Madi Mintenko Hits 4:39.24 500 FR On Day 3 Of Austin Sectionals

2023 FOUR CORNERS SPEEDO SECTIONALS – AUSTIN

• March 23-27, 2023
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swim Center, University of Texas
• Short Course Yards (25 Yards)
• Results on MeetMobile: “2023 Four Corners Speedo Sectionals – Austin”

Yesterday was the third day of action at the 2023 Austin Speedo Sectionals. The featured events included the 200 back, 500 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, and 800 freestyle relay.

15-year-old Madi Mintenko from Pikes Peak Athletics had a fantastic race in the 500 free. Mintenko threw down a 4:39.24, topping the field by over two seconds. Mintenko’s time is a three second improvement from the previous best she had swam in December at Winter Juniors. She now ranks 20th all-time in the 15-16 age group, and 7th among 15-year-olds in the event.

Hannah Bellard from Club Wolverine finished 2nd behind Mintenko with a 4:41.54. Later in the session, Bellard secured a victory of her own in the 100 fly, as she touched 1st in a personal best time of 52.53.

Trey Hesser decisively took 1st in the men’s 500 free. Hesser, 17, stopped the clock at 4:23.53, beating 2nd-place Carson Hick by over two seconds. Hesser’s swim is a two second improvement from his previous best set earlier this month, and is over six seconds faster than he was at this meet last year.

Keaton Jones from Swim Neptune dominated the men’s 200 backstroke, as he cleared the field by over four seconds. The Cal commit logged his 2nd-fastest time ever with a 1:40.73, putting him within half a second of his personal best from December.

16-year-old Charlotte Wilson from the Denver Hilltoppers completed her backstroke sweep with a victory in the women’s 200 backstroke. Wilson clocked a 1:55.52, putting her about a second off her best time she swam at Winter Juniors.

Rounding out the individual events for the evening was the men’s 100 fly. Jordan Tiffany, who will officially join BYU’s squad in the fall, got his hand on the wall first with a personal best time of 45.63. Tiffany’s time would have been 26th at the men’s NCAA Division I Championships this weekend.

Other Event Winners:

• Stanford commit Caroline Bricker was the only athlete to dip below the minute-barrier in the 100 breast. She logged a season best time of 59.95, topping the field by over a second.
• Tres Mungia from Swim Neptune swam a personal best time of 53.84 in prelims of the 100 breast, then clocked a 53,96 in finals to win the event.
• Pikes Peak Athletics won the women’s 800 freestyle relay in 7:19.37. Mintenko anchored the team with the quickest split of the event at 1:44.00.
• Scottsdale Aquatic Club secured 1st in the men’s 800 freestyle relay with a final time of 6:35.08. Swim Neptune took 2nd, as Ian Pickles logged the fastest split on the anchor leg with a 1:35.53.