Columbia Sectionals concluded with one of the fastest sessions we’ve seen yet. The Tsunami Swim Team of Kansas City, or TST, won the men’s team competition, leading from day one. Another K.C.-based team, Empire KC, emerged as the women’s champions.
Grant Bochenski, who placed 5th at U.S. Nationals in the 50 backstroke, won the same event last night. His time of 25.08 is the fastest he’s ever recorded outside of nationals, when he went 24.81. Bochenski competes for the University of Missouri.
Two age-group boys recorded eye-popping best times en route to wins. First up, 16-year-old Ty Thomas of River City Aquatics cut four seconds off his 200 IM best to touch first in the 200 IM. Thomas stopped the clock in 2:03.59, the #3 time for a 15-16 boy in the country this season. Then, Canaan Brice shaved an entire second off his 50 breast PR. Brice touched in 28.53 to top the podium, down from his 29.46 that the Jenks Trojan swimmer turned in at his age group championships last year.
Lucy Velte capped off a strong weekend in the sprint events with a win and new personal best in the 100 free. The 16-year-old of Empire KC dropped from 56.77 to 56.40.
In the women’s 50 backstroke, meanwhile, Celia Pulido finished with a 28.63, less than a quarter second off her own Mexican national record of 28.39.
After an impressive 400 free win, University of Texas commit Sydney Schoeck picked up a second one with a 2:16.03 200 IM. Schoeck improved upon the 2:16.70 she recorded at last year’s NCSA Championships.
The final distance events were swum just before the start of the session. The women’s 1500 free went to University of Nebraska athlete Riley Miklos, who slashed 11 seconds off her lifetime best to post a 17:07.27. Following Miklos, Deacon Gutshall of TST took the men’s 800 free in 8:15.52. This marks an eight-second PB for the TCU-bound Gutshall, who was part of the 1-2-3-4 TST mile sweep on the first day of this meet.
Other Final Day Highlights:
- Empire KC Swim Club, the women’s winner of the meet overall, defeated meet runner-up Razorback Aquatic Club in the 400 medley relay. Empire clocked 4:17.23, anchored in 56.19 by Velte, while Razorback touched one second behind in 4:18.16
- Karolina Bank of the University of Missouri handily won the women’s 50 breaststroke in 32.36, over a half second ahead of the rest of the field
- Vova Gavrysh racked up his third win of the meet, this time in the 100 free. The McKendree athlete hit 50.00 in the final after putting up 49.77 in the prelims.
- The final relay of the meet, the men’s 400 medley, went to Saluki in 3:52.13
Final Team Scores
Men:
- Tsunami Swim Team of K.C. — 1275.5
- Parkway Swim Club –- 1000
- University of Missouri — 835
Women:
- Empire KC Swim Club — 1137.5
- Razorback Aquatic Club — 982
- CSP Tideriders
Deacon gutshall my goat