INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – Five-time Paralympic medalist Elizabeth Marks (Colorado Springs, Colorado) set a women’s 400-meter freestyle S6 Americas Record en route to the gold medal to highlight five podium sweeps and 29 medals – including 11 youth medals – for Team USA on the second day of the CITI Para Swimming World Series 2024 – USA.

The victory was one of three on a busy day for Marks, who also took gold in the women’s 50-meter freestyle S1-13 and then teamed with Abbas Karimi (Fort Lauderdale, Florida), Morgan Ray (St. Augustine, Florida) and Leanne Smith (Salem, Massachusetts) for gold in the mixed 4x50-meter medley 20 point relay.

In a stacked final, Marks’ record time of 5:19.62 in the 400-meter freestyle S6-13 was enough to best Paralympic champions Anastasia Pagonis (Long Island, New York) and Jessica Long (Baltimore, Maryland), who completed the Team USA podium sweep with silver and bronze, respectively. It was Pagonis’ first medal of the weekend after she set an American record yesterday, while Long added her third medal in two days.

Marks then went on to prove her versatility, topping teammate and silver medalist Mallory Weggemann (Eagan, Minnesota) in the 50-meter freestyle. Weggemann and Paralympic medalist Julia Gaffney (Mayflower, Arkansas) would also go 1-3 for the Americans in the women’s 50-meter butterfly S1-7.

Nuhfer led the charge on a women’s 100-meter butterfly S8-14 podium sweep that also included teammates Taylor Winnett (Hershey, Pennsylvania) and Lizzi Smith (Muncie, Indiana). The 21-year-old University of Akron swimmer exceeded her own expectations for the meet by winning the event in 1:04.33.

After making her Team USA debut at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Nuhfer said she is trying to soak in the experience of aiming for her fist Paralympic Games.

“I wasn’t expecting to see that kind of result at this meet, just because of how training is going,” Nuhfer said. “The goal right now is just to take it day by day and not rush the process. As much as Paris is the big goal at the end of the summer, I don’t want to have it go by too fast and miss the little moments. I’m just embracing the people around me, my teammates and coaches and friends, and my biggest goal is just to stay grounded and keep that balance.”

Team USA dominated in the 100-meter butterfly events, bringing home a podium sweep in the men’s S8-14 race as well. Paralympian Lawrence Sapp (Waldorf, Maryland) earned gold, while teammates Trevor Lukacsko (Bernardville, New Jersey) and Jeff Lovett (Orlando, Florida) snagged silver and bronze, respectively.

Americans also swept both 100-meter butterfly youth events. The trio of Chloe Cederholm (Salt Lake City, Utah), Piper Sadowski (Grand Rapids, Michigan) and Rachel Keehn (Carolton, Georgia) made up the podium in the women’s race, while Braxton Wong (Clovis, California) combined with Owen McNear (Augusta, Georgia) and Ryan Eidelman (Northfield Township, Illinois) for a men’s podium sweep.

Earning his first gold medal of the meet was Noah Jaffe (Carlsbad, California), who placed first in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S6-13 ahead of Team USA’s Matthew Torres (Ansonia, Connecticut), who took silver for his first podium in Indianapolis.

Rounding out the Team USA podiums with a silver medal in the men’s 50-meter freestyle S1-13 was Paralympic bronze medalist Jamal Hill (Inglewood, California).

Racing in Indianapolis concludes tomorrow with the third and final day of preliminary heats beginning at 9 a.m. EDT. All sessions of the event will be streamed live on the U.S. Paralympics Swimming Facebook page.

For media requests and photo inquiries, please contact Kristen Gowdy at Kristen.Gowdy@usopc.org.

Medalists – Day 1

Women’s 50m Butterfly S1-7

1. Mallory Weggemann

2. Sara Vargas Blanco (COL)

3. Julia Gaffney

Women’s 50m Butterfly S1-7 – Youth

1. Sara Vargas Blanco (COL)

2. Naomi Ortiz Mendez (MEX)

3. Megan Gioffreda

Men’s 50m Butterfly S1-7

1. Nelson Crispin Corzo (COL)

2. Sebastian Messabie (CAN)

3. Jesus Gutierrez Bermudez (MEX)

Women’s 100m Butterfly S8-14

1. Grace Nuhfer

2. Taylor Winnett

3. Lizzi Smith

Women’s 100m Butterfly S8-14 – Youth

1. Chloe Cederholm

2. Piper Sadowski

3. Rachel Keehn

Men’s 100m Butterfly S8-14

1. Lawrence Sapp

2. Trevor Lukacsko

3. Jeff Lovett

Men’s 100m Butterfly S8-14 – Youth

1. Braxton Wong

2. Owen McNear

3. Ryan Eidelman

Women’s 400m Freestyle S6-13

1. Elizabeth Marks

2. Anastasia Pagonis

3. Jessica Long

Women’s 400m Freestyle S6-13 – Youth

1. Keegan Knott

2. Naomi Ortiz Mendez (MEX)

3. Micaela Apaestegui (PER)

Men’s 400m Freestyle S6-13

1. Noah Jaffe

2. Matthew Torres

3. Jesus Gutierrez Bermudez (MEX)

Men’s 400m Freestyle S6-13 – Youth

1. Jesus Gutierrez Bermudez (MEX)

2. Owen McNear

Women’s 50m Freestyle S1-13

1. Elizabeth Marks

2. Mallory Weggemann

3. Shelby Newkirk (CAN)

Women’s 50m Freestyle S1-13 – Youth

1. Mary Jibb (CAN)

2. Audrey Kim

3. Sara Vargas Blanco (COL)

Men’s 50m Freestyle S1-13

1. Fredrik Solberg (NOR)

2. Jamal Hill

3. Nelson Crispin Corzo (COL)

Men’s 50m Freestyle S1-13 – Youth

1. Noah Busch

2. Charlie Giammichele (CAN)

3. Owen McNear

Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay 49 Points

1. Team USA

Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay S14

1. Team USA A

Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay 20 Points

1. Team USA

Marks’ Americas Record, Three Golds Lead 29-Medal Day for Team USA in Indianapolis

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