Crow Canyon Sharks Sweep Women’s Events in Dominant Opening Night of Novato Sectionals

2024 Novato Sectionals

• July 18-21, 2024
• Miwok Aquatic Center
  • Novato, California
• LCM (50 meters)
• Results on MeetMobile: “2024 PC Novato CA/NV Speedo Sectionals”

The first night of Novato Sectionals came to a speedy conclusion on Thursday evening with a pair of Crow Canyon Country Club Shark teenagers tallying lifetime bests in the 200 butterfly.

Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 17-year-old Ellie Butler opened the first finals session in Novato by taking the women’s 200 fly title in 2:17.26. The Notre Dame commit (’25) knocked more than half a second off previous-best 2:17.80 from March to beat Alto Swim Club 15-year-old Lauren Fanucchi (2:19.92), who dropped more than half a second off her previous-best 2:20.51 from last July.

The men’s 200 fly saw Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 16-year-old Blake Hill triumph in 2:02.80, almost two seconds quicker than his previous-best 2:04.39 from May. He needed a lifetime best to take down LaMirada Armada 15-year-old Anthony Dornoff (2:04.14), who narrowly missed his personal-best 2:04.10 from May.

Olympic Trials finalist Raya Mellott picked up a victory in the women’s 200 breaststroke (2:32.25), only a couple seconds shy of what she clocked en route to 8th place (2:30.19) at Lucas Oil Stadium last month. The Virginia commit (’25) posted a personal-best 2:28.61 in the semifinals at Trials. LaMirada Armada 17-year-old Clemence Choy blazed a best time of 2:34.02 to snag 2nd place behind Mellott. She shaved almost a second off her previous-best 2:34.88 from March.

One of the most impressive drops of the day came courtesy of Orinda Aquatics 17-year-old Ethan Taylor in the men’s 200 breast at 2:19.75. He annihilated his previous-best 2:28.51 from last July by almost nine seconds to eke past LaMirada Armada 16-year-old Elonzo Madison Santos (2:19.79) by just .04 seconds.

Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 16-year-old Liberty Clark cruised to victory in the women’s 100 free with a time of 56.23. The Indiana commit (’25) has been as fast as 54.98 in May. Orinda Aquatics 16-year-old Elise Gratton touched 2nd in 57.96, blowing away her previous-best 59.37 from March.

North Bay Aquatics 18-year-old Marre Gattnar captured the men’s 100 free crown in 50.66. The Harvard commit (’24) was just two tenths shy of his personal-best 50.46 from last weekend’s Super League Championships in Santa Rosa. Brea Aquatics 17-year-old Daniel Benson reached the wall within a second of Gattnar at 51.55, more than a second faster than his previous-best 52.86 from last month.

Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 16-year-old Lillyana Caples showed off her distance prowess with a women’s 1500 free win in 16:52.85. Caples crushed her previous-best 17:20.14 from March by more than 27 seconds. LaMirada Aquatics 17-year-old Mayu Yager earned the runner-up finish in 17:34.69, a few seconds off her personal-best 17:31.99 from last month.

Alto Swim Club 16-year-old Garic Shao secured the men’s 800 free title in 8:23.40, dropping almost 17 seconds off his previous-best 8:40.38 from March. Shao held off a spirited battle from LaMirada Armada 17-year-old Leon Mikulski (8:25.03), who knocked more than 12 seconds off his previous-best 8:39.87 from last month.