Big nights for Hoff, Beisel at Orlando Sectional Friday night

U.S. Olympians Katie Hoff and Elizabeth Beisel had two big races each at Thursday night’s finals session of the Orlando Sectional. Each won once and took second in the other race.

Hoff won the head-to-head meeting between the two in the 200 free. The 2004 and 2008 Olympian went 1:58.29 to blow out the field, including Beisel, who was 2:00.41 for second place. Hoff’s time bettered her season-best by a half-second, and she now ranks 4th in the nation in the event this year behind only Katie Ledecky, Allison Schmitt and Missy Franklin.

Hoff came back one event later to take second in the 100 breast, with another season-best. Her 1:08.60 is almost two seconds faster than her previous best. That event went to Jamaican Olympian Alia Atkinson, who had a fantastic swim herself: 1:06.86 which is faster than her winning time from the Grand Prix event held in the same city earlier this season..

Also in that race was incoming Michigan freshman Emily Kopas, who went 1:10.71.

Beisel got her win in the 400 IM, a race we recently picked her to win at the national championships. Beisel went 4:35.84, cruising to a win by over 13 seconds.

The men’s 200 free went to a pair of Beisel’s Florida teammates. Dan Wallace went 1:49.76 for the win, just touching out teammate Mitch D’Arrigo’s 1:49.83. The Gators also got a 1-2 finish in the men’s 400 IM. Eduardo Solaeche-Gomez went 4:20.37, just touching out teammate Connor Signorin and his 4:20.80.

In-state rivals Florida State got a win in the men’s 100 breast, with graduated senior Jared Pike going 1:02.41. The Seminoles also won the men’s 100 fly, with another alumnus, Pavel Sankovich, going 52.88. He beat Florida’s Marcin Cieslak.

2012 Olympian Claire Donahue won the women’s 100 fly. The Western Kentucky swimmer went 1:00.17, just knocking on the door of a sub-minute swim. She just beat out Florida’s Natalie Hinds (1:00.51).

Gator Swim Club won both of the 4 x 200 free relays, with the men going 7:42.29 (Diago Decarvalho led off in 1:53.96 for the fastest split) and the women 8:28.87 (anchor Kahra Williams was 2:05.93).

Full results are available on Meet Mobile under “2014 SZS Summer Sectionals.”