Sam Stewart Swims 1:58 in 200m Backstroke at College Station Sectionals

2020 COLLEGE STATION SECTIONALS

• February 27th-March 1st, 2020
• Texas A&M University Rec Center, College Station, Texas
• SCY Prelims/LCM Finals
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2020 Speedo Sectionals Championship Series” (or search “College Station”)

US National Team swimmer Michael Brinegar picked up his 2nd win of the College Station Sectional Championships on Friday evening, winning the 400 meter free.

After a 4:19.90 in the 500 yard free in prelims, Brinegar swam a 3:55.45 in finals in the 400 free in long course. That’s his second-fastest time of the season after a 3:53.59 in December at the U.S. Open.

The top high school aged finisher in the race was 18-year old University of Texas commit David Johnston from RACE, who swam a 3:56.20. That’s his best time by more than 3 seconds. That gives him a new Olympic Trials cut in the event, adding to previous cuts in the 800 free, 1500 free, and 400 IM.

Tyler Kopp from Katy Aquatics placed 3rd in 3:57.61.

Former Texas Longhorn Sam Stewart swam a lifetime best in the 200 backstroke, swimming a 1:58.97. That cut exactly a second off his previous best time done at the 2018 US National Championships.

That time ranks Stewart 23rd in the world this year and as the 3rd-fastest American behind Jacob Pebley (1:56.37) and Shaine Casas (1:57.70).

The top junior finisher in that race was Gabriel Jett from Clovis Swim Club in California, who swam a 2:02.55. That cuts three-and-a-half seconds off his previous lifetime best in the race, and gives him an Olympic Trials cut in the race. He already had a Trials cut in the 200 fly.

Other Day 2 Winners:

• US National Teamer Lisa Bratton won the women’s 200 backstroke comfortably in 2:12.79.
• Another Texas A&M post-grad, Sydney Pickrem, won the 100 free in 55.60. For the Canadian Pickrem, who is primarily a breaststroker and IMer, that’s a new lifetime best by over a second-and-a-half, improving on a 57.22 that she swam in 2015 when she was still in high school. Her training partner Claire Rasmus was 2nd in 55.91, while the top junior finisher was 16-year old Cory Shanks in 56.07. That knocks more than 2 seconds off Shanks’ lifetime best in the event and gives her an Olympic Trials qualifying standard, and follows a lifetime best of 49.27 in the 100 yard free in prelims. Shanks, a high school junior, has not yet publicly committed to a college.
• Coby Carrozza from Longhorn Aquatics won the 200 fly in 2:01.26, coming-from-behind to sneak past Angel Martinez of the host Aggie Swim Club, who was 2nd in 2:01.32.
• Former Wisconsin swimmer Brett Pinfold, now representing the Aggie Swim Club, won the men’s 100 free in 50.46 ahead of Carrozza’s 50.65. That’s a lifetime best for Carrozza.
• Stanford commit Lillie Nordmann won the women’s 200 fly in 2:10.93 after a 1:54.84 in yards in prelims. She edged-out 16-year old Katie Crom from Mission Viejo, who took 2nd in 2:11.02.
• Crom came back shortly thereafter and won the 400 free in 4:13.56, which was within 8-tenths of a second of her best time from the U.S. Open in December.
• The Lakeside Aquatic Club won the women’s 400 free relay in 3:52.92, while the men’s race went the way of the South Shore Sails in 3:28.76.

Team Scores After Day 2:

Top 5 Men’s Teams:

1. Mission Viejo Nadadores – 148
2. KATY Aquatics – 142
3. Clovis Swim Club – 116
4. Longhorn Aquatics – 94
5. Lakeside Aquatic Club – 82

Top 5 Women’s Teams:

1. Mission Viejo Nadadores – 120
2. Lakeside Aquatic Club – 103
3. Alamo Area Aquatic Association – 78
4. Magnolia Aquatic Club – 75
5. DART Swimming – 71