2024 NOVATO SECTIONALS
- July 18-21, 2024
- Miwok Aquatic Center
- LCM (50 meters)
- Results on MeetMobile: “2024 PC Novato CA/NV Speedo Sectionals”
- Day 1 Recap
Anthony Dornoff became the fourth-fastest 15-year-old American ever in the 400 IM with his win at Novato Sectionals on Friday night.
The LaMirada Armada standout ripped a personal-best 4:20.65, dropping more than five seconds off his lifetime best to rank 9th in the U.S. boys 15-16 national age group (NAG) rankings. In the process, Dornoff broke one of the oldest Southern California LSC records on the books, a 4:22.06 belonging to former Brazilian world record holder Ricardo Prado from way back in 1981.
U.S. Boys 15-16 NAG Rankings
- Carson Foster – 4:14.73, 2018
- Michael Phelps – 4:15.20, 2001
- Sean Grieshop – 4:15.67, 2015
- Gunnar Bentz – 4:17.43, 2012
- Maximus Williamson – 4:17.58, 2022
- Sean Green – 4:18.62, 2023
- Jake Foster – 4:19.40, 2017
- Cooper Lucas – 4:19.95, 2021
- Anthony Dornoff – 4:20.65, 2024
- Jarod Arroyo – 4:20.96, 2017
Only Sean Grieshop (4:20.25), Maximus Williamson (4:17.58), and Michael Phelps (4:15.20) have been faster at 15 years old than Dornoff.
Fastest 15-Year-Old Americans in 400 IM
- Michael Phelps – 4:15.20, 2001
- Maximus Williamson – 4:17.58, 2022
- Sean Grieshop – 4:20.25, 2014
- Anthony Dornoff – 4:20.65, 2024
- Carson Foster – 4:21.10
Dornoff’s best time before today stood at 4:26.10 from May, which ranked 66th in the NAG rankings. He split 59.47 on butterfly, 1:06.80 on backstroke, 1:14.76 on breaststroke, and 59.62 on freestyle coming home.
Dornoff reached the wall almost 10 seconds ahead of Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 16-year-old Blake Hill (4:30.23), who dropped more than eight seconds off his previous-best 4:38.32 from March.
North Bay Aquatics 18-year-old Marre Gattnar lowered his best 100 back time with a winning mark of 56.27. The Harvard commit (’24) dropped more than half a second off his previous-best 56.95 from earlier this month. Before this month, his best time stood at 57.75 from 2022. Gattnar won the 2023 CIF state title in the 100-yard back (47.76) before taking a gap year last season.
Rising UNLV sophomore Kyle Adamson dipped under 57 seconds in the 100 back first time on his way to a runner-up finish in 56.90. The 19-year-old dropped almost half a second off his previous-best 57.35 from December.
The women’s 100 back title went to North Bay Aquatics 18-year-old Coco Quill in 1:03.67. The UCSB commit (’24) has been as fast as 1:03.04 last July. Quill touched just a hundredth ahead of Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 14-year-old Daniela Linares (1:03.68), who was within a second of her personal-best 1:02.78 from last month.
The future was on display in the women’s 200 freestyle, where Orinda Aquatics 14-year-old Stella Canoles (2:04.63) beat Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 17-year-old Ellie Butler (2:05.34). Canoles dropped more than two seconds off her previous-best 2:06.82 from April. Butler, a Notre Dame commit (’25), has been as fast as 2:05.26 in March. Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks 16-year-old Raya Mellott placed 3rd in 2:05.59, about a second off her best time of 2:04.45 from February.
The men’s 200 free saw Alto Swim Club 17-year-old Francisco Goya emerge victorious in 1:52.90. He dropped more than a second off his previous-best 1:54.14 from March. Goya eked past Thunder Coast Aquatics 17-year-old Benjamin Butler (1:52.91) by the slimmest of margins for the win. Butler dropped almost a second off his previous-best 1:53.85.
Rising San Jose State junior Ela Freiman claimed the women’s 400 IM title in 4:57.39, lowering her best time of 4:58.12 that had remained in place since 2019. She needed to be in prime form in order to skirt past Brea Aquatics 13-year-old Adalyn Lee (4:58.90), who has been as fast as 4:57.07 in April.
The session concluding with the Crow Canyon Country Club Sharks capturing women’s 400 medley relay crown in 4:11.65 and Tri Valley Aquatics taking the men’s 400 medley relay title in 3:50.99.
