2024 COLUMBUS SECTIONALS
- July 18-21, 2024
- Columbus, Ohio
- McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion at Ohio State University
- LCM (50 meters)
- Results on MeetMobile: “2024OH CZ East Speedo Sectionals”
- Day 1 Recap
Soon-to-be Ohio State junior Krista Marlin continued her red-hot run at Columbus Sectionals on Friday with another victory in the women’s 400 IM, posting a huge four-second drop in the process.
The 20-year-old Marlin clinched the 400 IM title in 4:47.05, destroying her previous-best 4:51.38 from March. She touched a couple seconds ahead of 18-year-old Tennessee commit (’24) Emily Brown (4:49.49), who was within a second of her personal-best 4:48.83 from 2022. Marlin kicked off Columbus Sectionals on Thursday with a personal-best 2:10.19 200 backstroke win.
The men’s 400 IM came down to a thrilling battle between Buckeye teammates Mason Edmund (4:27.81) and Will Bansberg (4:27.93). Edmund, a rising Ohio State junior, was a few seconds slower than his best time (4:24.26 from December) while Bansberg, a rising senior, reached the wall five seconds off his personal-best 4:22.35 from his 27th-place finish at U.S. Olympic Trials last month.
Another fun Buckeye showdown took place in the women’s 50 backstroke, with Nyah Funderburke (28.55) taking down fellow rising Ohio State senior Teresa Ivan (29.23). The 21-year-old Funderburke has been as fast as 28.32 last June while the 20-year-old Ivan owns a lifetime best of 28.90 from February’s World Championships, where she placed 22nd.
Recent Notre Dame graduate Kaden Smesko lowered his best 50 back time by more than half a second on his way to the win in 26.24. The 22-year-old will spend his fifth and final year of collegiate eligibility at South Carolina next season. Rising Ohio State sophomore Eli Stoll earned the runner-up finish in 26.31, within a tenth of Smesko (and his personal-best 26.22 from 2021). Atlantis Swimming 16-year-old Elliot Rijnovean also impressed with a 3rd-place showing in 26.49, dropping almost half a second off his previous-best 26.92 from March.
The youngest individual winner of the evening emerged in the women’s 200 freestyle as Supernova Swim Team 16-year-old Elizabeth Eichbrecht triumphed in 2:03.05. She touched within a couple seconds of her personal-best 2:01.35 from last month. Rising Ohio State junior Jessica Eden finished more than a second behind Eichbrecht in 2:04.48, taking almost half a second off her previous-best 2:04.91 from last July.
Rising Oakland University senior Jonas Cantrell, captured the men’s 200 free crown in 1:51.40, narrowly missing his personal-best 1:51.27 from last July. The 22-year-old Cantrell outdueled rising Ohio State senior Alex Metzler (1:51.70), who has been as fast as 1:50.72 in May.
The women’s 100 fly title went to recent Ohio State graduate Kit Kat Zenick, who blasted a new lifetime best of 59.62 for the victory. The 22-year-old Zenick dropped .04 seconds off her previous-best 59.66 from last July. She was the only swimmer in the 100 fly final under a minute as 21-year-old Abigail Daniel clocked 1:00.61 for 2nd place.
Rising Ohio State junior Evan Fentress fired off a 53.77 for the men’s 100 fly win. The 20-year-old placed 13th at Olympic Trials last month with a personal-best 52.27. Rising Penn State sophomore Caden Davis secured 2nd place in 53.81, within a couple tenths of his personal-best 53.65 from May.