2020 Pleasant Prairie Sectionals
- March 12 – March 15, 2020
- Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
- Pleasant Prairie RecPlex Aqua Arena
- Thursday Distance / Relays: 5 PM (CST)
- Friday / Saturday: Prelims – 9 AM, Finals 6 PM
- Sunday: Prelims – 9 AM, Finals 5 PM
- 50m (LCM)
- Meet Site
- Psych Sheets
The 2020 Central Zone Section 1 Spring Champs get under way this weekend, in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. Hosted by the Madison Aquatic Club, the meet will run from Thursday, March 12 through to Sunday, March 15.
Easily the biggest name in the psych sheets in 2012 and 2016 Russian Olympic medalist, Yuliya Efimova. Efimova raced to a bronze in London in the the 200 breast, silver in the 100 breast in 2016. Efimova has also picked up medals at each LC World Champs since 2009, hitting her 14th, 15th and 16th at the 2019 version with 50 breast bronze, 100 breast silver and 200 breast gold.
Efimova, who is currently training in the US is awaiting a final decision on whether or not she will be able to compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. With Russia banned from the games, a decision on whether or not she will be able to compete unattached at the games is yet to be released by CAS.
Vocal about her innocence in light of Russia’s ban, Efimova said “Yes, long ago I made a doping violation and I was disqualified for almost two years. But there are a great number of US and European athletes who have a similar situation regarding doping and they are competing without any restrictions. If you want to introduce those regulations, they must be equally applied to all athletes, not only Russian competitors.”
This weekend, Efimova is slated to swim the 100 breast (1:05.49) and 200 breast (2:20.17) as top seed by 4.52 and 13.55 seconds, respectively.
Katie McClintock of Egg Harbour Township is entered in two events; the 200 IM and the 200 breast. Earlier this year, McClintock broke two national high school records in the short course meters 200 IM (2:13.76) and 100 backstroke (1:01.56). A month later, she took down the 200 IM meet record at the 2020 New Jersey High School Girls Meet of Champions with a 1:58.74 SCY.
The University of Wisconsin commit is the top seed in the women’s 200 IM this weekend, entered with a 2:18.54, ahead of Kaylyn Schoof’s second place seed of 2:18.57 and Hannah Kastigar‘s third seeded 2:18.86. In the 200 breast, she sits behind Efimova and Valerie Tarazi as third seed with a 2:34.54.
University of Texas commit, Luke Hobson of the Lakeridge Swim Team is entered in 8 events this weekend, highlighted by a top seed in the 1500 freestyle. The high school junior sits with a 16:08.22 in the event and his biggest competition will be Solo Aquatic’s Ryan Hogan with a second place seed of 16:11.82. Back in May of 2019, Hobson was 19th on SwimSwam’s “Way Too Early” ranks of the current high school sophomore class.
Hobson’s 7 other entries for the meet are the 50 free (15th seed), 100 free (5th), 200 free (5th), 400 free (2nd), 800 (6th) free 100 back (36th) and 200 back (16th).
Second seed in the 1500, Ryan Hogan is entered in 7 event himself, highleight by top seed in the 400 IM (4:27.89) and 800 free (8:28.64).
Jamie Kolar, who up until the end of 2019 swam for the University of Illinois, is entered as top seed in both the 100 and 200 backstrokes with a 1:03.18 and 2:15.85. Kolar, who started her senior year at Illinois this year is now swimming for Hinsdale Swim Club. She recently swam at the where she swam a the 100 back (56.91), 100 free (53.38), 200 free (1:57.38), 100 fly (1:00.30), and 200 back (2:07.62).
Griffin O’Leary is set to race six events; the 200 back, 200 fly, 200 free, 100 fly, 100 back, and 50 free. O’Leary will go in as first in both the 200 back (2:03.35) and 200 fly (2:03.04), and second seed in the 100 back (56.98) behind Jaden Olson’s 56.98. At 15, O’Leary placed 10th at the 2019 U.S Junior Nationals, giving him a spot on SwimSwam’s “Six Stars From Day 2 Finals“.
