Annam Olasewere Repeats as Ithaca Sectionals Champ, Enters Top-50 All Time for Age Group

2023 SPEEDO SPRING SECTIONAL – ITHACA

• March 23-26, 2023
• Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York
• Short Course Yards (25 Yards)
• Meet Central
• Results on MeetMobile: “2023 EZ North Speedo Short Course Sectionals”

For the second straight year, the women’s 50 free podium looked nearly identical. After winning the event last year as a fourteen-year-old, Annam Olasewere repeated the feat, touching in the same exact time of 22.37. Olasewere was joined by Sydney Arcella (23.06), who finished as the bronze medalist for the second straight year.

When Olasewere won the event last year as a fourteen-year-old, her time made her the 6th fastest performer all-time in the 13-14 age group. Now competing in the 15-16 age group, her time makes her the 35th fastest performer in that age group as well.

Olasawere, along with her sister Ayaan Olasewere, were both also members of Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club’s winning 400 free relay.With the help of Annam’s 49.31 split on the third leg of the race, the team finished in 3:24.70.

After winning the 100 fly on the second day of the meet, Aaron Baltaytis swept the butterfly events by picking up a win in the 200 fly on the second day of racing. Baltaytis posted a huge lifetime, taking two seconds off of his best time from December to finish in 1:44.64.

Baltaytis would later pick up his third individual title of the meet in the 100 back. Breaking 47.0 for the first time in his career, Baltaytis stopped the clock over a second ahead of the field with a time of 46.78.

With that time, Baltaytis now ranks as the 65th faster performer all-time in the age group while still only seventeen. He’s also the 6th fastest seventeen-year-old in the country this season.

Like Olasawere, Baltaytis was also a member of his team’s winning 400 free relay. Baltaytis led the relay off in 43.93, with the team ultimately winning in 3:02.04.

The women’s 200 breast came down to a two-way race between 100 breast champion Audrey Cohen and Commonwealth Swimming’s Sarah Bernard. The race ultimately went to Bernard, who took a second off of her lifetime best to win in 2:15.22.

While Cohen took silver in the 200 breast after winning the 100 breast, the men’s 100 breast runner-up Daniel Listor claimed his first title of the meet in the 200 breast. Only 16 years old, Listor narrowly missed finishing below two minutes in the race, touching at 2:00.31.

Listor has seen large improvements in the 200 breast after taking fifth in the race at this meet a year ago. In 2022, he finished fifth in the event, nearly five seconds slower in 2:05.05.

Crimson Aquatics picked up a title in the women’s 100 back. Quinn White came away with gold in the race, finishing in 54.45. That time ranks within the top-20 for 15-year-olds this season.

White would follow that performance with a runner-up finish in the 500 free one event later. That event was won by Alexa Reyna, who has now claimed three titles over three days of racing.

While Reyna claimed the title, she was well off of her lifetime best in the race. Reyna touched in 4:50.71, eight seconds off her time from last February.

Other Event Winners

• A former UNC Wilmington swimmer, Sean Cannon grabbed the top spot ahead of runner-up Donavan Jeng (20.51). Cannon was just off of his best time from college, touching in 20.31.
• 16-year old Clara Renner of Crimson Aquatics shaved a tenth off of her lifetime best to win gold in the 200 fly, touching in 2:01.89.
• After swimming a lifetime best 4:29.46 in the 500 free during prelims, Will Mulgrew dropped another three seconds during finals to claim the title in 4:26.80.
• The men of Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics claimed gold in the 200 medley relay with the team of Ryan Kakimseit, David Sacca, Satya Agashiwala, and Eric Slavin combining to touch at 1:31.81.
• The women’s 200 medley relay went to Emily Wang, Kim Tran, Thi Tran, and Sydney Arcella of Metro Area Life Time Swimming in 1:43.74.

Team Scores (Through Day 3)

Combined Scores

1. Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics – 649
2. Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club – 611
3. The Current – 526
4. Metro Area Life Time Swimming – 483
5. Peddie Aquatic Association – 476

Women’s Scores

1. Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics – 402
2. Metro Area Life Time Swimming – 341
3. Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club – 287
4. The Current – 175
5. Badger Swim Club – 231

Men’s Scores

1. Jersey Flyers Aquatic Club – 338
2. Peddie Aquatic Association – 329
3. Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club – 324
4. The Current – 251
5. Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics – 247