13-Year-Old Gabi Brito Swims 57.32 in the 100 Meter Free to Wrap Carlsbad Sectionals

2024 CALIFORNIA/NEVADA SECTIONALS (CARLSBAD SITE)

• February 29-March 3, 2024
• Alga Norte Aquatic Center, Carlsbad, California
• Long Course Meters (50 meters)
• Psych Sheet
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 CA/NV Speedo Sectional” (or search “Carlsbad”)
• Full Meet Results (PDF)

This weekend’s Sectionals meet in Carlsbad, California saw a bit of a cast change after two days of competition. While Olympian Michael Andrew won the 100 breast and finished 2nd in the 100 fly early in the meet in his first racing after returning from the World Championships, he swam just one event on the last two days of competition, the 50 free prelims, where he posted a 22.61.

As one US National Teamer phased out, another jumped in full-steam. Teagan O’Dell swam only relays on the first two days of competition, but starting on Saturday she won three individual events: the 100 back (1:01.35), the 200 back (2:12.03), and the 200 IM (2:14.01). While none of those are best times, the 200 IM swim is just .42 seconds shy of her time from January’s Pro Swim Series meet in Knoxville (which was the fastest she has been since August 2017).

O’Dell, 17, is committed to Cal for fall 2025.

Another Cal Golden Bear whose future is up in the air, Matthew Chai also raced at this weekend’s Sectionals in Carlsbad. Chai, who was 5th at Pac-12s as a freshman for Cal last season, has not raced in any meets for the team this year and is no longer listed on the team roster. Instead, he has been representing his home club Fullerton Aquatic Sports Team in a handful of meets this season.

That includes at this meet, where he won the 1500 free (15:31.37), finished 9th in the 200 free (1:52.45), won the 400 free (3:55.52), and won the 800 free (8:07.84).

Chai was a member of the US National Team in 2022-2023.

14-year-old Chloe Teger from ORCA added two more wins to her resume over the weekend. First she picked up a title in the 400 free in 4:21.63, just out-touching another 14-year-old: Summer Mudadu from the great distance program at the Sandpipers of Nevada.

For Teger, that was a three-and-a-half second drop and puts her under the Summer Junior Nationals time standard for the first time. Mudadu dropped even more time – almost six seconds – to also hit a Juniors cut.

Teger then finished her meet with a win in the 1500 free in 16:54.23, which just-missed her time from last summer’s Junior Natinoals as a best time (16:53.41).

Teger also won the 800 free earlier in the meet in a best time of 8:54.24.

Other Winners and Notable Results:

• Quin Seider from the Ojai Heat Waves won the 100 free in 50.73, which is .24 seconds better than his previous lifetime best from last August’s Junior Nationals. He is committed to Arizona State next season, where he will join one of the deepest sprint crews in the country. That sprint group includes Jonny Kulow, who swam the same 50.73 in his final long course meet before arriving at Arizona State (Junior Nationals) and is now on the US National Team. Seider also won the 50 free in 23.33, which is just-off his best time.
• Lila Heffernan from North Bay Aquatics won the 100 free in 57.09. Not far behind her was 13-year-old Gabriella Brito of Beach Swimming in 57.32, knocking two-and-a-half seconds off her previous lifetime best. That’s the best time in the US by a 13-year-old this season by 2.2 seconds (ahead of Tanishi Gupta, who swam 59.51 at this meet); and is the 13th-best swim by an American 13-year-old ever, a list that includes names like Missy Franklin, Gretchen Walsh, Paige Madden, Lia Neal, Erika Pelaez, and Erin Gemmell.
• Brito also swam 2:05.76 in the 200 free (3rd place), 1:15.80 in the 100 breast (15th place), 2:40.66 in the 200 breast (10th place), and 2:21.68 in the 200 IM (5th place). Her older sister Bella Brito is committed to USC for the fall.