2 top times from Waverly's Sackett lead way for Section 4 at NYSPHSAA swim championships
Seniors Jerrell Sackett of Waverly and Cullin Cole of Horseheads went 1-2 in prelims of the 50-yard freestyle Friday at the state swimming championships, with Sackett adding the day's fastest time in the 100 freestyle later in the day at Ithaca College.
They will be joined in Saturday's championship finals of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Boys Swimming & Diving Championships by Chenango Valley's Tyler Schultz and Amir Sadykov. Schultz qualified for the top race in the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke. Sadykov also made it in the breaststroke.
Relays from Waverly and Horseheads also advanced to championship races, with Sackett and Cole contributing.
What's Next
Top-10 prelim efforts qualified swimmers for the championship finals, to be held Saturday at Ithaca College's Kelsey Partridge Bird Natatorium at the Athletics and Events Center. Start time is 10 a.m.
Consolation finals for each event will be held for qualifiers in spots 11 through 20, with bonus finals for prelim times that ranked 21 to 30.
Jerrell Sackett, Cullin Cole set pace in 50
Sackett posted a time of 20.79 seconds in the 50 freestyle, just off his school record of 20.76 set earlier this season.
Cole's second-place time of 20.85 was a shade behind his personal record of 20.81.
Their 50 times are worthy of All-American consideration. The automatic All-American time in the 50 is 20.49. Gabriel Rzezwicki of Lakeland-Panas ranked third in 20.99 seconds.
Last year at states, Sackett finished third among public schools and fourth overall in the 50 freestyle with a finals time of 21.22 seconds. Cole placed fourth/fifth last year in 21.31.
Sackett to swim for state titles in 4 events
Sackett's strong day also included a top time of 44.88 seconds in the 100 freestyle, just off the automatic All-American standard of 44.86. Sackett broke his own school record. Rhinebeck's Stephen McDonald was second in 45.32.
Sackett led off Waverly's 200 freestyle relay, which qualified sixth in 1:26.66. Ryan Clark, Liam Wright and Oscar Williams joined him.
Waverly's 400 freestyle relay of the same four swimmers qualified ninth in 3:14.91.
Cullin Cole advanced in 4 events
Cole's bid to make the championship race of the 100 freestyle came up three spots short. He ranked 13th in 46.95 seconds. That time put him in the top 10 among public schools swimmers, leaving him in the mix to win a public schools medal.
Horseheads qualified for the championship race in the 400 freestyle relay with a 10th-place time of 3:15.55 that shaved more than two seconds off the team's seed time. Cole swam the final leg of the relay, which also included Shoonfon Li, Alexander Villegas and Kaden TenEyck.
Those same four will compete in the consolation finals of the 200 freestyle relay after qualifying 16th in 1:29.28.
Strong day for CV's Tyler Schultz, Amir Sadykov
Schultz, a junior, enters Saturday with a chance to win two state titles and ownership of a Section 4 record.
He was fifth-fastest Friday in the 200 IM with a time of 1:53.06, well under his seed time of 1:54.97.
Schultz later qualified fifth in the breaststroke in 56.91 after coming in with a top effort of 57.66. Friday's swim eclipsed the previous Section 4 record of 56.96 set in 2021 by Corning's Cal Bartone.
Schultz will be joined in the championship race of the breaststroke by junior teammate Amir Sadykov, who qualified eighth in 57.73. Sadykov's 50 time of 21.98 ranked 25th, putting him in the bonus finals.
More:Section 4 boys swimming and diving: 3 class meets, 4 team champions
Shoonfon Li, Ryan Clark, M-E relay Saturday qualifiers
Horseheads' Li advanced to the consolation finals of the 200 IM with a time of 1:55.54 that ranked 16th. He qualified for the bonus finals of the 500 freestyle with a 21st-place time (4:48.85).
Waverly's Clark advanced to the bonus finals in the 50 freestyle (29th in 21.94).
Maine-Endwell's 200 freestyle relay of Strati Anastos, Cole Medina, Conner Steele and Billy Gorman qualified 21st (1:30.17) to advance to the bonus heat.
Hawks' Brenden Jardin-Reed takes 17th in diving
Corning sophomore Brenden Jardin-Reed finished with an 11-dive score of 400.50 to place 17th out of 32 divers on the 1-meter board.
Elmira junior Creed Hackett advanced to the semifinals and put together an eight-dive score of 251.45.
Nicholas Graham of Tottenville won the title with a score of 559.55.
Other Section 4 Results
200 medley relay: 36-Maine-Endwell (Strati Anastos, Jack Colling, Billy Gorman, Cole Medina) 1:42.09; DQ-Horseheads (Kaden TenEyck, Aidan Schooley, Thai Tran, Devin Sullivan).
200 freestyle: 42-Ryan Bascom (Ithaca) 1:49.5.
50 freestyle: 38-Oscar Williams (Waverly) 22.18; 47-John Cadden (Chenango Forks) 22.34.
100 butterfly: Connor Lajza (Lansing) 53.52; 500 freestyle: 34-Koen Anderson (Ithaca) 4:59.61.
100 backstroke: 35-Williams (Waverly) 55.28; 41-Lajza (Lansing) 56.98.
Follow Andrew Legare on Twitter: @SGAndrewLegare. You can also reach him at alegare@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today
This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: How Section 4 boys swimmers fared at prelims of NYSPHSAA championships
