2024 Florida Swimming Spring Senior Championships
- March 7-10, 2024
- FAST, Ocala, Florida
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
7-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky isn’t entered at next week’s Pro Swim Series meet in Westmont, Illinois, where most of her University of Florida post-grad teammates (Caeleb Dressel, Kieran Smith, Bobby Finke, Natalie Hinds) will be racing.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean that she won’t be swimming.
The 26-year-old Ledecky is entered in one event at the 2024 Florida Swimming Spring Senior Championships, the 1650 yard free, on Saturday evening, where she’s the top seed by almost two minutes.
This meet, which is dominated by high school aged swimmers, like Bolles 16-year-old Andy Kravchenko (43.66 in the 100 free), Lillian Nesty (49.38 in the 100 free), and Ethan Ekk (1:35.85 in the 200 free).
But a few of the Florida post-grads usually mix in to the field, and for the second-straight year that includes Ledecky.
Last year, she swam a new personal best, American Record, and US Open Record in the 1650 free, swimming 15:01.41. That too was her only swim of that meet, though last year that swim was done a week after swimming at the long course Westmont Pro Swim.
This year, the yards race will be her only early-March swim it appears.
A few other Florida alumni post-grads will be at the meet. 26-year-old Grant Sanders is the top seed in the 200 breaststroke in 1:56.64, 200 IM in 1:45.78; and 200 fly in 1:47.77; 23-year-old Mabel Zavaros is the top seed in the 400 IM (4:04.08), 500 free (4:39.28), and 200 back (1:53.14).
There’s still no guarantees that the Florida Senior Champs psych sheets, which are labeled as “preliminary,” are fully accurate: Bobby Finke is entered in both the Florida Senior Championships and the Pro Swim Series in Westmont, which are the same weekend.
I would love to see her swim 🏊.
Too bad I don’t live in Florida. I would try to get LSC times and enter this meet to see Ledecky.
Is this because she is in heavy training (not that she ever isn’t) but perhaps even heavier than normal training for her? She doesn’t want to disrupt the training cycle and/or risk flying to Chicago in the winter and getting some illness?
1. She has a solid chance of breaking into the 14s, which would be historic, and talked about for years. Plus, it would be a good gauge as to where she’s at compared to last year.
2. She can inspire so many kids “I got to swim against Katie Ledecky!” and drive attendance to the meet.
3. She can do all that with a 45-minute drive from her house, which allows her to sleep in her own bed, eat her own meals, and treat it as a quality set practice.
I would like to see a sub-15 but moreover I’d like to see her go for sub-15 for 1500 in short course.
My thinking she’s prety busy with her new sponsor Athleta in her spare time. It will be complicated as TYR also sells workout gear. Probably couldn’t take the time to get to Chcago.
Very good point!
I hope there’s video of that 1650…would be amazing to see a sub-15. And lol at Bobby being only the 55th seed in the 1000 y free (with his LCM 800 time)
It would be great if he were her lap counter.
Visit the FAST YouTube page. They stream every meet. It’s an amazing facility.
Imagine being the favorite to win the state title this year and then you see Katie Ledecky entered in your event.
Mr Piano. I always disliked when older athletes entered senior state meets! It is possibly the only time a kid in high school could medal so then comes an Olympic swimmer in to dash the kids dreams. There should be a rule against Olympic athlete swimmers competing at senior meets
You think that it’s not going to be a career highlight for your kid to race against Katie Ledecky?
For the next 60 years, nobody’s going to care that they were 14th instead of 13th at Senior Champs. But people are going to lose their minds every time she says she got to race against Katie Ledecky.
You’e not just talking about any Olympic swimmer here, imagine she hopes to get under 15 minutes not to beat some kid ot of a medal. Mine would have been overf the moon..
Not true…unless they (Bobby Finke is entered in 4 events) scratch finals that’s possibly taking a spot away from a high schooler who has worked all year for this meet. I know a lot of kids aren’t happy about this. They changed the format this year which the athletes were against and now these pro swimmers coming too. They all just swam at Sectionals too.
What’s the deal with Ethan Ekk? He’s a Stealth Canadian? He’s in the top 10 for a few events on the Canadian rankings this season. Will he be at Trials?
He’s probably a bit too young to make the Paris team but maybe he could be a player for Canada in 2028.
junior pan pacs?
I forgot that meet was happening this year but yeah!
Seems like quite the family of competitive swimmers with Ethan and his two siblings.
He might go to trials and get selected for the Jr. Team, but who knows!
“The top seed by almost two minutes.”
She should just start two minutes after everyone
Tell me you wouldn’t watch it
I definitely would.
PLEASE break 15:00
Please do it in 1500 SC