MV Short Course Open Champs Re-cap
Twenty-five Hammerheads competed at the MV Open Champs in Topeka February 23-26, 2023. They raced to 4 new Sectionals Bonus cuts, 2 new Senior Champs cuts and several returns to Finals. We had 4 Seniors take their last swims with NLU.
80% Best Times or Better
-Finley Harrold (2/2) 100%
-Megan Kindle (6/7) 86%
-Jacey McGraw (5/6) 83%
-Zach Mendez (8/10) 80%
-Brooke Nichols (7/7) 100%
-Tony Schneeberger (2/2) 100%
-George Walters (5/5) 100%
Notable Swims
-Grady returned to Finals in 3 events: 50 Free, 100 Free and 200 Free. He dropped over 11 seconds in his 200 Back!
-Elisa DeCaro returned to Finals in 200 Back
-Isaac Dierker raced again at Finals in 200 Fly
-Jack Francis-Cummins swam at Finals in 200 Breast, 200 IM and swam to a 3rd place Bronze medal in the top heat of the 100 Breast.
-Kim Greene dropped over 22 seconds to earn a 3rd place bronze medal in the 1000 Free. She also returned to Finals in 200 IM, 200 Back and 500 Free.
-Deacon Gutshall swam to 7th in his 1000 Free. He also had an over 7 second drop in the 400 IM that took him back to Finals. He also returned in the 200 Back, 200 Free and 100 Back. He earned a Sectionals Bonus cut in the 200 Back.
-Makaila Hayes swam at Finals in the 100 Fly, 50 Free, 100 Breast and 100 Back. She returned to the top heat of the 200 Free and her top heat 100 Free performance earned her a Sectionals Bonus cut.
-Katie Jones took her final swims with NLU after a long career with the team spanning over a decade. Katie graduates from Park Hill South this May.
-David Keightley swam his last short course champs with NLU. He graduates from Park Hill this spring.
-Megan Kindle returned to Finals in 200 Fly.
-Jakeb Kobs competed again at Finals in the 50 Free.
-Roman Lewis returned to Finals in all 5 of his events: 100 Fly, 200 IM and the top heats of 50 Free, 100 Free and 200 Free.
-Jacey McGraw dropped over 9 seconds in her 400 IM at Finals. She also returned in the 200 Free.
-Zach Mendez placed 2nd in the 1000 Free. He had an over 7 second time drop in the 200 IM and he dropped 8 seconds in his swim in Finals in the 400 IM. He also returned to Finals in 200 Back and 100 Back.
-Brooke Nichols dropped over 9 seconds in her 200 Free and it landed her at Finals.
-Clay Pilliard is sadly hanging up his cap & goggles as he prepares to graduate from Smith Cotton High School this spring. He returned to Finals in the 200 Back and the top heat of the 100 Back.
-Raphael Realina returned to the top heats of 3 events: 200 Breast, 400 IM and 100 Back. He also swam again in the 200 IM, 500 Free and 200 Free. His efforts in the 400 IM earned him a Sectionals Bonus cut.
-Tony Schneeberger earned a new Senior Champs cut in the 50 Free. He graduates from Piper High School this May.
-Jack Stanley swam again at Finals in the 200 IM, 100 Breast and 100 Back.
-Hannah Stewart raced again at Finals in the 200 Breast.
-George Walters earned a new Senior Champs cut in the 200 IM.
Relay Results
Women’s 400 Free Relay – 5th Place
Makaila Hayes, Jacey McGraw, Brooke Nichols & Hannah Stewart
Men’s 400 Free Relay – 4th Place
Jack Francis-Cummins, Deacon Gutshall, Grady Burns & Roman Lewis
Men’s 400 Free Relay – 9th Place
Zach Mendez, Raphael Realina, Jakeb Kobs & Findlay Hume
Women’s 400 Medley Relay – 13th Place
Kim Greene, Hannah Stewart, Makaila Hayes, Jacey McGraw
Mens 400 Medley Relay – 7th Place
Jack Stanley, Jack Francis-Cummins, Grady Burns & Roman Lewis
Mens 400 Medley Relay – 15th Place
Clay Pilliard, Raphael Realina, Jakeb Kobs & Zach Mendez
Women’s 200 Medley Relay – 11th Place
Elisa DeCaro, Brooke Nichols, Makaila Hayes & Hannah Stewart
Men’s 200 Medley Relay – 2nd Place
Jack Stanley, Raphael Realina, Grady Burns & Roman Lewis
Men’s 200 Medley Relay – 12th Place
Clay Pilliard, Jack Francis-Cummins, Isaac Dierker & Jakeb Kobs
Women’s 200 Free Relay – 5th Place
Hannah Stewart, Elia DeCaro, Jacey McGraw & Makaila Hayes
Men’s 200 Free Relay – 3rd Place
Roman Lewis, Grady Burns, Jakeb Kobs & Jack Francis-Cummins
Men’s 200 Free Relay – 11th Place
Zach Mendez, Raphael Realina, Findlay Hume & Clay Pilliard
