Cleveland 2022 Summer Sections
- July 14-17, 2022
- LCM (50 meters)
- Cleveland State University
Some of the best swimmers from Michigan, Indiana and Ohio are competing this weekend at Cleveland State University for the sections. Most of the Ohio State roster is highlight attendance. Notably, a roster member from Ohio State won all but one event on Night 1.
Highlight first night was riding senior Amy Fulmer. Fulmer won the 50 freestyle with a personal best 25.40. Her previous best was 25.60 which she swam in April at the United States International Team Trials to finish 18th. Notably, Fulmer’s best time here would have earned him a second race at the International Team Trials.
Fulmer also picked up another win on the night as a member of the Ohio State Women’s 800 Freestyle Relay. The team of Kit Kat Zenick, Allison Fenska, Paige Hall, and Fulmer combined for a final time of 8:17.17 winning the event by over 10 seconds. Fulmer had the fastest split time of the relay with a time of 2:01.99 as his anchor.
Ohio State’s also won the 50 freestyle. James Quarter who won the men’s event in 23.19. Ward was entered into the competition with a short course yardage time, which usually means he did not reach the entry time for the event in the qualifying period. Notably, Ward went slightly faster in the preliminaries with a 23.09.
Senior on the rise Morgan Kraus from Ohio State clocked the fastest time in the women’s 200 backstroke with a time of 2:14.89 in the final. That was faster than her previous record of 2:15.28 she swam in May at the Indy Spring Cup. Notably, Kraus was almost a second faster here than a year ago when she clocked 2:15.58 in the 2021 summer sectional competition.
Continuing the success of the Buckeyes has been Thomas Watkin who won the men’s 200 backstroke in 2:01.18. Watkins is a rising senior at OSU and was slightly behind his best time of 1:59.21 he swam in the 2021 Indianapolis Pro Swim Series.
After finishing eighth in the event in April at the US International Team Trials, Josephine Panitz of OSU won the women’s 200 breaststroke in 2:30.95. Her best time is 2:29.13 which she swam in the preliminaries in April.
Ohio State swept the distance freestyles on Night 1. Maya Gerger won the women’s 800 freestyle in 8:51.55. That was slightly off her best time of 8:43.91 that she swam in April at the USA International Team Trials. There she finished 13th. Alfred Hansen who was a senior last year on the Ohio State roster won the men’s 1500 freestyle in 15:58.01. It was a big best time for Hansen as his previous best was 16:01.14 which he swam about a month ago at the Ohio Valley Championships. This means it was his first time under the 4:00 p.m. mark.
The only club/age group swimmer to win an event on the first night was Luke Vickers David’s YMCA Ghosts. Vickers won the men’s 200 breaststroke in 2:18.45. It was a huge run for the 16-year-old as he lost a total of 3.91 seconds off his starting time (and his best). His previous best time at 2:22.36 he swam at this meet a year ago.
