COLLEGE STATION SECTIONALS
- February 28th-March 3rd, 2019
- Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
- 25y (SCY) prelims/50m (LCM) finals
- Results available on Meet Mobile
16-year-old sensation Gianluca Urlando went 2:00.34 to win the 200 IM, capping the final day of Sectionals in College Station, Texas.
Urlando has been on a tear this week, and finished things out with the #4-ranked 200 IM in 15-16 age group history. Swimming for the Davis Aquadarts (DART), Urlando won his third event of the weekend against a tough crowd of collegiate and pro athletes. Urlando actually already ranked 4th in age group history, but this swim improves his standing by three tenths of a second. He now trails only three former age group standouts and is on the cusp of becoming just the fourth 15-16 to break two minutes:
Top 200m IMs, 15-16 USA Swimming history
- Carson Foster – 1:59.45 (2018)
- Andrew Seliskar – 1:59.84 (2013)
- Michael Andrew – 1:59.86 (2015)
- Gianluca Urlando – 2:00.34 (2019)
- Michael Phelps – 2:00.86 (2001)
Texas A&M’s Aggie Swim Club dominated most of the events with a combination of alumni and current college swimmers. Lisa Bratton was the day 4 headliner, winning two events. The 22-year-old Bratton, an Aggie alum, went 1:00.25 to win the 100 back out of the gate, then returned to win the 200 IM in 2:15.10. Both races were blowout wins. Both swims were also solidly faster than Bratton’s first long course meters swims of this year: a 1:00.9 backstroke / 2:18.1 IM performance at the Knoxville Pro Swim Series.
Other Day 4 Winners:
- Aggie Swim Club 23-year-old Juan Jose Rocha de Murga won the men’s 100 back in 57.41.
- 2018 Aggie grad Jorie Caneta won the 100 breast in 1:09.93. This is Caneta’s first long course swim of this season – she also competed in short course yards at the Art Adamson Invite back in November.
- A&M alums Mauro Castillo and Jonathan Tybur went 1-2 in the men’s 100 breast, going 1:02.11 and 1:03.55.
- Meanwhile current A&M freshman Kaloyan Bratanov won the 50 free in 22.71. Though Bratanov represents Bulgaria internationally, that swim would be good enough to crack USA Swimming’s top 15 in 17-18 age group history. In fact, Bratanov (listed as Coco Bratanov) does actually appear at #11 on USA Swimming’s 17-18 age group history, though his Texas A&M bio says he represents Bulgaria internationally.
- 17-year-old Amelia Liu had a big swim in the 50 free. Her 25.78 marks a drop of three tenths of a second from her best, and also puts her into a tie for #58 all-time in USA Swimming’s 17-18 rankings.
- Magnolia’s Kaitlynn Sims won the women’s 800 free in 8:47.80. Sims already ranks 50th in 17-18 age group history with her best time, but was about 10 seconds away from that mark this weekend.
- Loveland’s Jacob Ores won the men’s 1500, going 15:52.64.
