10 Olympic Trials Cuts Earned at Minneapolis Sectionals on Day Four

FULL RESULTS HERE

Katie Drabot kicked things off in Minneapolis with a win in the 200 IM, posting a 2:14.89, just missing a personal best. She and 2nd place finisher Beata Nelson (2:18.15), one of the best junior short course butterfliers in the nation, each were under the Olympic Trials standard of 2:18.69. That’s Nelson’s third Trials cut, as she already has cuts in the 100 fly and 100 back, as well as a best time for her.

On the men’s side, NASA Wildcat Aquatics’ Jae Park earned his first-ever Olympic Trials cut in the 200 IM. Coming into the meet having never been under 2:04 in long course, Park swam a 2:03.89 to clear the Trials cut by well over a second. Wisconsin Aquatics’ Brett Pinfold finished in 2nd in 2:04.42 for a new cut. Pinfold’s had a great meet, cracking 50 seconds in the 100 free for the first time and almost getting under 1:50 in the 200 free (just four hundredths shy).

Five swimmers clocked times clearing Olympic Trials qualifying standards in the 50 free. On the women’s side, Wisconsin Aquatics’ Chase Kinney won in 25.61, a new best time. Drabot, in her 2nd swim of the session, placed right behind her at 26.05, though she’s been under 26 before. For the men, Wisconsin Aquatics’ Cannon Clifton slid under 23 seconds for the win at 22.92, followed by Minnesota Aquatics’ Daryl Turner at 23.04. Club Hawkeye’s Jackson Halsmer hit the OT cut on the money, going 23.29 for third.

OTHER WINNERS:

• Wisconsin Aquatics’ Matt Hutchins won the 1500 free in 15:35.11, the only swimmer under 16 minutes. He qualified for Olympic Trials, but he actually represents New Zealand on the international stage. Hutchins obliterated both the pool and meet records. The pool record was a 15:58.04 done by Marcus Guttmann (Wisconsin Aquatics) while the meet record was 15:44.57 by Mike Holmes (Minnesota Aquatics).
• Kirsten Jacobsen of Barrington Swim Club won the women’s 1500 in 16:46.26, taking over two seconds off of her pool and meet records.
• This isn’t a win, but on Club Hawkeye’s 2nd place 400 medley relay, 19-year-old Jack Smith split a 49.92 anchor leg.
• Also not a win, but Mickayla Hinkle of St. Croix Swim Club led off her 400 medley relay in 1:03.21, nearly a personal best and her first 2016 Trials cut. She actually made 2012 Trials as a 15 year old in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes, but hadn’t cleared the 2016 standard of 1:03.39 yet during the qualifying period which started July 30th, 2014. Hinkle went 1:03.42 in the individual 100 back, just missing the cut, but came back in the relay to punch her ticket to Omaha.