Bella Sims Clocks 1:51.69 200 Back on Final Day of CA Sectionals, #9 15-16

2021 CA/NV SPEEDO SECTIONALS – HUNTINGTON BEACH

• December 16-19, 2021
• Golden West College, Huntington Beach, California
• Hosted by Golden West Swim Club (GWSC)
• SCY (25 yards)
• Event Page
• Meet Info
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2021 CA Dec CA NV Speedo Sect at GWSC w/DITCH”

Team Scores (Top 5)

Women

1. Sandpipers of Nevada – 1033
2. Pleasanton Seahawks – 738
3. Sierra Marlins Swim Team – 579
4. La Mirada Armada – 530
5. Riverside Aquatics Association – 273.5

Men

1. Sandpipers of Nevada – 918
2. Evolution Racing Club – 651
3. Las Vegas Swim Club – 465
4. Irvine Novaquatics – 446.5
5. Alpha Aquatics – 440

The Sandpipers of Nevada flexed their distance freestyle muscles on Sunday in Huntington Beach. Olympic Silver medalist Bella Sims (16) won the women’s 1650 free in 15:48.70, adding just 0.02 seconds to her personal best. Given the amount of racing Sims has done in the past week and a half, it’s impressive she can still get up to race a mile. She won the race by 26.32 seconds, nearly lapping every other swimmer in the field.

It was 13-year-old La Mirada Armada swimmer Kayla Han who took 2nd, swimming a massive new personal best of 16:15.02. The swim marked a personal best by 24.75 seconds for Han, and even more impressively, she’d just swum that previous best in November. With the swim, Han is now the #4 13-year-old all-time in the SCY 1650, and the #22 13-14 all-time.

Sandpipers 17-year-old Paige Kuwata took 3rd, swimming a 16:19.48. Kuwata was 8 seconds off her personal best of 16:11.10, which she swam last Saturday at the Speedo Winter Junior Championships West in Austin, TX.

The Sandpipers went 1-2-3 in the men’s 100 free tonight, led by 17-year-old Brice Barrieault, who won the event in 9:02.27. For Barrieault, the performance was a personal best by 10 seconds. His previous best of 9:12.22 was set in January of 2020. Ilya Kharun, who has been lighting it up in the fly events and IMs since last week, took 2nd with a 9:02.58. It was a massive personal best, melting 41 seconds off his previous mark if 9:43.89, which he swam in October of 2020. Kharun now sits at #31 all-time in the 15-16 age group. 15-year-old Luke Ellis swam a 9:12.76 for 3rd, dropping 33.5 seconds from his previous best.

Bella Sims had a huge performance to win the women, taking the race in 1:51.69. The swim was well under Sims’ previous best of 1:53.66. She took the race out fast, splitting 54.25 on the opening 100, before coming home in 57.44. With the performance, Sims is now #9 all-time in the 15-16 girls age group.

Clovis Swim Club 34-year-old Danielle Herrmann completed her sweep of the women’s breaststroke events, taking the 200 in 2:11.78. The swim was close to Herrmann’s personal best of 2:10.27, which she swam back in 2014. Kayla Han was back in action in the 200 breast as well, swimming a personal best of 2:17.73.

32-year-old Brandon Fischer took the men’s 200 breast in 1:54.85. After swimming a lifetime best in the 100 breast on Saturday, Fischer was just off his personal best mark of 1:54.10 tonight.

Other Event Winners:

• Women’s 100 Free: Vasilissa Buinaia (NOVA) – 49.75
• Men’s 100 Free: Jesse Novak (NOVA) – 43.54
• Men’s 200 Back: Joshua Hanson (NOVA) – 1:45.89