FLORIDA VIRTUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – SITE 3 (CLEARWATER)
- December 11-13, 2020
- Clearwater FL
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Results (MeetMobile, “2020 Florida Virtual Championships – Site 3”)
UVA recruit Ella Bathurst (Tampa Elite Aquatics) was back in action Saturday night, taking another pair of events at the meet. Bathurst first swam the 100 back, where she won the race considerably with a 53.23. The time comes in roughly half a second off her personal best of 52.77, which she swam just a month ago. She went on to race the women’s 200 IM, where she again won handily. Bathurst posted a 2:00.54 in finals, after swimming a 2:00.29 in prelims. Both swims were a little off her lifetime best of 1:58.24, which was also swum a month ago.
Pipeline Swimming 16-year-old Michelle Morgan won the women’s 500 free with the only sub-4:50 time in the field. Morgan touched in 4:49.33, which was off her best time of 4:46.08. She took the race out fast, splitting 54.16 and 57.54 on the first two 100s respectfully, resulting in a 1:51.70 at the 200 mark. Holding the 57.5 pace from the 2nd 100 would have gotten Morgan to her lifetime best, but she floated up just a bit, splitting 59.04, 59.62, and 58.97 on the last 3 100s.
Unattached 17-year-old Sean Rogers popped a big best time in the men’s 100 back, winning the race with a 48.82. Impressively, the swim marks a .96 second drop from Rogers’ previous best, which he had just swum at the end of August this year. Rogers wasted no time getting after the race, splitting 23.50 on the first 50, and bringing it home in 25.32. Rogers swam prelims of the men’s 200 IM, establishing the 2nd best time with a 1:52.52, but declared false start on the race in finals.
Kentucky recruit and Academy Aquatic Club 17-year-old Logan Ingerick shaved .39 seconds off his lifetime best en route to winning the men’s 200 IM. Ingerick clocked a 1:48.94, dipping under the 1:49 mark for the first time in his career. Ingerick had also set a new personal best in the 100 back, finishing 3rd with a 50.41.
Team Velocity 18-year-old Zachary Kopel knocked almost 3 seconds off his best time in the men’s 500 free, winning the race with a 4:34.38. Kopel swam a very consistent race, splitting 52.49 on the first 100, then posting splits of 55.90, 55.64, 55.72, and 54.63 respectively on each of the next 4 100s.