Iowa City West teammates Aurora Roghair and Scarlet Martin are entered in six events each this weekend. Roghair, with the top seeded 200, 400 and 1500 freestyle will also race the 100 free, 200 back and 800 free. Martin on the other hand sits first in the 100 fly, with additional entries in the 100 free, 200 fly, 200 free, 100 back, and 50 free.
Both Roghair and Martin picked up 2019 Iowa Girls High School State Championship titles this past fall. Roghair topped the podium in the 200 and 500 freestyles and Martin took the 200IM
Full List Of Top Seeds
| Men | Women | |
| 50 Free | Ian Steffen | Michelle Kaner |
| 100 Free | Andrew Benson | Maxine Parker |
| 200 Free | Ian Steffen | Aurora Roghair |
| 400 Free | Dylan Moffatt | Aurora Roghair |
| 800 Free | Ryan Hogan | Lilian Reader |
| 1500 Free | Luke Hobson | Aurora Roghair |
| 100 Back | Jaden Olson | Jamie Kolar |
| 200 Back | Griffin O’Leary | Jamie Kolar |
| 100 Breast | Conner McHigh | Yuliya Efimova |
| 200 Breast | Conner McHugh | Yuliya Efimova |
| 100 Fly | Kaiser Neverman | Scarlet Martin |
| 200 Fly | Griffin O’Leary | Emma Gleason |
| 200 IM | Andrew Benson | Katie McClintock |
| 400 IM | Ryan Hogan | Hannah Kastigar |
No she ain’t
Yuliya wins gold in Tokyo in 100 and 200 breast. *drops mic
Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time.
Efimova’s case is unique. Some swimmers who’s been tested positive are trying to prove their innocence, Some swimmers regret of what they did. Some swimmers behave aggressively feeling the strong support of their powerful federations. Some swimmers are hoping for light punishment. Etc.
Nothing like that is Yulia Efimova. No remorse. She takes it as a game where everybody do it but not everyone get caught. She took easy her ban, publicly comparing it with the suspended driver license when you can still drive and nobody cares if this is illegal. And after some time everything gets back. And she did it with the smile making you feeling… Read more »
I don’t know Yozhik, maybe it’s time to let it go. Yuliya had two world records invalidated, gave back European championships medals and a was given a 16 month suspension. Some on this website consider this harsh while others think a lifetime ban would have been more appropriate. I’m in the middle. She went off the well used script athletes have always used when testing positive (deny deny deny) and she gets crucified to this day.
Do I care? Not sure. It is indeed a long story and a lot was said and debated about her.
But there is another side of the coin: Does she cares about my opinion or yours one or anybody else’s? Absolutely not. And that is what irritates me most. She plays by the cynical rules of this life and has actually a prosperous career. She ignores absolutely the noise about her that makes her even more visible and richer by this publicity. She has a lot of supporters and not all of them are necessarily from Russian Federation. And you know why? I think it is because she isn’t hypocrite with her dirty doings. Even LUIGI from the standpoint… Read more »
I guarantee you she doesn’t care what you or I think. Switching gears, I predict she goes 1,05 in the 100 and 2,26 in the 200. She’s nowhere close to a sure thing getting one of 2 spots in the 200 on the Russian team.
Switching gears. I’m not sure about her ticket in 200BR. Last time that was a coaching or someone else’s (as she put it) decision to let her compete at World Championships in this event. Not that she won this right at competition in the pool.
“Efimova, who is currently training in the US ….” Ok. No more teasing. Where is she training? Is she on her own or with other Russian athletes? I think she trained with Salo for years, but last I understood, he wasn’t going to train her any more. Has that changed?
We’ve been trying to figure it out too, but it’s not clear who exactly is training her – but it is clear that she is spending the vast majority of her time in the U.S. It may be her father training her (he’s a well-known swim coach). But her social media makes it clear that she’s living in the U.S.
Plot twist: She’s been training at IU with Lilly King.