Caitlin Hurley Completes Distance Event Sweep on Final Day of Buffalo Sectionals

2023 SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – BUFFALO

• March 23-26, 2023
• Burt Flickinger Center, Buffalo, New York
• Long Course Meters (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Results on MeetMobile: “2023 Speedo Sectional Championship”

On the final day of racing at the Buffalo Sectionals, Caitlin Hurley completed the sweep of the distance events, winning the 800 free after claiming the 400 free and 1500 free titles earlier in the meet.

Hurley was dominant in the event, winning the race by over 10 seconds. Hurley touched in 9:09.18, shaving three seconds off of her lifetime best.

Hurley was trailed by Ginger Strickland who, at only thirteen years old, touched at 9:19.36. With that time, Strickland ranks as the 6th fastest performer in the age group and the 3rd fastest 13-year-old in the country this season.

After finishing second or third in three other events across the weekend, NBAC’s Katy Pacher finally claimed gold in the 100 free. The race came down to Pacher and Anna Boemer, with Pacher claiming the gold by half a second in 58.02.

While Pacher won the event, her time was well off of her lifetime best of 57.01 from last summer. That time came from the 2022 Junior National Championships where Pacher finished 26th during prelims, narrowly missing out on a second swim. Pacher is committed to UCLA for this fall.

After finishing as the runner-up in the 100 back earlier in the meet, Star Swimming’s Mira Keller closed out her weekend by claiming the top spot in the women’s 200 back. Keller won the event in a close battle with NBAC’s Mabel Koff, touching in 2:15.49. Koff was right behind in 2:15.58.

Koff would later come up short again later in the session, finishing 5th in the 200 IM (2:26.18). That title was claimed by teammate Ana Hazlehurst, who touched in 2:18.80.

For Hazlehurst, that time marks an improvement of nearly three seconds from her best entering the weekend. Prior to yesterday, she had never been faster than 2:21.0 in the race.

The men’s 200 back went to Annapolis Swim Club’s Joseph Hayburn. After swimming below the Olympic Trials cut on his way to earning gold in the 100 back on day three of the meet, Hayburn completed the backstroke sweep, winning in 2:02.64.

While that swim is a lifetime best by nearly a second, Hayburn still has some work to do before adding the event to his lineup for Omaha next summer. He’s currently roughly a second away from the time standard which stands at 2:01.69.

The men’s champion in the 100 fly earlier in the meet, Alex Behr, a sophomore at St. Bonaventure, closed out his meet by winning his second title in the 100 free. He finished in a lifetime best 51.93.

That performance also makes Behr one of the top-performing Germans in the event this year. Since the start of the year, he one of only 15 swimmers from the country to finish under 52.0 in the event.

In a close battle, Star Swimming came out on top over Annapolis Swim Club in the men’s 200 free relay. The team of Hugh Harrison, Paul Wissel, Aaron Gasiewicz, and Peter Peyser was extremely consistent, splitting within tenths of each other for a final time of 1:37.43. The team finished with an average split of 24.35.

Annapolis Swim Club would later get it’s revenge in the 400 medley relay by not only winning, but taking second place as well. The team’s A-relay touched in 3:58.21 while it’s B-team was just being in 3:59.33.

Other Event Winners

• Aaron Gasiewicz led the field in the men’s 200 IM, winning the event in 2:07.17.
• The men’s 1500 went to NBAC’s Patrick Branon who finished just off his lifetime best in 16:18.60.
• Melissa Nwakalor, Pacher, Koff, and Hazlehurt won the 200 free relay for NBAC, touching in 1:46.93 to lead the event by nearly four seconds.
• Nwakalor was later replaced by Katherine Sanders on the team’s 400 medley relay that took gold in 4:19.21.

Team Score (Final)

Combined Scores

1. North Baltimore Aquatic Club – 1793.5
2. Annapolis Swim Club – 888.5
3. Victor Swim Club – 827
4. Star Swimming – 724
5. Eagle Swim Team – 610

Women’s Scores

1. North Baltimore Aquatic Club – 1234.5
2. Star Swimming – 353.5
3. Victor Swim Club – 321
4. Annapolis Swim Club – 308
5. Solo Aquatics – 240

Men’s Scores

1. Annapolis Swim Club – 580.5
2. North Baltimore Aquatic Club – 559
3. Victor Swim Club – 506
4. Eagle Swim Team – 390
5. Star Swimming 370.5