August Vetsch Drops Over 2 Seconds in the 200 Free to Grab His 2nd Win of Phoenix Sectionals

Braden Keith
by Braden Keith 0

March 23rd, 2024 Club, News

2024 SPEEDO SPRING SECTIONALS – PHOENIX

  • March 21-24, 2024
  • Phoenix Country Day Aquatic Center, Paradise Valley, Arizona
  • Long Course Meters (50 meters)
  • Psych Sheet
  • Meet Central
  • Day 1 Meet Recap
  • Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 Speedo Sectionals – Phoenix, AZ”

Gavin Keogh gave Flatiron Athletic Club a fourth win of the meet, though the wins were more-broadly distributed on day 2 of Phoenix Sectionals on Friday.

Keogh led the field in the boys’ 100 backstroke in 55.82, winning by a second-and-a-half. That’s his personal best time by four-tenths of a second, clearing a swim her did in early February. In total, he’s dropped a full second since announcing his commitment to NC State in November.

NC State has one of the best backstroke groups in the country – they return all 23 points they scored at NCAAs last year, which was the second-most of any school behind Arizona State.

In the girls’ 200 freestyle, Mila Nikanova won in 2:01.67 – a new best time by two tenths. This is her first full-schedule long course meet since swimming best times in four different events at the Colorado Senior Meet last month – including in the 1000 and 1650 freestyles at a mile of altitude.

Her Highlands Ranch teammate Gabi Dyer was 2nd in 2:02.55 and Flatiron’s Amelia Mason was 3rd in 2:03.89, all in best times, including a four second drop for Dyer.

August Vetsch from Swim Neptune won his second race in as many days, swimming a 1:51.84 in the 200 free to beat his teammate Jason Sugihara by half-a-second. Vetsch’s best time coming into the meet was 1:54.25 from last July that follows a nearly-three second drop in the short course season.

He won the 100 free on Thursday in a best time as well.

Vetsch is committed to swim at Cal next fall.

Other Day 2 Winners & Highlights

  • Ryley Clark, who trains with Phoenix swim Club but is racing unattached, won the 100 back in 1:04.15. She used a 32.84 back-half to overcome her 26-year-old Venezuelan training partner Carla Gonzalez, who was 2nd in 1:04.21 (closing 50 – 33.58).
  • Abe Lee from Olympus Aquatics in Utah won the boys’ 400 IM in 4:29.32, a best time by almost two seconds.
  • Eunice Lee from the Santa Clara Swim Club won the girls’ 400 IM in a runaway, touching in 4:55.33.
  • Phoenix Swim Club won the 400 free relay in 3:43.12 with a team of Gonzalez (57.48), Maryjane Nelson (58.88), Danielle Gleason (57.78), and Anna Mikish (58.98).
  • SwimNeptune won the boys’ 400 free relay with a team of Aaron Martin (52.46), Bartek Bednarz (54.68), Jason Sugihara (51.69), and August Vetsch (49.73).

Team Scores After Day 2

Combined Top 5:

  1. Phoenix Swim Club – 1291
  2. Scottsdale Aquatic Club – 752
  3. Gold Medal Swim Club – 746
  4. Highlands Ranch Aquatics – 683
  5. Swim Neptune – 656

Boys Top 5:

  1. Phoenix Swim Club – 547
  2. Scottsdale Aquatic Club – 484
  3. Swim Neptune – 437
  4. Flatiron Athletic Club – 345
  5. Foothills Swim Team – 336.5

Girls Top 5:

  1. Phoenix Swim Club – 744
  2. Gold Medal Swim Club – 510
  3. Highland Ranch Aquatics – 416
  4. Flatiron Athletic Club – 297
  5. Scottsdale Aquatic Club – 268

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About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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