Will Licon Wins 200 Breast at Austin Sectionals

2018 AUSTIN SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 12th-15th, 2018
• Lee & Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center, Austin, Texas
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

After cruising through prelims, and racing effectively alone, Texas post-grad Will Licon won the men’s 200 breaststroke on Friday evening in his home pool with a 2:10.82. Swimming effectively a solo race after the first 100 meters, Licon split 1:07.7 on the back half of the race, which was about four seconds better than anybody else in the field did on the back-half of the race.

That 2:10.82 is about where he’s been for most of the season, though at the Pro Swim Series stop in Atlanta he did drop down to his season-best of 2:09.47.

Andrew Wilson, the only swimmer who has been faster than Licon this season (2:08.5) didn’t swim the 200 breast after winning the 100 on Thursday.

Also of note, U.S. National Teamer Madisyn Cox, who hasn’t raced since March, scratched her races again on Friday.

Other Friday Winners:

• Texas A&M rising senior Claire Rasmus won the women’s 200 free in 1:59.95. Rasmus, who was 1:57.9 at Nationals last year, is the 9th-best American in this event during the qualifying period for 2018 Nationals.
• Her A&M teammate Anna Belousova won the 200 breaststroke in 2:29.62. She swam a 2:26 at Russian Nationals, but wasn’t chosen for Russia’s team at the European Championships.
• Texas rising junior Jeff Newkirk won the men’s 200 freestyle in 1:50.90, beating out Notre Dame undergrad Zach Yeadon (1:51.56). That swim for Newkirk is within a tenth of his lifetime best.
• 17-year old Kaitlynn Sims won the women’s 400 IM in 4:50.36, which is her lifetime best by seven-tenths of a second. She’s now been the 6 fastest times of her career in 2018, improving off her previous best of 4:57.18.
• Mason Tenney finished the day with another Longhorn victory, winning the men’s 400 IM in 4:23.78.