Jack Pettinger Invitational 2024
The Badger Aquatics Club, based in Madison, Wisconsin, is hosting an invitational long course this weekend, where a compact field of some of Wisconsin’s top clubs (plus the Edina Swim Club in Minnesota and the Ames Cyclone Aquatics Club in Iowa) have teamed up to run a long-haul tune-up.
Among the competitors scheduled for this weekend are a pair of Badgers with international aspirations, Beata Nelson and phoebe baconplus the future Badger Maggie Wanezek.
However, Day 1 focused on distance races and none of that team participated in the races. Instead, his Badger teammates stole the show in the open age categories. That includes 23-year-olds. Alivia Lindorfer, who just completed his final season of eligibility for Wisconsin while working on a master’s degree. She won the women’s 400 freestyle in 4:14.36, which was a nearly two-second improvement on her career best and her first cut at the Olympic trials in this event.
He entered 2024 with a career-best time of 4:18, but after losing two seconds in May, he lost another two on Friday to undermine the Trials qualifying standard just days before the qualifying period closes.
She is also classified in the 1,500 freestyle.
Historically a pretty bona fide distance swimmer, she made big improvements in the 500-yard freestyle during the college season, which has carried over into her long season on the field.
While she made her cut at the Trials, some of her teammates simply missed out. That includes Ben Wiegand in the 50 freestyle, who swam 22.80 in a time trial. That was his best time by 0.05 seconds, but it leaves him 0.01 off the Trials cutoff. However, he will have more opportunities to swim in the event this weekend.
The most exciting result for the Wisconsin men came from the 21-year-old. Chris Morris in a 200 free time test. He swam 1:47.66, and while he already had the Olympic Trials qualifying standard, that makes him the 24th best American in the qualifying period and puts him within reach of a semifinal, or better, in Indianapolis.
Morris broke school records at Minnesota before transferring to Wisconsin before last season.
Elle Braun He also achieved a new best time. He swam 8:36.89 in the 800 free in a time trial, shaving four seconds off his previous personal best in the event.
Other highlights, including those from the age group finals
- 14 years Henry Zanton of Madison Aquatic Club won the 13-14 boys 400 freestyle in 4:52.30, breaking the meet record of 4:59.03 set by Ryan Wanner last year. This is Zanton’s fastest swim by almost four seconds.
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