2024 Jack Pettinger Invitational
The Madison, Wisconsin-based Badger Aquatics Club is hosting a long course invitational this weekend, where a compact field from some of the best clubs in Wisconsin (plus the Edina Swim Club in Minnesota and Ames Cyclone Aquatics Club in Iowa) have come together to race a long course tune-up.
Among the competitors scheduled for this weekend are a pair of Badgers with international aspirations, Beata Nelson and Phoebe Bacon, plus future Badger Maggie Wanezek.
Day 1 was focused on distance races, though, and none of that crew participated in the racing. Instead, their Badger teammates stole the show in the open-age categories. That includes 23-year-old Alivia Lindorfer, who just completed her final season of eligibility for Wisconsin while working on a Masters degree. She won the women’s 400 free in 4:14.36, which is an improvement on her career best by almost two seconds and her first Olympic Trials cut in this event.
She entered 2024 with a career best of 4:18, but after dropping two seconds in May, she dropped another two on Friday to undercut the Trials qualifying standard just days before the qualifying period closes.
She is also qualified in the 1500 free.
Historically a pretty-true distance swimmer, she made big improvements in the 500 yard free during the college season, which has carried over into her long course season.
While she got her Trials cut, some of her teammates just-missed out. That includes Ben Wiegand in the 50 free, who swam 22.80 in a time trial. That was his best time by .05 seconds, but leaves him .01 shy of the Trials cut. He’ll have more opportunities to swim the event this weekend, though.
The most-exciting result for the Wisconsin men came from 21-year-old Chris Morris in a 200 free time trial. 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 semi-final, or more, in Indianapolis.
Morris was a school record breaker at Minnesota before transferring to Wisconsin prior to last season.
Elle Braun also picked up a new best time. She swam 8:36.89 in the 800 free in a time trial, knocking four seconds off her previous personal best in the event.
Other Highlights, Including from the Age Group Finals
- 14-year-old Henry Zanton from the Madison Aquatic Club won the 13-14 boys’ 400 free in 4:52.30, breaking the Meet Record of 4:59.03 set by Ryan Wanner last year. THat is Zanton’s fastest swim by almost four seconds.
