Central Section Region VIII Championship Meet hosted by Columbia Swim Club
- Wednesday, July 15, 2015 – Saturday, July 18, 2015
- Mizzou Aquatic Center at the University of Missouri Student Recreation Complex
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
Day Four – Finals
Michael Andrew of Indie Swimming picked up two more wins on Saturday evening, the final session of Columbia Sectionals. After a prelims swim of 2:03.71 in the 200 IM, his best time in 2015 by a full second, the 16-year-old dropped 2.6 to finish with 2:01.10. That moves Andrew to third on the all-time list for 15-16 boys, behind Andrew Seliskar (1:59.84) and Michael Phelps (2:00.86). With another nine months to go before he ages up, Andrew has plenty of time to erase the remaining 1.3 seconds needed to break the NAG record.
Andrew’s second win came in the 50 free, where he smoked the field by nearly half a second with a 22.63, his best by 2/10. As we noted here, he is now the second-fastest 16-year-old in history in this event, with only Caeleb Dressel’s 22.39 standing in the way of another Michael Andrew NAG record.
The women’s 200 IM got the crowd on its feet to open Day Four. Greater Nebraska teammates Dannie Dilsaver (2:19.12) and Caroline Theil (2:19.16) just out-touched Mizzou teammates Ellen Suek (2:19.26) and Sharlene Brady (2:19.57). It was Dilsaver’s best time by 1.5 seconds and Suek’s by 3.
It’s a shame none of the women in the 50 free final hit the 2016 Trials mark, because everything else about the race was thrilling. Taryn Collura of Club Huskers won the splash-and-dash with 26.27. Just .03 back and tied for second place were Mizzou’s Danielle Barbiea and Greater Nebraska’s Olivia Calegan (26.30). Another .09 behind them were Bailey Grinter of Edwardsville YMCA and Rockwood Swim Club’s Lauren Votava, who tied for fourth with 26.39.
- Mizzou’s Mackenzie Darragh closed out a strong Columbia Sectionals by picking up another Olympic Trials time with his second-place finish in the 200 IM of 2:04.87. Darragh hadn’t been that fast since 2013. His teammate Daniel Graviss placed third in 2:05.43, his second-fastest swim ever.
- Mizzou teammates Andrew Sansoucie and Christian Aragona went 2-3 in the 50 free, each going personal bests and earning their first 2016 Olympic Trials bid in the event. Sansoucie’s 23.17 was his best 2015 time by 6/10; his previous lifetime best (23.23) dated back to 2012. Aragona’s previous PB (23.71) was only a few weeks old; he beat it by 4/10 with his third-place 23.29. Aragona had begun the meet with a 23.06 leadoff split in the final of the men’s 100 free, so his new time is an improvement of .65.
- In the 1500 free, Mizzou’s Kira Zubar dropped nearly 39 seconds to win the women’s race in 17:06.17, while Antonio Thomas of Razorback Aquatics improved his seed time by 37.5 seconds to top the men’s field with 15:58.15.
Will there ever be a race video for either event?
The kid’s a massive talent but there’s something overhyped – and I mean way overhyped – about his story. He’s good – stunningly good – for a senior age group swimmer but his times are not elite level. I really do think he’s being pushed way too hard, way too early.
As to the whole “mission from God” thing, I’m hoping that’s all being overblown by the press. I’ll cop to my own personal bias: That sort of thing makes me feel very uncomfortable.
“something is over hyped about his story”
You are right that his times aren’t top level elite, but what he has done already is incredible. If someone said ten years ago that one of the greatest age group swimmers ever was about to start swimming and he would break 70+ NAGs by the age of 16 while training in his backyard in Kansas, no body would believe that. I mean that doesn’t even make sense if you think about it.
EMG1986: The topic of God’s role in sports has been discussed for a long time and will continue to be, as so many stars/champions credit God for their accomplishments. Perhaps SwimSwam is not the right forum for discussion of divine intervention.
COACH MARY: Thanks for your comments based on your personal experience. I am sure Peter and Tina love their kids and are doing what they believe the best for them. I (and am sure many others) do take exception to his mom’s comment on college education. If it’s a joke, misquoted or taken out of context, I am sorry. But the statement as is shows ignorance and disrespect for the importance of college education valued by so many of… Read more »
Im glad u brought up the ESPN article. I started off thinking like most people that MA was being brought along 2 fast. He has been in our district since he was 12. After I met the family and attended the USRPT clinic that they hosted at KU I totally changed my mind. They are kind and supporting to everyone they meet and willing to share their training ideas. They are the greatest of sports and humble and want to do the best for their children. At every meet you see Michael and Peter surrounded by coaches and swimmers asking questions and wanting info. They always make themselves available. Having been misquoted several times myself in the press I can… Read more »
I few things to note.
Michael Andrews first 50 split in the 100 breast was a PR. His split of 28.58 was faster than his best 50 breast of 28.64 from earlier this year. That’s pretty crazy to do two pr’s in one race. MA’s best races seem to be when he takes it out fast. The closer to his top 50 time on the first 50, the better. It’s good be concerned about distance per stroke but since last summer it looked like he was trying to keep it a little too long at times on the front half. He took 15 strokes on the first 50 in Santa Clara. He took 16 this weekend and that one extra… Read more »
BOBO- I think he will go at least 52.99 in the fly. Back I was a bit more tentative so I think 54.7 is possible with a great swim. I would’ve put him under 50 in the 100 free but he usually doesn’t perform on the level of his 50 in the 100
It seems that we have all begun to change our tunes towards M.A. For the most part we have gone from excited to doubtful and now back to hopeful with some excitement thrown in. I would love to know what is going on in his mind with Trials only a year away and the (possibly) thoughts of Phelps, Thorpe, Gyurta and Piersol in his mind. Ok, maybe not in his head but possibly his dad’s. What I am trying to say is that these four gentlemen have shown the younger kids that age really is nothing more than a number. This is going to be one hell of a year! Go Reece! Go Michael!
Big fan of MA and RW. Both are phenomenal swimmers and great kids. The “rivalry” will make both them go faster! But not a fan of MA’s parents. If you haven’t already, take a look at the ESPN article on MA back in April. Good article on Michael, but it reveals certain aspects of his parents that were new but offensive to me. See his mom’s comment on college (“Michael doesn’t need to be inundated with sex and drugs and ideas from liberal professors,”). What??!! It shows her utter ignorance and certainly would offend many ex-, current and future college swimmers.
http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/id/12750469/is-michael-andrew-next-michael-phelps
Yeah I have read that. I know I can probably anticipate some downvotage for saying this, but the thing that really disturbed me about that article was how there was almost a perception of divine right to Michael Andrew’s career. As if he is destined to be better than everyone because god said so. It was mostly his parents who gave that impression, but I get the sense that he believes it as well. I just think it is disrespectful to his opponents around the world of whom there are plenty of a very high standard and that it is a little premature. There is no question that he is a versatile swimmer who is a prestigious talent, but predicting… Read more »
At this pace, Michael Andrew will be soon in the US top 10 senior performers of a season in each 100-meter event. It doesn’t look impossible in the next 2 or 3 years.
Has it happened before in the US history for the men?
On the women’s side, I think it has already happened. One name comes immediately to my mind: Tracy Caulkins, arguably the best all-around female swimmer of all-time. If I’ve well learned my swimming lessons, she was in the best of the world in all 100-meter events!
MP could have done it but he didn’t swim breaststroke events rested or tapered. Only in season. Michael Andrew has not that kind of problems. He’s always fast… Read more »