Evan Wilkerson Caps Para Pan Pacs With World Record
American Evan Wilkerson capped the Para Pan Pacific Championships by setting the world record in the S11 men’s 100 backstroke.
The swim capped a night of seven American marks at Mt. San Antonio College.
Wilkerson went 1:04.84 in prelims of the S11 100 back. He was quicker at night, going 1:02.62 for the mark, which is pending classification review.
Katie Kubiak got her fifth and sixth American marks of the meet, going 3:29.68 in the morning, then 3:27.29 at night in the SM5 200 individual medley. The final time is more than 15 seconds quicker than the previous mark.
Olivia Chambers twice lowered the S12 women’s 50 freestyle American record to 28.34. Piper Sadowski lowered the SM14 200 IM mark to 2:44.68 and the 100 back mark in 1:23.99. Each set three American marks at the meet.
Ali Truwit lowered the S10 100 back American record in 1:08.40, taking silver with teammate Gia Pergolini (S13) third in 1:06.21.
Mallory Weggemann won the SM7 200 IM in 2:54.60. That earned the SM7 swimmer gold.
The U.S. finished second on the medal table with 16 medals (six gold, five silver, five bronze), level with Brazil. The team tally went to Australia, which won 10 gold, 12 silver and 11 bronze for 33 medals.
Leading the way was a podium sweep in the 100 free, with Rowan Crothers winning in 23.27. Tom Gallagher was second in 23.46, with Alex Tuckfield third in 24.01, all three S10 swimmers.
Ben Hanse won the men’s 100 back, the S14 swimmer going 56.26. Masaki Saito of Japan was second in 59.59.
Canada signed off with two gold medals. Katie Cosgriffe won the 100 back ahead of Truwit and Pergolini, the S10 swimmer going 1:08.10. She was second in the 100 butterfly later in the night in 1:05.77, a Canadian and Americas record. She trailed the winning swim of Japan’s Aira Kinoshita, the S14 swimmer going 1:06.57. Kinoshita also won the 200 IM in 2:28.58, with Beatriz De Araujo Flausino of Brazil second in 2:31.53.
Joining Cosgriffe was Aurelie Rivard, who won gold in the women’s 50 free. The S10 swimmer went 27.33.
Brazil’s Gabriel Bandeira won the S14 men’s 200 IM in 2:06.94, with Nicholas Bennett of Canada second in 2:07.63. Bandeira also had the top time in the S15 100 fly in 55.78.
