2023 SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – BUFFALO
- March 23-26, 2023
- Burt Flickinger Center, Buffalo, New York
- Long Course Meters (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Results on MeetMobile: “2023 Speedo Sectional Championship”
The second day of racing in Buffalo saw athletes contest the 200 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, and 400 IM during finals. The meet also featured timed finals of the 800 free relay at the end of the prelims session.
In the men’s 200 free, Richard Poplawski of Scarlet Aquatic Club came away with the top time of 1:53.51. Still only 16 years old, Poplawski’s time ranks him as the 6th fastest performer in the 15-16 age group this season.
Following that performance, Poplawski picked up a second title later in the session in the 400 IM. The 2024 Harvard commit was well off of his lifetime best, touching at 4:29.16.
Poplwaski is one of the most successful age group swimmers to come out of New Jersey, with his name littering the LSC’s record books. His name has also found it’s way into USA Swimming’s records as he holds the 11-12 National Age Group record in the 200 IM, set back in 2019.
North Baltimore Aquatic Club showcased its depth in the women’s 200 free, finishing with the top-5 times in the event. 18-year-old Mabel Koff led the team, touching in a lifetime best of 2:04.68.
With that swim, Koff knocked nearly a full second off of her lifetime best from last summer.
Koff has been on a tear in 2023, notching numerous lifetime bests. Back in January, she was a two-event champion at the ISCA National Club Championships, winning both the 100 and 200 backstrokes in personal bests.
One event later, Koff finished as the runner-up in the 100 breast. The title in that race went to 16-year old Elle Noecker of Town Wreckers Swim Team. While she won the event, Noecker was nearly second off of her lifetime best, touching in 1:12.31.
SOLO Aquatics swimmer and future Michigan Wolverine Anna Boemer posted the fastest time in the 100 fly, winning by almost three seconds over NBAC’s Ana Hazlehurst. Boemer, who has been as fast as 59.64 in the event, finished in 1:00.54. That time puts Boemer just over three-tenths of a second off of the Olympic Trials cut in the event. While her 59.64 was below the cut, it was swum four months before the beginning of the qualification window.
After taking fourth in the 200 free (2:08.20) and second in the 100 fly (1:03.16), Hazlehurst finally came out on top in the 400 IM at the end of the finals session. In a tight race with teammate Caitlin Hurley, Hazlehurst came out on top in 4:59.72. Hurley nearly ran Hazlehurst down over the final 100 yards, out-splitting her by over two seconds to finish in 5:00.16.
In the men’s 800 free relay, Annapolis Swim Club pulled off an upset over NBAC despite being seeded six seconds slower coming into the meet. With the help of Grant Murphy’s 1:56.84 leadoff leg, the team was able to capture the gold in 7:57.68.
Other Event Winners
- Capitalizing on their depth in the 200 free, NBAC ran away with the 800 free relay. The team of Caitlin Hurley, Ana Hazlehurst, Mabel Koff, and Katy Pacher touched in 8:33.04 for gold despite Koff and Pacher splitting well off their times from the individual event.
- After making the move from France to the United States last fall to swim for Canisius College, Sam Vidal claimed the 100 breast title over Niagra University’s Robert Flannery. Vidal touched in 1:05.11, while Flannery was just behind him in 1:05.92.
- After taking 4th in the 100 fly at the Atlantic-10 Championships while swimming for St. Bonaventure last month, Alex Behr took the win in the long course edition of the event last night, touching at 55.15.