Girls Swimming Sectional Begins Thursday

North Brings Depth, East Sends One, Finals Set for Saturday

Feb. 6, 2026 at 6:31am

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The girls swimming postseason officially begins Thursday night at East Central, with sectional preliminaries set for 5:30 p.m. and plenty on the line — not just medals, but a path to Saturday finals and a chance to chase state qualification. Columbus North has several swimmers seeded high, while Columbus East will be represented by one swimmer, Baylee Benefield.

Why it matters

The girls swimming sectional is an important event that determines which swimmers will advance to the state competition. Columbus North has a strong team with several swimmers expected to perform well, while Columbus East has just one swimmer competing, highlighting the depth of talent in the area.

The details

Columbus North's Mridula Muthukumaran is seeded second in both the 200 IM and the 100 butterfly, and is the defending sectional champion in those events. Other North swimmers positioned to score and push into finals include Cora Tregoning, seeded third in the 500 freestyle and fourth in the 200 freestyle, and Abby Proffitt, seeded sixth in the 500 freestyle. North's relay teams are also seeded well. For Columbus East, Baylee Benefield is seeded 22nd in the 200 freestyle and 25th in the 100 backstroke.

  • The girls swimming sectional preliminaries are set for 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 6, 2026.
  • The diving prelims begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday, February 8, 2026.
  • The swimming finals and consolations begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 8, 2026.
  • The diving finals will follow around 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 8, 2026.

The players

Mridula Muthukumaran

A junior at Columbus North High School, Mridula Muthukumaran is the defending sectional champion in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, and is seeded second in both events this year.

Cora Tregoning

A swimmer for Columbus North High School, Cora Tregoning is seeded third in the 500 freestyle and fourth in the 200 freestyle.

Abby Proffitt

A swimmer for Columbus North High School, Abby Proffitt is seeded sixth in the 500 freestyle.

Baylee Benefield

A swimmer for Columbus East High School, Baylee Benefield is seeded 22nd in the 200 freestyle and 25th in the 100 backstroke.

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What’s next

The top 8 swimmers in each event from the preliminaries will advance to the Saturday finals, while places 9-16 will swim in the consolation heat. The diving prelims will be held on Saturday morning, followed by the swimming finals and consolations in the afternoon.

The takeaway

The girls swimming sectional is an important event that showcases the depth of talent in the Columbus area. While Columbus North has several swimmers expected to perform well, Columbus East's lone representative, Baylee Benefield, will be looking to race her best and potentially advance to the finals.