13-Year Old Hannah Marinovich Is the New Youngest 2020 Olympic Trials Qualifier

2020 COLLEGE STATION SECTIONALS

• February 27th-March 1st, 2020
• Texas A&M University Rec Center, College Station, Texas
• SCY Prelims/LCM Finals
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2020 Speedo Sectionals Championship Series” (or search “College Station”)

After winning the 200 back on Friday in a lifetime best of 1:58, former Texas Longhorn Sam Stewart added a win in the 200 free on Saturday at the College Station, Texas Sectional Championship meet.

Stewart swam a 1:36.50 in the yards prelims and a 1:49.15 in the meters final of the event. That long course time is another lifetime best for Stewart, improving upon the 1:51.60 that he swam last summer. It also makes him the 11th-best American in that event this season, with the top 6 at the U.S. Olympic Trials typically earning spots on the Olympic team as members of the 800 free relay.

Also this weekend, Stewart swam a 2:02.69 in the 200 meter fly and a 3:41.97 in the 400 yard IM in prelims before scratching the final.

The most intriguing swim on the women’s side of the racing didn’t come from a winner. Texas A&M post-grad and Mexican national Esther Gonzalez won the women’s 200 breaststroke in 2:29.13. She just edged-out Clovis, California 13-year old Hannah Marinovich, who was 2nd in 2:29.15. That’s the fastest-ever time by an American 13-year old in the event.

That time also puts Marinovich well under the Olympic Trials standard of 2:33.29. Her previous best time was 2:33.93. Marinovich, who just turned 13 in the middle of last summer, is the new youngest qualifier for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Trials. She’s just a few days younger than Erika Pelaez, who will also be only 13 when next year’s Olympic Trials roll around.

Other Day 3 Winners:

• Texas A&M post-grad Claire Rasmus won the women’s 200 free final in 2:00.22, followed by fellow Aggie Katie Portz in 2:00.35. The top junior finisher was Katie Crom, a 16-year old from the Mission Viejo Nadadores, in 2:00.71. That’s her best time by more than a second-and-a-half and gives her an Olympic Trials cut in the event. She now has Trials cuts in three events: the 200 free, 200 fly, and 400 IM.
• Texas post-grad Will Licon won the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:10.84. That’s half-a-second slower than he was his last time out in January at the Pro Swim Series meet in Knoxville. Runner-up Colin Feehery earned his first Olympic Trials cut in the event in 2:14.89 for 2nd, as did the runner-up, 15-year old Zhier Fan, in 2:17.54.
• 17-year old US National Teamer Lillie Nordmann won the women’s 100 fly in 59.89.
• Texas commit Coby Carrozza, who trains with Longhorn Aquatics, won the men’s 100 fly in 53.90 (after a yards 48.32 in prelims). That’s a new best time by a narrow margin of .03 seconds. He also won the 200 fly on Friday in 2:01.26, and also and a pair of individual runner-up finishes in the 100 free and 200 free.
• Another Texas A&M post-grad, Sydney Pickrem, won the women’s 400 IM in 4:42.30. Katie Crom finished 2nd in 4:50.13.
• Rising junior distance swimmer David Johnston added his 4th Olympic Trials cut via a 4:23.40 win in the men’s 400 IM on Saturday. He also picked up a cut this week in the 400 free (3:56.20) to go with previous cuts in the 800 and 1500 free last summer. He’ll be joined at Trials by Jed Michael Jones (4:25.28), Jacques Rathle (4:25.65), and Tyler Kopp (4:25.87), all of whom booked their first Olympic Trials cuts in Saturday’s 400 IM race.
• Nitro won the women’s 400 medley relay in 4:19.90, while Metroplex Aquatics won the men’s relay in 3:50.52.

Team Scores After Day 3

Men’s Top 5:

1. Mission Viejo Nadadores – 211
2. Longhorn Aquatics – 194
3. KATY Aquatics – 170
4. Metroplex Aquatics – 157
5. Clovis Swim Club – 151

Women’s Top 5:

1. Mission Viejo Nadadores – 182
2. Lakeside Aquatic Club – 155
3. Clovis Swim Club – 125
4. DART Swimming – 122
5. Magnolia Aquatic Club – 110