Club Wolverine swept three of the four men’s events on the third night of racing in Plantation, Florida. Saturday night’s sectionals competition also saw another new National Age Group record for Michael Andrew and another blistering win from Florida Gator Theresa Michalak.
Club Wolverine pros Michael Klueh and Emily Brunemann continued to dominate the distance races in Plantation, each taking a 400 free victory after winning the 800 and 1500s Thursday. Klueh went 3:55.24 to blow away the field in the men’s event – the only other swimmer under 4 was Frank Despond at 3:59.79. Brunemann paced the women’s race just one event earlier, going 4:21.56 to win by almost five seconds.
And it wasn’t just a good day for Michigan pros. Incoming Wolverine freshman Clara Smiddy was second to Brunemann in that 400 (going 4:26.30) in her third swim of the night. Two events earlier, Smiddy took third in the 200 IM with a 2:20.96, and an event before that she won the 100 backstroke.
Smiddy had to work for that backstroke win. Her 1:02.35 was just enough to beat Mexican Olympian Fernanda Gonzalez. Gonzalez, swimming for Gator Swim Club, was 1:02.76.
Club Wolverine pulled a 1-2 in the men’s 50 free. 2013 Wolverine grad Miguel Ortiz went 22.91 while teammate Zachary Hayden joined him under 23 with a second-place 22.99.
The final CW winner was Japan’s Junya Koga in the 100 back. Koga went 54.78 in dominating a tough field that included New York Athletic Club’s Arkady Vyatchanin. The former Russian Olympian went 55.83 to take second place.
Exactly one second back was 14-year-old Michael Andrew, who broke his second NAG record of the weekend in rising from the 6th seed to third place. Andrew went 56.83 with a big back half: he split 27.9 going out and came home in 28.8 to become the first 14-year-old under 57 seconds, breaking his own NAG record from the Orlando Grand Prix. Andrew also swam the 50 free, where he took 6th in 23.45, just off his NAG in that event.
The other college crew well represented atop the results was Florida. In addition to Gonzalez’s second place finish, Gator Swim Club also picked up a win from Nikita Denisyako in the 200 IM. The native Russian and former A&M Aggie put up a 2:03.93 to dominate the men’s IM race. Second and third went to current Florida Gators Luke Torres (2:07.28) and Quinn Cassidy (2:07.46).
The women’s 200 IM was a similar runaway event. Gator freshman Theresa Michalak went 2:14.92, picking up her third win of the weekend. Pine Crest’s Marta Ciesla won the women’s 50 free. At 15 years old, she went 26.14 to beat Spain’s Patricia Castro Ortega by well over half a second.
Guelph Martin Aquatic Club won the women’s 400 medley relay to close the night. The team of Emma Ball, Genevieve Robertson, Danielle D’Aoust and Samantha Stratford went 4:22.75 to run away from Swim Fort Lauderdale. Pine Crest was third with Ciesla anchoring in 59.16.
The men’s relay went to Azura Florida Aquatic in a 1-2 finish for the “A” and “B” teams. Mateo Gonzalez, Alexander Morgan, Luis Martinez and Joshua Romany went 3:54.91. Azura Florida’s “B” squad went 3:56.22, roaring home on a 51.65 from anchor Carlos Herrera.
Full results are available on Meet Mobile under “2014 Speedo Champions Series – SZSS.”
I don’t know of any NYAC pros that actually train at NYAC. Arkady lives and trains in Gainesville with Troy and the Gators.
Not sure, but he needs to look into Qatar. They’ll pay top dollar for an athlete of his caliber.
What’s the deal with Vyatchanin? Does he have a new country yet? Is he actually living in NYC? (I understand some NYAC swimmers only compete under their banner, but train elsewhere).