Cook and Pearl Win 4th Events Each to Close College Station Sectionals

2018 COLLEGE STATION SECTIONALS

• March 1st-4th, 2018
• Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
• 25y (SCY) Course
• Results – Meet Mobile “2018 Speedo Sectionals Championship Series”

Texas commit Julia Cook won her 4th race of the meet and lost only to an Olympian in the 50 free, just missing a 5th title, on the final day of the 2018 College Station Sectional Championships.

Cook’s first swim of the final session came in the 100 back, where she won in 51.64 – beating out her own lifetime best of 52.37. She followed that up with a new lifetime best in the 50 free as well, swimming 22.19.

In that 50 free, though, she lost to Texas A&M senior and French Olympian Beryl Gastaldello, who swam a 22.03. After missing the SEC Championship meet for undisclosed reasons, Gastaldello, who was already qualified for the NCAA Championships, has shown to be in at least a solid form at this weekend’s meet.

Former Aggie and Mexican Record holder Liliana Ibanez took 3rd in 22.38.

Metroplex Aquatics’ Vanessa Pearl also grew her win total to 4, all of which came in the last 2 days of the meet. Sunday’s wins were in the 200 IM (1:58.29) and 100 breast (1:00.91), which added to Saturday victories in the 400 IM (4:11.35) and 200 breast (2:10.78).

Two of the men’s stars of the meet added more wins. Tigershark Swim Team member Noah Henry won the boys’ 100 back in 46.82, which nearly-matched the 46.80 he swam in the 100 fly on Saturday. He finished with 3 total wins, all in lifetime bests, this weekend.

Jason Park finished 2nd in that race in 47.29 and Gianluca Urlando was 3rd in 47.38. Urlando would later win the 200 IM in 1:46.69. That makes him the 3rd-fastest 15-year old ever in the event, behind only Michael Andrew and Shane Blinkman. He too ends the meet with 3 individual wins, having also topped the 200 fly and 400 IM.

Urlando finished the meet as the boys’ high point award winner.

Other Saturday Winners:

• Braden Vines from the City of Midland Swim Team own the boys’ 100 breaststroke in 54.01. That beast his winning time from last month’s Texas State Championship meet by two-tenths as his lifetime best.
• 25-year old Mexican swimmer Daniel Ramirez won the men’s 50 free in 19.82, followed by Katy Aquatics senior Kaloyan Bratanov in 20.01.
• Michael Calvillo won his first race of the meet in 15:05.65.
• Ashlyn Fiorilli won the girls’ 1650 free in 16:23.48, beating the field by over 22 seconds. Her teammate Gabrielle Kopenski won the 500 and 1000 earlier in the meet, but didn’t swim the mile.

Top 5 Men’s Teams:

1. Katy Aquatics – 320
2. Lakeside Aquatic Club – 261
3. Nitro Swimming – 240
4. Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics – 235
5. North Texas Nadadores – 207

Top 5 Women’s Teams:

1. Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics – 525.5
2. Club Wolverine – 335
3. Lakeside Aquatic Club – 294
4. Metroplex Aquatics – 273.5
5. DART Swimming – 253