Nebraska Women And Mizzou Men Shine On Day 3 Of Columbia Sectionals

2023 REGION VIII SUMMER SECTIONALS – COLUMBIA

• July 12-15, 2023
• Mizzou Aquatics Center, Columbia, MO
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results on MeetMobile
  • “2023 Region VIII Speedo Summer Sectionals”
• Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Recap

Day three of 2023 Speedo Sectionals in Columbia, Missouri, featured the 100 back, 400 free, 100 breast, 200 fly, and 400 freestyle relay.

Nebraska’s team had a phenomenal showing last night, as they won three of the four individual events contested. Gena Jorgenson kicked things off with her third individual victory of the meet in the 400 freestyle. Setting a massive best time by 10 seconds, Jorgenson stopped the clock at 4:15.79 to clear the field by 8 seconds.

Nebraska kept the momentum rolling as JoJo Randby and Sarah Barton collected victories of their own in the 100 breast and 200 fly. Randby logged a best time by half a second to win the 100 breast in 1:10.02, which takes her under the Olympic Trials cut of 1:10.29.

Barton also secured an Olympic Trials qualifying time in prelims of the 200 fly, as she topped the heats in a time of 2:13.49. She was slightly slower in finals, but still won the event by nearly five seconds with a 2:13.78.

Rounding out the individual victors of the night on the women’s side was Mizzou’s Colleen Duffy, who took the 100 backstroke in 1:03.47. She recorded a time of 1:03.43 in prelims, putting her just a tenth shy of her personal best in the event from March of 2021. 15-year-olds Sydney Schoeck and Zoe Smith finished 2nd and 3rd, going best times of 1:03.83 and 1:03.84, respectively.

Just like the Nebraska women, the Mizzou men won a majority of the individual events. Starting with the 100 backstroke, Grant Bochenski and Calvin Windle went 1-2 with times of 55.65 and 56.68. Bochenski’s swim puts him within a second of his best time he set at Nationals just a few weeks ago, while Windle’s marks a personal best by over a second.

The 400 freestyle went to rising junior Jibran Himisieh, who shaved a tenth of his best to go a 4:01.35. Himisieh held off a late charge from 15-year-old Whitaker Steward, who closed the final 100 in 1:00.30 to take 2nd at 4:02.17. Steward’s performance is a best time by over six seconds and secures him a Summer Juniors cut in the event.

Mizzou’s winning streak continued in the next event, as Logan Ottke completing his breaststroke sweep with a victory in the 100. Ottke  touched first at 1:03.01, putting him about two tenths off his prelims swim (1:02.78). It was another 1-2 finish for Mizzou with Tyler Spillane getting his hand on the wall 2nd at 1:04.21.

McKendree’s Jackson Lustig closed out the individual events with a victory in the 200 fly, where he clocked a 2:00.19 to top the rest of the A-final by three seconds. Finishing 2nd was Mizzou recruit Matthew Judkins (2:03.05), while 15-year-old John Thumann snuck in for 3rd (2:05.11).

The evening finished with the 400 freestyle relays, where the Arkansas women and Missouri State men came out on top with times of 3:52.69 and 3:30.99, respectively.