By Spencer Penland on SwimSwam
2024 SOUTHERN ZONE SOUTH SECTIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, February 8 – Sunday, February 11, 2024
- Orlando, Florida
- Rosen Aquatic & Fitness Center
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets
- Live Stream
- Full results under “Southern Zone South Sectional Championships” on MeetMobile
The 2024 Southern Zone South Sectional meet kicked off today in Orlando, Florida. For an early February Sectional, this meet has attracted a ton of high level swimmers. Of course, if you’ve been reading SwimSwam tonight, you’ve already seen that 17-year-old Summer McIntosh (Sarasota Sharks) ripped a huge new Canadian Record of 8:11.39 in the women’s 800 free. On top of the record swim, McIntosh made more history, becoming the first swimmer in about 13 years to beat Katie Ledecky in an 800 free final. Ledecky took 2nd with an 8:17.12.
Moving into the men’s 800 free, Bobby Finke put up a solid 7:53.35 to win the men’s 800 free handily. Finke has a personal best of 7:38.67 in the event, however, his 7:53 tonight does stand as his top swim of 2024. Cal recruit Ryan Erisman, a 17-year-old out of Laker Swimming, had a huge swim for 2nd, clocking an 8:04.82. That performance marks Erisman’s first time under 8:10 in the event and, in the process, he also picked up the Olympic Trials cut, which stands at 8:09.69.
Lillie Nesty, a 17-year-old out of Gator Swim Club, was flying in the women’s 200 free. She took the race in 1:59.64, coming in just off her personal best of 1:59.37, which she swam at this same Sectional last year. Ryan Erisman‘s younger sister, Rylee Erisman, just 14 years old, clocked a 2:00.27 to take 2nd. It was a new personal best for Erisman by a slim margin, taking a couple tenths off her previous best of 2:00.64, which she swam at the Knoxville Pro Swim Series last month.
Florida pro Kieran Smith had a very solid performance in the men’s 200 free, winning the race in 1:47.42. Smith has a personal best of 1:44.74 but his swim tonight was his top mark of 2024 so far. Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club 16-year-old Ethan Ekk was exceptional in the 200 as well, coming in 2nd with a new personal best of 1:50.21. Ekk’s previous best was 1:50.46 and was swum at the Ocala Futures Championship last summer. The youngster is inching closer and closer to the Olympic Trials cut of 1:49.99.
Unattached Michigan 18-year-old McKenzie Siroky, who is taking a gap year before beginning her collegiate career at the University of Tennessee, put up a huge 1:08.30 to win the women’s 100 breast. The swim was a new career best for Siroky by nearly a second, coming in under her previous best of 1:09.14, which she swam last summer.
OTHER EVENT WINNERS
- Men’s 100 breast: Grant Sanders (Fast Falcons) – 1:03.33
- Women’s 100 fly: Addison Reese (Laker Swimming) – 1:00.27
- Men’s 100 fly: Jan Friese (Gator Swim Club) – 52.58
- Women’s 400 free relay: Sarasota Sharks – 3:48.20
- Men’s 400 free relay: Bolles School Sharks (Kyser, Kravchenko, Destang, Sohovich) – 3:28.90
SwimSwam: 2024 Orlando Sectional: McIntosh’s 8:11 800 FR, Florida Pro Group Highlight Day 1 Action
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