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Khader Baqlah Posts 1:48.18 200 FR At Gainesville Sectional Day 2

2018 SZS SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

On the 2nd day of the Speedo Sectional in Gainesville, FL (search “Southern Zone South Sectional Championships” on MeetMobile for results), soon-to-be University of Florida Junior Khader Baqlah posted a 1:48.18 200 free to take 1st after going a 1:53.37 in prelims. Baqlah was the only swimmer in the A-Final to break 1:50, with Jan Switkowski coming in 2nd at 1:50.54. His time was also only half a second off his personal best of 1:47.68, which Baqlah set last Summer. Caeleb Dressel finished all the way back in 6th with a 1:53.42. Dressel posted the fastest time in prelims with a 1:52.26.

Notably, in the B-Final, Florida swimmer Maxime Rooney won in 1:48.76 – the second-best time of the day.

Isabel Ivey took the women’s 200 free, narrowly missing the 2-minute mark with a 2:00.08. Ivey was out fast, hitting the 100 mark in 57.65, but fell off a bit with a 30.83 3rd 50, and 31.60 last 50. Ivey’s season best of 1:59.74 is the 18th fastest women’s 200 free in the country this season.

Marco Guarente won the men’s 100 breast with a 1:01.92, winning by well over a second. That marked a significant drop from Guarente’s previous best of 1:03.81. Emma Ball threw down a 28.92 in the women’s 50 back to touch out her Gator Swim Club teammate Caitlin Brooks (29.15) for 1st. Ball’s best time in the 50 back is 28.47 from the Mel Zajac invite last month. Ball also has a yards best time of 23.68, from leading off the Florida 200 medley relay at this year’s SEC Championships.

Maxime Rooney blasted a 53.31 to win the 100 fly, beating Jan Switkowski by nearly a full second. Rooney was out in 24.94, and came back in 28.37, while Switkowski was out in 25.85, and also came back in 28.37. Kelly Fertel took the women’s 400 IM with a 4:44.84, narrowly missing her lifetime best of 4:44.46. Mark Szaranek capped off the individual races in the session with a 4:21.39 win in the men’s 400 IM. Szaranek has already been 4:13 this year at the Commonwealth Games in April.

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Double Arm Freestyle
6 years ago

Just from the perspective of someone at the meet, Dressel looked like he cruised the 200 final. He’s scratched every event since the 200 prelims, Lochte hasn’t swum at all, Penny coasted two prelims swims Saturday and scratched finals and the next day prelims. The parts of the group that are swimming are swimming really well, they’re going fast. I think those three swimmers are playing their cards close and not showing where they are because they’re about to do something good

Kimmy
Reply to  Double Arm Freestyle
6 years ago

Right, they just being sly, That makes no sense at all.

DRESSEL IS GOD
Reply to  Double Arm Freestyle
6 years ago

Or maybe… Just maybe… They are in insane training, and that 1:53 is one of the scariest 1:53s in history

O Canada
6 years ago

What happened to Penny Oleksiak? Looks like she didn’t swim 200 Free final after a 2:05 in morning?

Skoorbnagol
6 years ago

Gator taper time

Caeleb Dressel Will Win 9 Gold Medals in Tokyo
6 years ago

Mannnn Caeleb is tired! I wonder when he starts taper.

bobo gigi
6 years ago

Rooney won the 200 free B-Final in 1.48.76. He has stagnated since his brilliant summer of 2015. Hopefully that’s the sign of something good to come for him.

bobo gigi
6 years ago
bobo gigi
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago
Spencer Penland
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

thanks!

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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