Senior Sectionals Meet Recap

Jay Pearson

Wave was represented by seven athletes from Senior Epic at the Northwest Spring Sectionals at Federal Way on March 9-12. Among 42 teams racing, we had a phenomenal meet with amazing swims and each swimmer brought home two or more personal best times! It was exciting to watch all the individual races from our swimmers and to feel the energy from our Boys Relays winning some of their heats while dropping their entry times as well. The meet was crazy fast and for several events, especially 100s & 200s, swimmers had to go faster than Futures cuts just to qualify for finals (A, B, C, and D)! Some general highlights from our team:

  • 1 Winter Junior National cut (first time qualifier)
  • 2 new Futures cuts
  • 3 new Sectionals cuts
  • 6 Team Records (4 Open & 2 Age Group)
  • 4 SSDL Elite Camp B cuts
  • 20 Best Times
  • 96 points scored

Here are some highlights:

  • Jaiden Sreenivasan had a spectacular meet and got his first-ever Junior National cut in the 1000 Free (9:24.33)! He scored 62 points for Wave and achieved AAAA Times in all four events at Sectionals! He swam all three distance events plus the 400 IM and dropped time in each with a combined monster 48.5-second drop. Jaiden earned two new Futures cuts, broke four Team Records (Men Open: 1000 free & 500 Free and Boys 15-16: 400 IM &1650 Free). He also got three new SSDL Elite Camp B cuts and swam three finals. What a weekend!

    Fun fact: Among all his achievements, he was most excited about finishing 8th in the 1000 Free and finally getting his first Sectionals medal! He placed 9th last year...
  • Fredrik Larsen was determined to break some barriers at this meet and came more prepared than ever. He scored 28 points for the team and qualified for finals in the 100 & 200 Backstroke, going best times in both. He broke the 1:50 barrier for the first time in the 200 Back going 1:49.51 in prelims, earning his spot in the A Final and getting very close to the Winter Junior National cut, missing it by 0.73! He also broke the 51 second barrier in the 100 Back twice (50.97 and 50.85 leading off the medley relay), adding one more SSDL Elite Camp B cut to his list.

    Fun fact: Qualifying for the A Final in the 200 back and getting his first Sectionals medal was one of his goals for this meet. So, he was all smiles after his 200 Back Final where he finished in 7th and went under 1:50 again (1:49.66)!
  • Boston Borg had an excellent meet achieving his first Summer Sectionals cut in the 500 Free and getting another Spring Sectionals cut in the 1000 Free. He dropped almost 4 seconds in the former and 11.5 seconds in the latter. Boston also swam right at his time in 200 Free, an event in which he went personal bests “only” seven times during the Boys HS Season that happened before Sectionals. All three swims were AAA Times.

    Fun fact: The team “lost” Boston before the 800 Free relay, but before everyone got into panic mode (including me!), we saw him walking peacefully on the pool deck with his cap and goggles ready to go. He was the fastest swimmer in that relay!
  • Kyler Brumfield had a busy schedule swimming all three distance events plus the 100 Back and 200 Free. She had an amazing 1000 Free dropping almost 7 seconds to get another Spring Sectionals cut! Kyler also broke the 1:00 barrier for the first time in the 100 Back with an impressive 59:53, missing the Sectionals cut by only 0.03! She also had a solid 200 Free and 500 Free where she implemented some of the new skills she has been training to improve her freestyle.

    Fun fact: Kyler was very excited and proud of herself after getting the Sectionals cut in 1000 Free to achieve the “Distance Trio” which means a cut in the 500, 1000, and 1650 Free. She already had the 500 and 1650 Free and completed the trio at this meet.
  • Tyler Kong had a fantastic meet and picked up a best time every time he dove in for a total of five personal bests during the long weekend. He had an amazing 100 Breast swimming long and strong, dropping more than a second to break the 1:00 barrier for the first time (59:82)! He also dropped a solid full second in the 100 & 200 Free, and 0.17 in the 200 Breast.

    Fun fact: Tyler had the opportunity to lead off the 200 Free Relay and he thrived in his mission, going a best time in his 50 Free with a huge 0.72-second drop (huge for any 50 event)!
  • Alexander Werth had an amazing meet and went lifetime bests in two of his three events. He has demonstrated  a very consistent breaststroke during the whole season and swam right at the same time he did two weeks ago when he went a personal best at the AGI meet. He also sprinted the 100 Breast to drop 1.27 seconds and had a great 200 Free where he went more than a second faster than his previous time.

    Fun fact: Alex's 100 split in the 200 Breast is, in general, faster or around the same as his 100 Breast time. So that gives us an idea of how fast he can go in his 100 Breast. At Sectionals, it was no different: 200 Breast (100 split): 1:02.41 and his new time in the 100 Breast swimming the event: 1:02.38.
     
  • Alexandru Popov had a great meet and went two new personal bests. His outstanding swim was the 200 Breast where he cut almost 2 seconds from his previous time. In the 100 Breast he swam under 59 seconds one more time getting very close to his best time. He also swam the 200 & 400 IM going right at his times in both events.

    Fun fact: Popov requested to lead off the 400 Free relay to try breaking the 50 second barrier in his 100 Free. He took advantage of the opportunity, dropped 0.88 tenths of second and went an amazing 49.51 achieving his goal and getting the relay on fire!

Congrats for all the hard work you put in throughout the season. It was very exciting to coach you during the year and watch all of you racing so well in many different events! LC Season is next. Be ready!

Top 24 (Scoring) Finishes

  • Fredrik Larsen - 7th (200 Back), 20th (100 Back)
  • Jaiden Sreenivasan - 8th (1000 Free), 11th (1650 Free), 14th (500 Free), 16th (400 IM)
  • Men's 400 Medley Relay - 23rd (Fredrik Larsen, Alexandru Popov, Jaiden Sreenivasan, Tyler Kong)

New US Motivational Cuts

AAAA

  • Jaiden Sreenivasan - 500, 1000, & 1650 Free, 400 IM

AAA

  • Boston Borg - 1000 Free

AA

  • Alexandru Popov - 100 Free, 200 Breast

WAVE ON 3!!