Nora Weber Blasts Oklahoma LSC Record 1500 Free at Columbia Sectionals: 17:30.99

2022 Region VIII Speedo Summer Sectionals

• July 13-16, 2022
• Columbia, MO
• Mizzou Aquatic Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• Results on MeetMobile

King Marlin Swim Club’s Nora Weber dropped 37 seconds in the 1500 free at the Speedo Sectionals meet in Columbia Saturday, demolishing the lifetime best time she swam in May. Her time of 17:30.99 establishes a new Oklahoma Swimming LSC record time, beating the previous 15-16-year-old record set by Megan Myers in 2009 by about 8 seconds.

15-year-old Weber claimed 2nd place by holding mainly high 1:10’s and low 1:11’s before blasting a 1:06.90 on her final 100, picking up the pace as she tried to catch Mizzou’s Jane Smith. This swim adds a new Futures cut for Weber and puts her within striking distance of the 2022 Summer Juniors qualifying time (17:21.69). Ultimately, Smith touched the wall first with a time of 17:28.59, about 18 seconds off her best time from 2018.

The men’s 1500 free was an even tighter race between Mizzou’s Jibran Himsieh and Razorback Aquatic Club Aquahawks’ Conner Boatright. They held high 1:05’s and low 1:06’s for the majority of the race, both blasting 59’s on the final 100 meters to swim into the flags virtually tied. Himsieh touched the wall first at 16:12.06, followed by Boatright with a time of 16:12.41. Himsieh was within 6 seconds of his lifetime best time while Boatright was about 10 seconds off his.

In the men’s 100 back, Sooner Swim Club’s Aiden Hayes continued to dominate, blasting a 55.87 to take another .94 off the lifetime best time he swam this morning. Going into this meet, the NC State rising sophomore’s best time was 57.18 which he swam at the 2019 Pro Swim Series. He also logged personal best times in the 100 fly (51.78) and the 50 fly (23.88) earlier in the meet.

In the women’s 100 back, the Kobie Melton of the University of Arkansas got her hand to the wall first with a time of 1:02.13. She was within .7 of the lifetime best time she posted at the U.S. Olympic Trials Wave II.

Mizzou snagged another win in the women’s 200 IM where Fernanda Goeji touched the wall first at 2:19.02, within 1.5 seconds of her best time. Tsunami Swim Team’s Alec Enyeart notched a lifetime-best 200 IM time to win the men’s event (2:05.68), taking half a second off his previous best from May.

The individual events of the final session of the meet concluded with a splash-and-dash: the 50 free. 16-year-old Avery Karl of Empire KC Swim Club took first in the women’s event with a time of 25.77, right on her best time from three weeks ago. Eagle Aquatics’ Ali Khalfalla won the men’s event with a time of 22.13, about .2 off his fastest time from April 2021.

Other Day 4 Event Winners:

• The University of Arkansas claimed victory in both women’s relays Saturday night, first in the 200 free relay (1:45.34).  They later won the 400 medley relay (4:10.15) by 14 seconds. Melton anchored the 200 free relay in 25.80, the second-fastest anchor split in the field behind Empire’s Karl (25.63). Melton then led off the medley in 1:02.19, right on the time she swam in the individual 100 back earlier.
• Hayes was also part of both of Sooner Swim Club’s relays that won their respective events Saturday night. First, their 200 free relay touched the wall first with a time of 1:32.41 to start the finals session. Hayes split a 32.00 lead-off, within .23 of his best time. SSC’s 400 medley relay won with a time of 3:52.34 with Daniel Wilson anchoring in a time of 52.22, about .6 faster than Hayes’ split on the butterfly (52.90). While Hayes had the fastest butterfly split in the field by far, American Energy Swim Club’s George Glover had the fastest anchor split (51.84).