ASU Commit Lleyton Plattel (PLS) Goes 15:03 in Mile At Monterey Park Sectional

2019 Speedo Sectionals – Monterey Park

• Friday, December 13 – Monday, December 16, 2019
• East Los Angeles College – Monterey Park, CA
• Short course yards (SCY) format
• Full results available on Meet Mobile under “Speedo Sections 2019 CA-NV December 2019”

High school senior and Arizona State commit Lleyton Plattel swept the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyles at the Monterey Park Sectional meet in California.

Plattel, who swims for the Pleasanton Seahawks, hit lifetime-bests in all three races in Monterey Park. His 200 was his first-ever foray under 1:40, with a 1:38.63 in prelims. He’d go 1:39.16 to win the final. Same story in the 500, where Plattel went 4:21.58 in heats to shave three seconds from his best, before cruising to a finals win in 4:25.79. Plattel was also 15:03.81 in the 1650, a drop of 19 seconds and perhaps his most impressive swim of the weekend. High schoolers under fifteen minutes are relatively rare, and the 17-year-old Plattel is looking like a top-flight distance pickup for Arizona State next year.

15-year-old Sydney Lu was one of the stars of the girls meet. The Pleasanton Seahawk won the 100 fly (53.68), 200 fly (2:00.33), 200 IM (2:03.50)and 400 IM (4:23.87). The 100 fly and both IMs were all lifetime-bests. Lu is only a high school sophomore, but is rising fast, particularly in that sprint butterfly.

A few other notable swims:

• Breakout breastroker Brandon Fischer was in action, swimming for the Livermore Aqua Cowboys. The 30-year-old Wyoming alum has surged onto the U.S. national scene in long course, but here won the short course 100 breast (52.78), 200 fly (1:46.75), 200 IM (1:48.95) and 100 fly (48.07).
• Texas commit Zac Van Zandt of CCAT Swimming won the 100 free, dropping his best time from 44.4 to 44.02. He was also second to Fischer in the 100 breast, going 53.15 for a new best by two seconds.
• Monterey Park Manta Ray 15-year-old William Kim swept the men’s backstrokes in 50.52 and 1:49.31. That 200 was his first time under 1:50.
• Livermore Aqua Cowboys swimmer Abigail Herscu added a women’s breaststroke sweep, going 1:03.32 and 2:17.31. That’s just off personal bests for the high school sophomore.
• 14-year-old Lily Neumann of Westside Aquatics had a huge drop of five seconds to win the 200 free in 1:49.71. That’s just outside the top 100 all-time in the age group for Neumann, who was also second in the 50 free.
• Fellow 14-year-old Claire McLean won both the 50 (23.18) and 100 free (49.69). The Los Angeles Swim Club swimmer dropped four tenths in the 50 and almost a second in the 100. That 100 free moves to #31 all-time for the 13-14 age group, and the 50 also cracks the top 100 of all-time.