Aaron Baltaytis Produces Three Top-Three Finishes at Ithaca Sectionals Day Two

2022 Speedo Sectionals – Ithaca

• March 24-27, 2022
• Ithaca College, Athletics and Event Center, Ithaca, NY
• SCY (25 yards)
• Psych Sheet
• Results on MeetMobile “2022 EZ North Speedo Short Course Sectionals”

Day Two of the Speedo Sectionals meet in Ithaca, NY featured the 200 medley relay, 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 100 butterfly, 100 backstroke, and 500 freestyle. 

Aaron Baltaytis, a 16-year-old representing the Jersey Flyers Aquatic Club had three top-three finishes on Friday night. He kicked off the night by swimming the anchor leg on the Jersey Flyers Aquatic Club’s winning 200 Medley Relay (1:28.61), touching three-seconds ahead of the competition. The winning lineup included Cristopher Jackson (22.75), Benjamin Endersby (25.12), Roman Jones (20.72), and Baltaytis (20.02). 

In the 100 butterfly, Jersey Flyers Aquatic Club swimmers finished 1st and 2nd with Jones (46.30) and Baltaytis (47.42), respectively. Baltaytis then touched 1st by one-second in the 100 backstroke (47.28).

Alexandra Bastone of Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club won the 500 freestyle by nearly eight-seconds (4:46.72). She won the 1,000 freestyle on Thursday, producing a personal best by nearly nine-seconds. Bastone also competed in the 200 freestyle on Friday, finishing 3rd (1:50.52). She led a quartet of swimmers in the 200 freestyle A-Final: Lente Geelen (1:50.91), Annam Olaswere (1:50.96), and Kelly Dolce (1:51.28). Swimmers from Metro Area Life Time went 1-2 in the Women’s 200 freestyle, Sidney Arcella (1:48.58) and Molly Webber (1:48.78), finishing 1st and 2nd, respectively. Webber was 2nd in the 500 freestyle (4:54.54) and 7th in the 100 butterfly this evening (56.04). 

After winning the 1,650 freestyle on Thursday, Charles Perks of the West Hartford Aquatic Team won the 500 freestyle on Friday (4:28.30). He was the only swimmer in the field to go sub-4:30 seconds. Perks was even faster in prelims (4:27.32). 

Sebastian Smith of Patriot Swim Team had a massive drop throughout the day to win the 200 freestyle. Smith was seeded with a 1:41.03, which ranked him 8th on the psych sheet. In prelims, he posted a 1:40.63 to qualify 4th for the A-Final. In Friday’s final, he dropped a 1:38.55 to win the event, a 2.48 second drop total. Swimming out of the B-Final, his teammate Finn Quested won his finals heat (1:39.55), which was the 3rd fastest time of the evening.

Top-5 Team Scores Through Day 2

Women’s Team Scores:

1. Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club, 398
2. Crimson Aquatics, 186
3. Metro Area Life Time, 184
4. Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics, 181
5. Three Village Swim Club, 150

Men’s Team Scores:

1. Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club, 288
2. Jersey Flyers Aquatic Club, 273
3. Peddie Aquatic Association, 166
4. Asphalt Green United Aquatics, 120
5. Three Village Swim Club, 107