Andrea Cottrell Hones In Sprint Speed at Columbus Sectionals (Day 3)

2017 COLUMBUS SECTIONALS

• July 19th-22nd, 2017
• Columbus, OH
• Psych sheets
• Live Results

U.S. National Team member Andie Cottrell finished a sweep of the women’s breaststroke events at the Columbus Sectionals on Friday. After winning the 200 breaststroke in 2:30.17 on Wednesday, she broke the Meet Record and won the 100 breaststroke in 1:07.98 on Friday.

While she easily won both races, the 100 was closer to her peak (.77 seconds away) than was the 200 (4.06 seconds away). That’s in line with her preparation for August’s World University Games, where she’ll be racing the 50 and 100 breaststroke individually, but not the 200.

That swim was one of two Meet Records broken on the day. Australian Meg Bailey, a rising senior at Ohio State, won the 200 fly in 2:11.18. That’s her lifetime best by 7-tenths of a second, which she’s done now for the 4th time since the conclusion of the NCAA season. She’s the 5th-fastest Australian in the event in the current season.

College swimmers-or-older, mostly Ohio State varsity swimmers, won all but 2 events, the men’s and women’s 400 freestyles. In the men’s race, Texas-bound Parker Neri of the Upper Arlington Swim Club swam a 3:54.75 to win. That’s more than a 5 second time drop from his previous lifetime best – which will thrill his future coach Eddie Reese, who may be getting an even better swimmer than he bargained for.

In the women’s race, the winner was Lola Mull of Mid-Michigan Aquatics, who swam a 4:19.81 to win by almost 2 seconds. She’s got many more years before she commits to college – she’s only 14 years old. IN fact, 2 of the top 3 finishers in the race were 14 – Kingfish Aquatics’ Kayle Williams being the other in 4:22.31.

Other Day 1 Winners:

• Ohio State’s Marianne Kahmann won the women’s 100 back in 1:03.05. Her teammate Halime Zeren took 2nd in 1:03.39.
• Another Buckeye, Brad Shannon, won the men’s 100 back in 55.70.
• The men’s 100 breast went to Yale swimmer Jonathan Rutter, who touched 1st in 1:04.50. 16-year old Mason Manta Rays swimmer Tyler Babinec took 2nd in 1:04.90.
• Gregory Nymberg won the men’s 200 fly in 2:01.81. 15-year old Mason Manta Rays swimmer Carson Foster took 2nd in 2:02.73. That time pushes him up to 76th on the 15-16 age group list, even in the younger end of the age group, one spot ahead of 2016 U.S. Olympian Tom Shields.
• The Ohio State Swim Club won the men’s 800 free relay in 7:35.89. The Mason Manta Rays’ junior relay, which was two 15-year olds, a 16-year old and an 18-year old, took 2nd in 7:38.87. They broke a 15-16 National Age Group Record earlier in the meet, but in this relay, that was 13 seconds away from the 15-18 mark.

Team Scores After Day 3

Men’s Top 5

1. Ohio State Swim Club – 768.5
2. Cincinnati Marlins – 482.5
3. Mason Manta Rays – 460
4. Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics – 373
5. Dayton Raiders – 272.5

Women’s Top 5

1. Ohio State Swim Club – 718.5
2. Northern Kentucky Clippers – 658
3. Cincinnati Marlins – 271
4. Mason Manta Rays – 259
5. Firestone Akron Swim Team – 248

ab