By Cathleen Pruden, Swimming World College Intern
The 2016 Speedo Southern Zone South Sectional Championships will take place Thursday through Sunday in Plantation, Florida. Action will kick off Thursday evening with timed finals of the non-Olympic distance events for each gender, and the 200 meter relays, including mixed medleys. Friday through Sunday, the meet will be swum prelims and finals. The entire meet is being swum in long course meters, providing a great chance for a number of swimmers to earn Olympic Trials cuts.
A number of professional swimmers and quite a few Canadian National Team members highlight the list of entered swimmers.
Missy Franklin leads the pack on the women’s side. Fresh off her swims at the Arena Pro Swim in Orlando, Franklin will swim a slightly different lineup this weekend. She is entered in the 50 backstroke, and the 50, 100, and 400 freestyles. Franklin enters the 50 freestyle as the fourth seed, as Canadian National Teamer Chantal Van Landeghem is the top seed. Fellow Canadians Michelle Williams and Sandrine Mainville are also entered in the 50 freestyle, ahead of Franklin. The trio are also entered just behind Franklin in the 100 freestyle.
American Olympic hopeful Megan Romano is also racing this weekend in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyles, and the 50 and 100 backstroke. Olympian Claire Donahue is entered in the 50, 100, and 200 butterfly this weekend where she’ll face off with Canada’s Audrey Lacroix. Jamaican Olympian Alia Atkinson is the top seed in all three breaststrokes this weekend.
There are fewer high profile swimmers on the men’s side this weekend. Professional Michael Andrew will take on one of his typical heavy event loads. The sixteen year old is entered in the 50 and 100 breaststroke, 50 and 100 backstroke, 50 and 100 butterfly, 50 freestyle, and 200 IM. In the breaststrokes, Andrew will go head to head with Canadian Richard Funk. Funk is also top seed in the 200 breaststroke. Canadian Karl Krug is the top seed in both men’s sprint events.
Full psych sheet available here:2016 Speedo Sectionals: Plantation Psych Sheet – Results
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