2018 COLUMBIA SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 8th-11th, 2018
- University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- 25 yard (SCY) course
- Live results available on MeetMobile, search “2018 Region VIII Speedo Spring Sectionals”
18-year old United States National Team member Michael Andrew swam his first races at the 2018 Columbia Sectional Championships on Friday, winning both the 100 yard breaststroke and 100 yard fly. While long course has become the more important course for him as he chases international teams in the buildup to Tokyo 2020, he still throws down quite frequently in yards.
His most recent results were a 51.42 in the 100 breaststroke (3 seconds ahead of the field) and a 46.12 in the 100 fly (beating out star high schooler Jack Dolan, who swam 46.81) – in back-to-back races. Those are each Andrew’s best times this season, and both are career bests as well. He swam a 46.18 in the 100 fly earlier this year, and his best 100 breaststroke is a 51.75 from 2015. Only two 17-18s have been faster in the 100 fly this year, and just one (Reece Whitley) in the 100 breast, but nobody has been faster in both races.
The other big race in the men’s pool on Friday came in the 200 free, where Michigan commit Kevin Callan threw down a new lifetime-best of 1:33.52 in the 200 free. That knocked half-a-second from his previous fastest swim. It also included a 45.33-second opener, which gave him a lead over another U.S. National Teamer at this meet – Michael Chadwick, who finished 2nd in 1:33.84.
Dolan took 3rd in that race in 1:36.34, swimming still a week away from his next big meet the NCSA Junior Nationals.
The best female swim of the day came from Martina Thomas, who won the 200 free in 1:46.96. That follows her twin-sister’s win in the 1000 free on Thursday. Luciana will go to Notre Dame next year, while Martina will head to Navy – her time on Friday in the 200 free is already faster than Navy’s best time from the 2017-2018 season.
Other Day 2 Winners:
- Hanna Newby from the American Energy Swim Club in Oklahoma wown the 100 breaststroke in 1:01.41, using a back-half split of 32.25 to pull by Columbia Swim Club’s Nicole Williams.
- Karisa Franz of the Parkway Swim Club won the girls’ 100 fly in 54.16, beating out 18-year old Nebraskan Caroline Theil (54.39).
- Kate McCarville from Springfield Aquatics won the girls’ 400 IM in 4:15.77, beating out Thomas’ runner-up 4:16.62. McCarville’s time is the 5th-best by a 14 & under in the country this season.
- Dane Florea joined Andrew with 2 victories by winning the 400 IM in 3:50.38. That’s a second-and-a-half better than his previous lifetime best.
- 14-year old Abigail Karl won the girls’ 50 back in 25.57, taking a .01-second margin over Lincoln Select star Alana Palmer (25.58).
- Colin Lafave won the boys’ 50 backstroke in 22.84.
- The Columbia Swim Club won the boys’ 800 free relay in 6:49.86, topping Parkway by two-tenths of a second.
- The AquaHawgs from Arkansas won the girls’ 800 free relay in 7:29.56.
18.91 Race video?
18.91 today.
18.91 50 free for MA. Not too shabby.
And a 20.6 flat start 50 fly. Andrew would have been such a good college swimmer
He’s tapered. 🙂
More seriously, I’m curious to see if, first, he can make the US team for pan pacs (I think so) and if yes, can he do in another distance than the 50s?
As for the latter, I always wondered whether Flo could do anything but 50’s. He couldn’t.
he had some real fast 100 free relays
So has Ervin, but neither could put together a 100 flat start free LCM. Flo’s 21.29/47.98 is basically Ervin’s 21.40/48.33. Flo’s 50 is 4th best all time, and 100 is only 38th best all time. MA’s 100 breast is 54th best all-time. Kinda the same. Flo was a 50 swimmer. 22.8 50 LCM fly — could he even make a 100? 22.2 50 SCM back? Where’s his 100? Same for breast. Nothing wrong with being a 50’s swimmer. Lots of people swam out of their minds on a relay.
thats the whole question ……he would have to answer in 3/4 months time
He swam fast, but am I the only one who thinks that it is kind of ridiculous for a pro-athlete to go to sectionals?
MA goes to a lot of meets with younger swimmers. It’s kinda weird
It’s gonna be weird if he continues to focus a lot on SCY after he turns 19 in a few months. Once he leaves that 17-18 age group…he’ll probably focus more on LCM
Hope so anyway. Might need to enlarge that backyard pool!
well no, Ryan Lochte is doing the same thing right now
Lochte is at a long course meet and paying tribute to the school shooting in the area. Bye..
Hello!
It’s a fast pool 3 hrs from home with Michael Chadwick. He’s always racing it’s part of the training strategy
If I recall, when they come up with the idea of Sectionals, they were supposed to serve as a great mid-level meet where top Juniors could swim next to college-age and elite swimmers (kind of a step below Nationals/World Champ Trials, etc). Seems like that’s what he’s doing.
There are not many big meets driving distance of Lawrence, Kansas. Why not?
And nobody cares about winning sectionals – they are non-championship meets for fast swimmers. Think about it this way:
– you can go to a relatively high-level meet where a national teamer will be throwing down crazy swims
OR
– you can go to a relatively high-level meet with other good high school swimmers, without any crazy-fast stars.
I’d choose the first.
Same thing with Michael Chadwick and the some of the Mizzou and other college swimmer. Like c’mon this is for the highschoolers, they’re just taking spots from the kids on the cusp of finals.
A scy meet offering stroke 50s and he’s swimming 100s (and going best times)… I like it. This is gonna be a big year for him (sr team qual, SC worlds!!) and he’s on a tear so far.
Really good timing with the USA men looking sooo good. USA men swimming 2018 putting on a show on every level!!!
I thought that was LCM.. got so excited over the 100 breast and then that ^^
18 year old goes 51.4 in the 100 breast, 3rd fastest time ever by an under 18 swimmer.
Swimswam comment section: “Eh.”
Michael Andrew goes 45.11 in 100 fly. That’s it?” some swimswam commentator
Wellll I mean part of it is just part of expectations. He didn’t blow away any best times, so it just sort of fits. Same with when Katie Ledecky wins a race by 30 seconds, but doesn’t set a PR. It just kinda gets a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
But on the other hand, he could’ve gone a 49 in his 100 breast and people would still bash on 30 different things he did, soo…¯\_(ツ)_/¯
yea no thats not how i meant it haha.
its just that his 100 breast lcm bp is his overall best pb in anything thats not a 50 (imo) and if he would have been faster than that 59.8 that would have been very exciting
Interesting to see if Reese can beat Michael in LCM now with his faster 100 breast time from Easterns.
Reece was beating Andrew at World Juniors
But Michael didn’t swim near his best time
Consistency is a virtue
indeed?