Pickrem, Gibson Shine At Texas Senior Circuit #2 In College Station

2018 Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet #2

• June 21-23, 2018
• College Station, Texas
• Texas A&M Student Rec Center Natatorium
• Results on Meet Mobile

The 2nd Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet took place over the weekend in College Station, with many top names in action. Most notably, many of the Aggie Swim Club swimmers and a few members of Team Elite were racing. Four swimmers won three events over the course of the meet: three Aggies, and Team Elite’s Sarah Gibson.

The 23-year-old Gibson swept the women’s fly events in times of 26.87, 59.07 and 2:12.09, with the 200 being a new season best (lowering her 2:13.37 from Santa Clara). The 200 fly was particularly an insane race, with places 1st through 7th separated by just 1.42 seconds (and 2nd through 7th by just 0.90). Dakota Luther (2:12.61), Remedy Rule (2:12.74) and Taylor Pike (2:12.84) also cracked 2:13 for 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

She was also the runner-up in the 100 freestyle, setting a new personal best in 55.84. That race was won by Aggie Swim Club’s Béryl Gastaldello in 55.32, not far off her tapered 54.67 done at French Nationals in May. Gastaldello also won the 50 free (25.73) and 50 back (28.48).

Sydney Pickrem, the 2017 World Championship bronze medalist in the 400 IM, had three wins herself in the 200 breast, 200 IM and 400 IM. In the 200 breast, she dominated the field in 2:26.97, with Jorie Caneta (who won the 50 and 100 breast) the runner-up in 2:30.32. In the 400 IM, she posted her fastest swim ever at a non-taper meet, clocking 4:41.12, and took the 200 IM easily in 2:10.99.

The only male to win four events was Aggie Mauro Castillo Luna, who swept the breaststrokes in 28.48, 1:03.65 and 2:14.75.

OTHER NOTABLE SWIMS

• Kaan Ayar of the Dallas Mustangs won the men’s 50 and 100 fly in times of 24.72 and 54.11, with the former being a new season best. He also was the runner-up in the 100 free, going his fastest time since 2016 in 51.32.
• 20-year-old Mike Thibert of the Aggie Swim Club won that 100 freestyle in 50.93, lowering his personal best time from the summer of 2016 (51.75). He also set lifetime bests in the 50 (23.34) and 200 free (1:53.67), placing 2nd and 1st respectively.
• Lisa Bratton won the women’s 100 (1:00.97) and 200 back (2:09.86), both being her fastest ever in-season.
• Evie Pfeifer of the University of Texas dropped a massive best time to win the women’s 400 free, knocking off over four seconds down to 4:12.01, while Aggie Swim Club member Haley Yelle knocked off nearly ten seconds for a close 2nd (4:12.04). Pfeifer also dropped a PB of 2:13.93 to take 2nd to Pickrem in the 200 IM, and Yelle set a best in winning the 800 free (8:42.40).
• Aggie Felipe Rizzo set a pair of personal best times in winning the 400 (3:55.46) and 1500 free (15:46.03).
• Another Aggie Benjamin Walker set a few best times in the 200 IM (2:03.34) and 200 breast (2:14.95), winning the former. He also won the 400 IM in his 2nd fastest performance ever (4:22.63).