2017 Columbia Spring Sectionals
- March 9-12, 2017
- SCY (25y)
- University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- Live results: Meet Mobile (search 2017 Region VIII Spring Sectionals)
- Championship Central
The men’s and women’s 1000 yard freestyles opened the first night of the 2017 Columbia Spring Sectionals meet hosted by the Columbia Swim Club on the University of Missouri campus.
In the women’s pool, Liberty Howell from Swim Tulsa won in 9:56.00, overcoming a 1-second deficit to Katherine Sullivan (9:56.35) for the win.
For both swimmers, this marked their first time under 10 minutes in the race – Howell improved her best time by 11 seconds, while Sullivan dropped almost 19 from her previous best (she’s only swum this race 3 times previously in her life).
The men’s winner was 15-year old Evan Holt from Club North in Kansas City. He swam a 9:18.51, which cut 31 seconds off of his best time. His splitting was amazingly consistent late in the race, marking 56.3 on three separate 100s in the last five of the race.
Adam Grimm took 2nd in 9:20.85 with a much bigger kick (53.70) on his closing leg, giving him big hopes for the 1650 later in the meet.
Holt is now the 5th-fastest 15-year old in the country this season.
The meet will really rev up on Thursday, with U.S. National Teamer Michael Andrew and members of the University of Missouri varsity squad diving off, among others. Andrew is the top seed in the 100 breaststroke, an event in which he finished 4th at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, for his first swim on Thursday.
