Jacob Pins, Vera Conic Earn Multiple Trials Cuts in Final Two Days of 2024 Elkhart Spring Cup

2024 18 & Under Spring Cup – Elkhart

• Thursday-Sunday, May 2-5, 2024
• Elkhart Aquatic Center, Elkhart, IN
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Page
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Individual Event Results

The 3rd day of the 2024 Spring Cup in Elkhart, IN saw Iowa Flyers 17-year-old Jacob Pins put up a huge personal best of 3:53.51 in the boys 400 free. He won the race decisively, touching first by 8 seconds. Moreover, he took 4 seconds off his previous best of 3:57.90, which he swam at Summer Junior Nationals last year. On top of that, Pins cleared the US Olympic Trials cut of 3:55.59 by a little over 2 seconds, picking up his 2nd Trials cut (he also has the 1500 free).

Saturday also saw Elmbrook Swim Club 18-year-old Maggie Wanezek took the girls 100 back in 1:00.35. That’s a great early May swim for Wanezek, who holds a career best of 59.90, which she swam back in March at NCSAs.

2022 World Championships medalist Leah Hayes (Fox Valley Park District Riptides) won the girls 200 breast with a 2:30.41. Her swim came in 1.99 seconds off her career best of 2:28.42, which she swam at last year’s Indy Spring Cup. Coming in 2nd was Valparaiso Swim Club 15-year-old Maddie Moreth, who swam a 2:31.63. Not only was that swim a personal best by about 2 seconds, Moreth also just dipped under the Olympic Trials cut of 2:31.69, picking up her 2nd Trials cut (also has the 100 breast).

Schroeder YMCA Swim Team 17-year-old Sam Lorenz won the boys 100 back by a huge margin, clocking a 55.79. Lorenz already has the Trials cut in the event with his personal best of 55.55. Lorenz pulled off a double on Saturday, also winning the boys 50 free in 23.19, which is a new career best.

OTHER SATURDAY EVENT WINNERS

• Girls 200 fly: Emily Brown (Dublin Community Swim Team) – 2:17.61
• Boys 200 fly: Matthew Judkins (Parkway Swim Club) – 2:02.88
• Girls 50 free: Livi Wanner (Waukesha Express Swim Team) – 25.55
• Boys 200 breast: Josh Bey (Highland Hurricanes Swim Club) – 2:16.40
• Girls 400 free: Elizabeth Eichbrecht (Supernova Swim Team) – 4:20.55

Moving into Sunday, Jacob Pins was back in action. He put up a phenomenal 8:05.53 to win the boys 800 free, breaking 8:10 for the first time in his young career. With that performance, Pins picked up that Olympic Trials cut as well, marking his 3rd to go along with the 400 free and 1500 free. He won the race on Sunday by a whopping 22 seconds.

The girls 1500 free was also a lopsided affair, seeing Columbia Swim Club 18-year-old Macey Hansen win with a final time of 17:15.87. She won the race by 26 seconds. That swim came in 7 seconds off her career best of 17:08.32, which she swam at a Sectionals meet in March.

Leah Hayes concluded her meet with a fantastic swim in the 200 IM. Hayes won the girls 200 IM in 2:11.40. Hayes has been as fast as 2:08.91 in the event, which she swam to earn Bronze at the 2022 World Championships, and she’s been as fast as 2:10.24 in 2024.

Palatine Park District 16-year-old Vera Conic picked up a big win in the girls 200 back, swimming a 2:12.63. That was a huge performance for Conic, as she entered the meet with a personal best of 2:14.74. In prelims, she swam a 2:13.20, which was a personal best at the time and marked a new Olympic Trials cut for Conic. Conic also clocked a career best of 1:01.80 in the 100 back on Saturday, which was an Olympic Trials cut as well.

Iowa Flyers 17-year-old Hayden Hakes won the boys 200 back with a great swim, touching in 2:01.99. That performance is a personal best for Hakes, and came in just off the Olympic Trials cut of 2:01.69.

Iowa Flyers 18-year-old Owen Chiles was a double event winner on Sunday. Chiles first won the boys 100 free, swimming a 52.40, which put him into the finish first by nearly a full second. Chiles holds a personal best of 51.53 in the event. He then went on to win the boys 200 IM in 2:05.71, marking a new career best in the event.

Academy Bullets Swim Club 17-year-old Becky Rentz clocked a 57.05 en route to winning the girls 100 free. Rentz has been as fast as 56.88 in her career.