 in the 200 freestyle relay and 1:39.86 in the medley relay. Of note, Grant Bochenski, 50 back finalist at U.S. Nationals, led off the medley relay in 25.29. The women’s 200 medley relay went to the Tigers as well, punching a 1:55.79.

A Mizzou swimmer also won the men’s 400 IM. Matthew Mortenson stopped the clock in 4:26.72, holding off a charging Andrew Baklanov (4:27.47).

At the time of publication, the men’s 100 fly results were still pending. We’ll report on those results on the day three recap tomorrow.

In the team race, TST has taken a dominant lead on the men’s side, while Empire KC leads the way on the women’s side.

Team Results After Day 2

Men:

1. Tsunami Swim Team of K.C. — 745.5
2. Parkway Swim Club — 532
3. Empire KC Swim Club — 485

Women:

1. Empire KC Swim Club — 633.5
2. Razorback Aquatic Club — 491
3. Club Husker — 332