Piper Enge Puts Up New PB of 1:07.27 in the LCM 100 Breast (Federal Way Sectionals Day 3)

2024 NORTHWEST SPRING SPEEDO SECTIONALS

• March 14-17, 2024
• Weyerhauser King County Aquatic Center, Federal Way, WA
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Psych Sheet
• Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Recap

Following his excellent 2:09 200 breast on the first day of the Federal Way Sectionals meet, 24-year-old Daniel Roy was back in action in the 100 breast on Saturday. Roy won the men’s 100 breast in 1:01.36, winning the race by nearly a second. He was a touch faster in prelims, where he swam a 1:00.91. That prelims swim comes in just a hair off his career best of 1:00.88, which he swam back in May of 2021. Though he’s stronger in the 200 breast than the 100, Roy is certainly peaking into shape at the right time to make some noise at the US Olympic Trials in about 3 months.

The women’s 100 breast saw Bellevue Club’s Piper Enge, 17, win with a huge swim of 1:07.27. Enge, who competed for the US team at the World Championships last month, where she came in 6th in the 50 breast, swam a new career best with her performance tonight. Her previous best of 1:07.29 was swum at the World Junior Championships in September of last year. Though it was a personal best, Enge still remains at #9 all-time among American 17-18s in the event.

King Aquatic Club 16-year-old Aiden Hammer continued his win streak on day 3 of the meet, ripping a huge new career best of 2:02.43 to win the men’s 200 back. It was a massive performance for the teen, who came into the day with a personal best of 2:06.16, which he swam at the Boise Sectional meet last summer. He swam a consistent race, splitting 1:00.07 on the first 100, then coming home in 1:02.36 on the back half.

Pikes Peak Athletics 16-year-old Madi Mintenko also continued to win events on Saturday, throwing down a 4:12.60 to take the women’s 400 free. She won the race decisively, touching as the only swimmer in the field under 4:20. Mintenko has been as fast as 4:08.06 in her career, a time which she swam at the World Junior Championships last September.

Spokane Waves Aquatic Team 18-year-old Michael Hochwalt, fresh off a huge swim in the 400 IM on Friday night, won the men’s 400 free in a close race with Aiden Hammer. Hochwalt got out to a 55.66 on the opening 100, then put up 100 splits of 59.33, 1:00.85, and 59.62 the rest of the way, getting him into the finish in 3:55.46. Though Hammer touched less than half a second behind Hochwalt, the two swam very different races. Hammer was out in 57.29, then split 1:00.07 on the 2nd 100, which put him into the 200m turn at 1:57.36, which was well behind Hochwalt’s split of 1:54.99. Hammer then clocked a 59.94 on the 3rd 100, then came roaring home in 58.54, marking a 1:58.48 on the 2nd 200, which put him into the finish in 3:55.84. Hochwalt’s performance marked his first time under 4:00 in the event, and he picked up the US Olympic Trials cut of 3:55.59 with the swim.

OTHER EVENT WINNERS

• Women’s 200 back: Finley Anderson (Denver Hilltoppers) – 2:14.84
• Women’s 100 fly: Mena Boardman (Unattached) – 1:00.19
• Men’s 100 fly: PJ Foy (Glacier Swim Club) – 53.44
• Women’s 800 free relay: Bellevue Club ‘A’ (Alexa McDevitt, Gracyn Kehoe, Piper Enge, Sophia Sunwoo) – 8:20.42
• Men’s 800 free relay: King Aquatic Club ‘A’ (Aiden Cole, Andrew Coombs, Samuel Metzgar, Aiden Hammer) – 7:46.76