Ohio State Swimmers Pick Up Wins on Day 1 of Columbus Sectionals

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”

Several Ohio State swimmers earned victories to kick off Columbus Sectionals on Thursday, highlighted by a lifetime best from rising Buckeye junior Krista Marlin in the women’s 200 backstroke.

Marlin captured the 200 back crown in 2:10.19, lowering her previous-best 2:10.26 from last month’s U.S. Olympic Trials, where she placed 13th. She touched a few seconds ahead of Tennessee commit (’24) Emily Brown (2:13.41), who dropped a few tenths off her previous-best 2:13.73 from last July on her way to 2nd place.

A pair of 16-year-old boys impressed in the 200 backstroke. Great Waves Aquatics’ Paul Moody crushed his best time by more than two seconds to touch first in 2:02.33, ranking No. 54 in the U.S. boys 15-16 national age group (NAG) rankings. Northern Kentucky Clippers’ Chase Knopf reached the wall right behind Moody in 2:02.47, knocking almost two seconds off his previous-best 2:04.46 from last month.

Ohio State teammates Kit Kat Zenick and Teresa Ivan tied for the women’s 50 free title in 25.64, the only two swimmers under 26 seconds in the final. Zenick, a recent graduate, placed 46th at Trials last month (25.69) and has been as fast as 25.49 last July. Ivan placed 10th at last month’s European Championships (25.24) and owns a lifetime best of 25.15 from last June.

The men’s 50 free title went to recent Buckeye graduate Mario McDonald (22.60), who eked past rising Ohio State senior Daniel Baltes (22.62). McDonald, who placed 39th at Trials (22.71), was just a blink off his personal-best 22.55 from last July. Baltes placed 11th at Trials with a lifetime best of 22.14. Another Buckeye, rising junior Evan Fentress, was close behind with 3rd-place showing in 22.68, lowering his previous-best 22.86 from last May.

Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics 17-year-old Sophia Umstead came out on top in the women’s 200 breast with a time of 2:31.68. The Virginia commit (’25) has been as fast as 2:31.53 last month. Umstead outdueled rising Northern Colorado junior Maria Erokhina (2:33.36), who was a few seconds off her personal-best 2:30.62 from last May.

Rising Ohio State senior Karl Helmuth emerged victorious in the men’s 200 breast with a time of 2:16.34. He’s coming off a 36th-place finish at Olympic Trials last month with a lifetime best of 2:14.92. Rising Cincinnati sophomore Kyle Bumgardner was next to the wall in 2:17.04, matching his best time from last month.

Distance specialists had their time to shine in the women’s 800 free and men’s 1500 free. Rising Ohio State senior Gwen Woodbury won the women’s 800 free in 8:49.35, about seven seconds off her personal-best 8:41.63 from May. She placed 29th at Trials last month in 8:47.55.

In the men’s 1500 free, rising Ohio State junior Mason Edmund (15:33.62) dominated by more than 20 seconds ahead of classmate Sam Campbell (15:53.84). Edmund, who placed 31st at Trials last month (15:39.52), owns a lifetime best of 15:18.80 from last June. Campbell crushed his previous-best 16:00.68 from last June by almost seven seconds.