2024 NOVATO SECTIONALS
- July 18-21, 2024
- Miwok Aquatic Center
- Novato, California
- LCM (50 meters)
- Results on MeetMobile: “2024 PC Novato CA/NV Speedo Sectionals”
- Day 1 Recap
Anthony Dornoff became the fourth-fastest 15-year-old American ever in the 400 IM with his win at Novato Sectionals on Friday night.
The LaMirada Armada standout ripped a personal-best 4:20.65, dropping more than five seconds off his lifetime best to rank 9th in the U.S. boys 15-16 national age group (NAG) rankings. In the process, Dornoff broke one of the oldest Southern California LSC records on the books, a 4:22.06 belonging to former Brazilian world record holder Ricardo Prado from way back in 1981.
U.S. Boys 15-16 NAG Rankings
- Carson Foster – 4:14.73, 2018
- Michael Phelps – 4:15.20, 2001
- Sean Grieshop – 4:15.67, 2015
- Gunnar Bentz – 4:17.43, 2012
- Maximus Williamson – 4:17.58, 2022
- Sean Green – 4:18.62, 2023
- Jake Foster – 4:19.40, 2017
- Cooper Lucas – 4:19.95, 2021
- Anthony Dornoff – 4:20.65, 2024
- Jarod Arroyo – 4:20.96, 2017
Only Sean Grieshop (4:20.25), Maximus Williamson (4:17.58), and Michael Phelps (4:15.20) have been faster at 15 years old than Dornoff.
Fastest 15-Year-Old Americans in 400 IM
- Michael Phelps – 4:15.20, 2001
- Maximus Williamson – 4:17.58, 2022
- Sean Grieshop – 4:20.25, 2014
- Anthony Dornoff – 4:20.65, 2024
- Carson Foster – 4:21.10
Dornoff’s best time before today stood at 4:26.10 from May, which ranked 66th in the NAG rankings. He split 59.47 on butterfly, 1:06.80 on backstroke, 1:14.76 on breaststroke, and 59.62 on freestyle coming home.
Dornoff reached the wall almost 10 seconds ahead of Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 16-year-old Blake Hill (4:30.23), who dropped more than eight seconds off his previous-best 4:38.32 from March.
North Bay Aquatics 18-year-old Marre Gattnar lowered his best 100 back time with a winning mark of 56.27. The Harvard commit (’24) dropped more than half a second off his previous-best 56.95 from earlier this month. Before this month, his best time stood at 57.75 from 2022. Gattnar won the 2023 CIF state title in the 100-yard back (47.76) before taking a gap year last season.
Rising UNLV sophomore Kyle Adamson dipped under 57 seconds in the 100 back first time on his way to a runner-up finish in 56.90. The 19-year-old dropped almost half a second off his previous-best 57.35 from December.
The women’s 100 back title went to North Bay Aquatics 18-year-old Coco Quill in 1:03.67. The UCSB commit (’24) has been as fast as 1:03.04 last July. Quill touched just a hundredth ahead of Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 14-year-old Daniela Linares (1:03.68), who was within a second of her personal-best 1:02.78 from last month.
The future was on display in the women’s 200 freestyle, where Orinda Aquatics 14-year-old Stella Canoles (2:04.63) beat Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 17-year-old Ellie Butler (2:05.34). Canoles dropped more than two seconds off her previous-best 2:06.82 from April. Butler, a Notre Dame commit (’25), has been as fast as 2:05.26 in March. Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 16-year-old Raya Mellott placed 3rd in 2:05.59, about a second off her best time of 2:04.45 from February.
The men’s 200 free saw Alto Swim Club 17-year-old Francisco Goya emerge victorious in 1:52.90. He dropped more than a second off his previous-best 1:54.14 from March. Goya eked past Thunder Coast Aquatics 17-year-old Benjamin Butler (1:52.91) by the slimmest of margins for the win. Butler dropped almost a second off his previous-best 1:53.85.
Rising San Jose State junior Ela Freiman claimed the women’s 400 IM title in 4:57.39, lowering her best time of 4:58.12 that had remained in place since 2019. She needed to be in prime form in order to skirt past Brea Aquatics 13-year-old Adalyn Lee (4:58.90), who has been as fast as 4:57.07 in April.
The session concluding with the Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks capturing women’s 400 medley relay crown in 4:11.65 and Tri Valley Aquatics taking the men’s 400 medley relay title in 3:50.99.
0.04 from greatness
Just curious: Does anyone know what Leon’s time was at 15?
Leon swam a 4:19 when he was 16. Not sure what time he swam when he was 15.
Thank you.
4:34.23 was his best time at 15.
16 was kind of his breakout year, especially in the IMs. The potential was already clear based on being pretty good in both breaststroke and butterfly, but it started to come together after he turned 16.
Leon Marchand (born in May 2002) swam 4.34.23 in March 2018 when he was still 15, then in July 2018 won the French Age Group Championships (for 16 year-old) in 4.27.49, then he swam some 4’19” in the Spring 2019 (4.19.41 in April 2019) when he was still 16, then 4.16.37 at Junior Worlds 2019 in August 2019 (at 17), then – after the Covid period – 4.09.65 in June 2021 (at 19) and 4.04.28 in June 2022 (at 20). Finally the WR of 4.02.50 at 21.
Thank you.
Kids are getting really fast these days.