2014 U.S. Junior Nationals Final Day Preview: Dressel and Bilquist Casual En Route to Finals

The Info You Need to Follow Day 5 Finals at the 2014 U.S. Junior National Swimming Championships in Irvine, California

Scratches

Just two scratches from finals on Sunday. In the girls’ 200 IM, Madison Homovich, the 23rd-seed in prelims, scratched to focus on her swim in the final heat of the girls’ 1500 free. There she’s the 3rd seed behind Sierra Schmidt and Kendall Brent, and more importantly has a chance to pick up huge points and secure her High Point award for the meet.

In the boys’ 50 free, one individual swim this week was apparently enough for Blake Pieroni of the Indiana University Swim Team. He qualified for the A-final in 8th place with a 23.31, but scratched out of the evening heats (he’ll still probably swim on Indiana’s medley relay).

That led to a swim-off between Matt McHugh and Michael Andrew, who had originally been tied for 9th place Andrew won that swimoff 23.13-23.17. Andrew goes to the A-Final in lane 8, and McHugh goes to the B-Final in lane 4.

If You Only Watch One Final on Sunday Night…

Then you’re doing it wrong.

But, if you’ve only got an attention span of about 60 seconds, then you’re only choice on Sunday night is to watch the boys’ and girls’ 50 freestyle finals.

Amy Bilquist is the top seed in the girls’ race in 25.49, which is the second-best time of her career. She was a 25.3 in Santa Clara, and all-told has been under 26 seconds in five different swims this year (the only five times she’s done so in her life). There’s a possibility for under 25 seconds next week if she’s saved anything for Nationals, but for now we’d settled for a 25.1 or 25.2.

The same goes for Dressel – he’s just warming up for senior Nationals, and after what seemed to be about a 15 meter coast in prelims, he was still a 22.6. Anything close to his best time of 22.22 would be satisfying, and pretty impressive given the chunk of time that he took off early in 2013.

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Anonymous
9 years ago

How tall is Caeleb Dressel?

ERVINFORTHEWIN
9 years ago

Dressel is such a pure talented sprinter that i wouldn’t be surprised to see him also close to 22 in final . Wowwwww , that guy has everything to become the next sprinter Star the Us needs .
Amazing 50 free finals to come ………

bobo gigi
9 years ago

Dressel has made the show during the prelims.
Her last 15 meters looked like Lochte in the 200 IM prelims at world championships a few years ago. :mrgreen:
If he swims close to his PB, it will be great.
But I think he can swim a new best time in final.
The 17/18 NAG record is 22.13 by Vlad Morozov.
I predict 22.12 for Dressel.

Agree with your time prediction about Bilquist. If she isn’t too tired after a long meet she can win the final in 25 low. If she wins her third individual event tonight, she will be my MVP on the girls’ side. Townley Haas is already my MVP on the boys’ side.

SamH
Reply to  bobo gigi
9 years ago

I think Ryan Lochte did that last year in semi finals of the 200 IM. Maybe not quite 15 meters but he coasted still with a significant lead.

Back to the subject at hand, I agree with your time prediction on Dressel. Coasting for 15 meters in a 50 with that time is a good. I wouldnt be surprised if got close to the 22.0 area.

bobo gigi
9 years ago

Smart decision for Miss Homovich. Her coach has read me on swimswam. :mgreen:
I think she can win the 1500 free. Sierra Schmidt is the favorite but if Madison can follow her in the first part of the race, then she can finish better.

crazycatswimmer
Reply to  bobo gigi
9 years ago

Really Bobo???
Perhaps you need to go back and watch the actual race – I think Sierra Knows how to swim it regardless of who is ‘training’ off her in the early part of the race. Because from what I watched – no one was around her in the later part of that swim.

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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