Canadian Olympic Hopefuls Dominate Final Day At Plantation Sectionals

2016 SOUTHERN ZONE SOUTH SECTONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Plantation, Florida
• March 10th-13th, 2016
• Live results
• Meet Central
• Full Team Scores
• Full Meet Results
• Sunday Finals Results
• Individual High Point Scores

The final session of the Southern Zone Sectional Championships in Plantation, Florida was dominated by senior Canadian swimmers who are currently in preparation for their upcoming Olympic Trials at the beginning of April. Also mixed in was some impressive performances from local Florida swimmers and other international swimmers such as Alia Atkinson and Marcelo Acosta, and American star Missy Franklin.

The first event of finals, the 200 fly, saw two Canadians with international experience pick up wins. In the women’s event, 32 year-old Audrey Lacroix won easily in a time of 2:10.55, improving her prelim swim of 2:12.97. Lacroix will seek her third Olympic berth in April after previously qualifying in 2008 and 2012. Last year she won Pan Am gold in the 200 fly. 15 year-old Isabel Ivey of Gator Swim Club took off over six seconds from prelims to move up to 2nd place in 2:13.36.

In the men’s race, 25 year-old Zack Chetrat won in a time of 2:00.79, taking off over five seconds from prelims. Chetrat will seek his first Olympic team berth this year after missing by 0.02 in the 200 fly in 2012. He won bronze at the Pan Ams in the 200 fly last summer. Maxwell Miranda of Bluefish was 2nd in 2:04.42.

The women’s 100 free was dominated by older swimmers, with four of the top six Canadians swimming unattached and two of them coming from the Colorado Stars. World Championship medalist in the 400 mixed free relay Sandrine Mainville was the only one to break 55 seconds, touching first in 54.81. Rising star Penny Oleksiak was 2nd in 55.05, and 2015 Pan Am champion in the 100 free Chantal van Landeghem was 3rd in 55.32. Missy Franklin was 4th in 55.40, and her Colorado Stars teammate Tang Yi was 5th in 55.55. Canadian Michelle Williams rounded out the top-6 in 55.60. All four Canadians have a great chance at qualifying for the Olympic team in early April, and could possibly be the four that represent the country in the 400 freestyle relay.

Karl Krug, recently a Canadian citizen himself, won the men’s 100 free in a time of 50.83. Krug won a medal in the mixed freestyle relay at the World Championships (prelim swimmer) last summer as well, and will look to make his first Olympic team in April. Viktor Toth of Daytona Beach finished 2nd in 51.32.

Jamaican breaststroke star Alia Atkinson blew away the field in the women’s 200 breast, going 2:32.49 for the win. 12 year-old stud Asia Minnes of Swim Neptune finished 2nd in 2:37.78. That swim is three and a half seconds shy of the national age group record of Annie Zhu (2:34.28) from 2007.

Another Canadian Olympic hopeful, Richard Funk, dominated the men’s 200 breast in 2:14.94. After missing the Canadian Olympic team in 2012, Funk has qualified for two world championship teams, as well as the 2014 Commonwealth and Pan Pacific teams. Funk will be the favorite in both breaststroke events heading into Canadian Trials.

Other Day 4 Winners:

• Kate Sanderson of Colorado Springs dominated the women’s 800 free, winning in 8:49.61.
• After clocking an Olympic qualifying time of 15:13.09 at the recent Arena Pro Series in Orlando, Marcelo Acosta swam to a decisive victory in the men’s 1500 free, clocking 15:35.42 for the win.
• Swimming unattached, Erin Voss dominated the women’s 200 back in 2:11.33.
• Kevin Lindgren of Martin County (2:06.06) just out-touched Quinn Cassidy (2:06.25) for the win in the men’s 200 back.
• The Colorado Stars quartet of Tang Yi (55.90), Missy Franklin (55.14), Jada Surrell-Norwood (58.85), and Fernanda Gonzalez (57.39) won the women’s 400 free relay in 3:47.28 ahead of South Florida Aquatic Club (3:50.75) and Gator Swim Club (3:53.02).
• Swim Fort Lauderdale’s team of Phillippe Marcoux (52.66), Raphael Marcoux (52.53), Julien Pinon (52.99), and Nikita Tretyakov (52.30) won the men’s 400 free relay in 3:30.48 over Azura (3:34.74) and Colorado Stars (3:34.96).

Final Team Scores

Men

1. Azura Florida Aquatic           630
2. Colorado Stars                        348
3. Blue Dolfins                            299
4. Swim Fort Lauderdale          296
5. Gator Swim Club                    271.5

Women

1. South Florida Aquatic           490
2. Gator Swim Club                    432
3. Colorado Stars                        427.5
4. Seacoast Swimming Assoc.  323
5. Blue Dolfins                            234

Full team scores can be found here.