2023 Indianapolis Speedo Sectionals
- March 23-26, 2023
- IU Natatorium – IUPUI, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
- Psych Sheet
- Meet Results (Post Session, under “Meet Days”)
- Meet Results on Meet Mobile: “Spring 2023 Speedo Sectionals”
Olympian Drew Kibler opted against using his 5th year of collegiate eligibility at the University of Texas, and so instead is racing this weekend in long course at the IU Natatorium. He kicked off his meet on Thursday with a new Meet Record and personal best of 22.23 to win the 50 free.
That cleared his own personal best of 22.27 and broke the Meet Record of another US National Teamer, Josh Schneider, who swam 22.24 at the 2010 meet.
Kibler is back home racing with his high school team at the Carmel Swim Club, and this swim marks his first personal best in either long course meters or short course yards since making the move (though he’s gone several short course meters bests since – a course he didn’t swim often before 2022).
He won over UIndy swimmer Diego Mas, who was 3rd at the D2 National Championships earlier this month. Mas, a Venezuelan native, swam 22.73.
The top-placing junior was Will Modglin, a Texas commit, in 22.89. That is .09 seconds away from the versatile senior’s personal best. He was the Indiana High School State Champion in the 50 yard free two weeks ago.
Kibler is scheduled to swim the 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, and 100 back later in the meet.
Among the other Paris Olympic hopefuls at this meet was Daniel Diehl, a 17-year-old from the Cumberland YMCA in rural Maryland. He swam 1:56.59 which smashed the old Meet Record of 1:59.20 done by Wyatt Davis at the 2019 meet.
That swim is just .18 seconds shy of his personal best from December that ranks him as the 5th-fastest 17-18 in US history.
Caleb Maldari was 2nd in 1:59.72, about four-tenths away from his personal best.
Those two are part of a big group of competitors who have traveled in from outside of the region to get some long course racing in. The list included Kayla Han from La Mirada Armada, who won the 800 free in 8:36.60. That’s about 8-tenths slower than her personal best that ranks her 8th all-time in the age group. That time does, however, give her an Olympic Trials cut in the event – her old personal best was before the qualifying period opened.
She was under the old Meet Record of 8:43.82 that was set by Alyssa Kiel in 2004, which was one of the oldest records at the meet. Runner-up Lynsey Bowen from Carmel Swim Club was 2nd in 8:39.85, also under the old Meet Record, as was 17-year old Kate Hurst from Scarlet Aquatics in New Jersey in 3rd in 8:42.78. All three hit Olympic Trials cuts.
Molly Sweeney, Carmel’s newest young star, won the girls’ 200 breast in 2:28.73. At just 15, that books her ticket to the Olympic Trials next year and is a three-and-a-half second improvement. She’s in the younger end of the age group, but that swim already moves her into the top 15 all-time among 15-16s.
At the Indiana HS state meet, as just a freshman, Sweeney won the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard IM.
Other Winners and Notables:
- 17-year-old Jojo Ramey won the 200 back in 2:10.27, which books her ticket to the Olympic Trials. She has won three consecutive spring Sectionals championships in this event, including her Meet Record of 2:09.72 from 2021. 15-year-old wunderkind Charlotte Crush swam 2:13.03 for 2nd, a personal best by more than a second and a new Olympic Trials cut, while her 16-year-old teammate Haley McDonald swam 2:13.28 did the same for 3rd place.
- Alex Shackell, another member of the dominant Carmel High School girls’ team, won the girls’ 50 free in 25.25. That knocked half-a-second off her previous personal best and beat Lily Christianson of Irish Aquatics, who won the Indiana state title in yards last month. Both swimmers cleared the Olympic Trials standard.
- Luke Whitlock from the Fishers Area Swimming Tigers in the Indianapolis suburbs won the boys’ 1500 free in 15:28.15. That exactly a 10-second drop for the Louisville commit and a new Olympic Trials cut. US Junior National Teamer Josh Parent was 2nd in 15:44.74.
- Josh Bey won the boys’ 200 breaststroke in 2:17.07. That ranks him 45th all-time in the 15-16 age group and is a 1.8 second drop.
- The Carmel girls won the 800 free relay in 8:11.73, including a 1:59.49 leadoff leg from Alex Shackell.
- The Carmel boys won the 200 free relay, including a 21.81 anchor from Drew Kibler.
Josh Bey went a 2:14.35 in prelims which ranks him 9th all time.
Good eye, thanks, will update!
Where is that guy that kept saying Will Chan was going to go a 49
Shackell won the state 50 free title. Christianson won the 100.