2024 COLUMBUS SECTIONALS
- July 18-21, 2024
- Columbus, Ohio
- McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion at Ohio State University
- LCM (50 meters)
- Results on MeetMobile: “2024OH CZ East Speedo Sectionals”
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Recap
Rising Ohio State junior Krista Marlin managed a successful double with victories in the women’s 100 backstroke (1:00.78) and 100 breaststroke (1:10.49) on Saturday night at Columbus Sectionals, blasting lifetime bests in both events.
Marlin knocked almost a second off her previous-best 100 back time of 1:00.78 that placed her 30th at U.S. Olympic Trials last month. The 20-year-old Buckeye then posted a huge five-second drop in the 100 breast, crushing her previous-best 1:16.49 from 2021. Marlin has been on fire this week as she already set personal bests in both the 200 back (2:10.19) on Thursday and 400 IM (4:47.05) on Friday.
Tennessee commit (’24) Emily Brown also clocked a personal-best 100 back time on her way to 3rd place (1:02.85) behind rising Akron senior Maddy Gatrall (1:02.74). Brown returned later in the session to capture the women’s 200 fly crown in a lifetime best of 2:11.25, more than four seconds ahead of rising Ohio State junior Jessica Eden (2:15.71).
Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics 17-year-old Sophia Umstead earned a runner-up finish in the 100 breast (1:10.79), with the UVA commit (’25) lowering her previous-best 1:11.43 from March.
Rising Ohio State senior Alex Metzler picked up the men’s 200 fly victory in 2:00.42, dropping more than half a second off his previous-best 2:01.09 from May.
His Buckeye teammate, rising sophomore Caleb Ellis, was close behind with a runner-up finish in 2:01.07, not far off his personal-best 2:00.75 from 2022.
Rising Purdue junior Andy Kelly pulled out a men’s 100 back win in 56.73 against Great Waves Aquatics 16-year-old Paul Moody (56.80). Kelly is fresh off his personal-best 56.60 from last weekend while Moody took more than half a second off his previous-best 57.33 from last month.
The men’s 100 breast title went to rising Ohio State senior Karl Helmuth (1:02.09), who was a few tenths off his personal-best 1:01.70 from last month. He was almost a second slower at Olympic Trials the following week (1:02.51). Helmuth beat rising Buckeye junior Rylan McDaniel (1:02.71) and Ohio State commit (’24) Luke Vickers (1:02.89).
Recent Ohio State graduate Kit Kat Zenick sprinted to the women’s 50 fly win in 26.66, just a couple tenths off her personal-best 26.41 from last April. Rising Ohio State junior Evan Fentress triumphed in the men’s 50 fly (24.24), dipping under his previous-best 24.38 from last month (which came on the 50 split of his 16th-place finish in the 100 fly prelims at Olympic Trials). Fentress eked past soon-to-be Ohio State sophomore Henry Dvorak (24.31), who shaved almost half a second off his previous-best 24.74 from the Mel Zajac Jr. International Swim Meet last month.
The Buckeyes swept the 400 free courtesy of rising senior Gwen Woodbury (4:18.82) and rising junior Mason Edmund (3:57.57). Woodbury has been as fast as 4:17.74 in May while Edmund owns a lifetime best of 3:54.18 from last July. Edmund placed 41st (3:55.93) at Olympic Trials last month.
The Ohio State men wrapped up the session with a victory in the 800 free relay (7:35.49) courtesy of Metzler (1:51.53), Will Bansberg (1:55.54), Edmund (1:54.77), and Joshua Bedford (1:53.65).