2024 Austin Sectionals
- July 11-14
- Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center
- Austin, Texas
- LCM (50 meters)
- Results on MeetMobile: “2024 ST TXLA SZ LC Sectional Champs”
Rising University of Texas sophomores Will Modglin and Nate Germonprez kicked off Austin Sectionals on Thursday night with lifetime bests in the 100-meter freestyle and 200 breaststroke, respectively.
Modglin fired off a personal-best 49.07 to win the 100 free, a few tenths quicker than his previous-best 49.41 from last month’s Olympic Trials, where he placed 28th. The 20-year-old also placed 6th in the 100 back (53.69) and 8th in 200 IM (1:58.44) at Trials last month.
Germonprez pulled off an impressive three-second drop in the 200 breast with a victory in 2:13.38, crushing his previous-best 2:16.86 from last summer. The 19-year-old placed 12th in the 200 IM at last month’s Trials, where he did not contest the 200 breast. Germonprez is now within a second of the time it took to make the 200 breast semifinals at Trials (2:12.23).
Modglin was the No. 2 recruit in the high school class of 2023 while Germonprez was ranked 5th.
Recent Texas A&M graduate Chloe Stepanek claimed the women’s 100 free crown in 54.99, just a few tenths off her Olympic Trials performance from last month (54.63) that placed 15th overall. The 22-year-old is in the NCAA transfer portal after spending her first four seasons swimming for the Aggies.
Stepanek reached the wall just a blink ahead of Texas graduate Grace Cooper, who earned a runner-up finish in 55.05. The 21-year-old touched within a couple tenths of the 54.91 she clocked at Olympic Trials last month en route to 21st place. Cooper’s lifetime best sits at 54.67 from last August.
The women’s 200 breast also came down to the wire as rising Texas junior Lindsey Hosch (2:35.43) eked past 17-year-old Aliana Marakovic (2:35.60). Hosch, 20, was only a few tenths shy of her personal-best 2:35.04 from May. Marakovic, a Harvard commit (’25), has been as fast as 2:33.69 last August.
Raphael Wang registered a lifetime best in the 200 breast on his way to 2nd place in 2:16.61. The 17-year-old Duke commit (’25) shaved more than a quarter of a second off his previous-best 2:16.87 from last month.
Texas graduate Emma Sticklen cruised to the women’s 200 butterfly victory in 2:08.95. The 22-year-old is coming off a solid showing at Olympic Trials last month that saw her post a personal-best 2:07.44 in semis before ultimately placing 4th in 2:08.07.
Matthew O’Konski captured the men’s 200 fly title in 2:03.84, dropping more than two seconds off his previous-best 2:06.02 from last July. The Crawfish Aquatics 17-year-old beat Logan Walker (2:04.48) and Andres Brooks (2:04.69) by less than a second.
Here comes the delusional cult of Texas fans that think Germonprez and Modglin will immediately make 3 A finals each thanks to bowman
Yes, but not because of Bowman, because they’re a couple of animals.
Modglin was already 9th and 11th in the backstrokes this year, and has he matched his best time in the 200 IM would have made the A final in that. It’s not much of a stretch to see him making 3 A finals next year even without a magical coaching job from Bowman.
Germonprez’s path is less clear. Seems like he’d go 2IM, 2FR, 1FR or 2BR, but the day 3 and day 4 events have a ways to go to get in that range.
What oxyswim said.
I can’t imagine he sticks to 2 free, Texas just has so many players in that event, I have to imagine him being a third entry in the breaststroke events would be more valuable.
Gotta comment this because I find it interesting, but it’s like Modglin and Germonprez take turns beating each other at big meets in the IM. This year- Modglin>Germonprez at Big 12’s, Germonprez>Modglin at NCAA’s, Modglin>Germonprez at Olympic Trials
Refreshing to not see the Sectionals GOAT Carson Foster here and preparing for the Olympics instead
Watch out Jay Litherland is gonna pull up and drop a 3:57
Here comes Germonprez’s switch to breast
blud is expecting him to go 50.9/1:50 after a few months of swimming breaststroke
Longhorn sprints are still cooked
I don’t think it’ll have been a few months, but yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 50.9 at some point, but likely 51.0-51.5 and 1:52ish.
They had an all freshman relay go 1:22.4 in the 2 medley last year. That does not seem cooked to me.
Also, they’ve got 2 19’s, a 20.0 and 3-4 43’s coming in this fall. Just need to see development