2019 USC Trojan Invite
- Oct. 4-5, 2019
- Uytengsu Aquatics Center
- Los Angeles, CA
- Day Two Full Results
- Day One Recap
The USC Trojan Invitational came to a close on Saturday with two sessions that followed regular championship meet format after Friday night’s open session. Contested events included the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back on Saturday morning and then were proceeded with the 1000/1650 free events, 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly.
Alongside the individual events, the 200 medley and free relays were swum in the morning and the 300-yard medley and free relays were contested in the closing session. Virginia swept both 200 medley relays while the USC women and Team Elite men won the free relays to close the morning session. In the evening, the USC women won both the 300 medley and free relays while the UC-San Diego men won the 300 medley relay as the Team Elite men were victorious in the 300 free relay.
More Day Two Highlights
Day two was a very fast day, with 13 NCAA-leading times being put up across both sessions. Virginia newcomer Kate Douglass continued her dominance at this invite with her double #1-ranking times in the NCAA this season.
Douglass’ first top time was posted in the 100 fly, where she placed second with a narrow lifetime best of 51.58. Team Elite’s Kendyl Stewart won the event with a time of 51.47. Later in the meet, Douglass won the 100 breast with a sub-minute lifetime best of 59.55. Both of Douglass’ NCAA leading-times also rank within the top-25 all-time performers in 17-18 age group history.
Virginia teammates Joe Clark and Cooper Wozencraft currently rank in the top 2 for both the 100 and 200 back. Clark kicked it off with his 100 back winning time of 46.51, which now leads the NCAA. Behind Trojan Swim Club’s Luca Spinazzola (46.98) and Team Elite’s Jacob Pebley (47.24) was Wozencraft, whose 47.47 time ranks second behind Clark.
Later in the 200 back, Wozencraft put up a top NCAA time with his second-place finish of 1:43.79, behind Pebley’s winning time of 1:41.14. Virginia teammate Clark finished third with a 1:45.78, which ranks second in the NCAA behind Wozencraft.
Peaking more into the pro club athletes’ swims, Olympic champion Dmitriy Balandin of Trojan Swim Club swept both the breaststroke events on Saturday, winning both the 100 (52.50) and 200 (1:54.17). After taking second in the 100 fly behind Team Elite’s Marius Kusch (45.83), Trojan’s Adilbek Mussin came out on top in the 200 fly with 1:44.61.
In the men’s 100 free, Team Elite’s Michael Chadwick won his second sprint of the invite with his monstrous top time of 42.67. After winning the 100 fly in the morning, Kusch finished second (43.06) while Trojan’s Cristian Quintero took third with a 43.32.
Remaining Day Two Top-NCAA Times (as of 10/7/19)
- Casey Storch (Virginia): 400 IM- 3:48.36
- Paige Madden (Virginia): 200 free- 1:45.51
- Keefer Barnum (Virginia): 200 breast- 1:56.74
- Madelyn Donahue (Virginia): 1650 free- 16:21.68
- Victor Johansson (USC): 1650 free- 14:56.04
- Marta Ciesla (USC): 100 free- 48.27
- Isa Odgers (USC): 200 breast- 2:09.46
- Emma Seiberlich (Virginia): 200 back- 1:54.64
Justin Grender popping a 19.52 anchor then doing a 9:14 1000, very versatile
One does not simply just do an event x20 longer than a 50 and do well. Mad respect for that guy
That would put their 200MR at 1:25.9 or 1:26.0 then….
That is moving.
*peaking vs peeking
Why are teams rested and wearing suits in early October?
There is a difference between being “rested” and just putting a suit on so you can go fast, while still being tired.
I think you are going to see more teams, especially female teams wearing “suits” this year because of the wedgie thing… just my thought/prediction. I think they will be old ones and not brand new ones, but still I think you will see it more this year.
Plus if you think about it, if you are swimming a championship style/schedule, why not wear one? Get used to it. Why only race 2-3 times a year in one? Get used to the feeling so its not a new sensation when it comes to taper time.
I’ve always felt the same way actually. There’s big value in getting used to the feel of a suit and how it changes the level of your hips in the water. We obsess over training the details in swimming, but that one we for some reason keep as a purposeful unknown until our most important races.
HAHA, lots of negative thoughts about this comment,… I still think it have validity though… wear the suits that do not come into play with the wedgie issue… why would you? avoid it if possible and throw down nice times in the process, its a win win, even if you think that wedgie issue is BS like I do.
They weren’t rested and weren’t wearing new suits, just old suits from last year
Stop. Nobody on Either side was rested.
As the coaches have explained to me, the goal of this meet is to get as many NCAA “B” cuts as possible early in the season so that they have options at the end of the year without having their hands forced one way or the other for conference meets. That’s why they suited. Doesn’t sound like anybody was rested. For those keeping track at home: in spite of what age group coaches insist, the suits do, in fact, make a difference.
I am not a fan of suits this early in the year but understand each person is entitled to their own decision. My concern is that sometimes USC women (and maybe others) have swum better in October at SmU invite then they do at end of season?!?
Because the semester has just started, they have been able to get sufficient sleep for the past several weeks. Once we get towards the mid-terms, sleep seems to go out the window and swimmers slow down.
I’m not sure where the “in spite of what age group coaches insist” comes from. As an age group coach, I’ve never heard anyone insist they don’t make a difference in senior level athletes. What I would “insist” as true is that for a 90 pound 11 year old who goes to 2 practices a week and buys a tech suit 4 sizes too big…….”the suit doesn’t make a difference”. Of course tech suits make a difference in well trained athletes that have the right suit (and have some surface area on their body for the suit to matter).
Makes sense with someone like Douglass who can swim so many different events… not so much for anyone else on the team… we kind of have the whole team pegged for what they are swimming come Feb/March with the exception of Douglass. But you are right, no one was rested. You can do the same thing at the winter invite with more rest though, and by rest I mean in the prelims/finals scenario and not traveling across the country the day before the first swim. Think about that… UVA flew from VA to LA on Thursday, and swam Friday … cross country flight, then swam at noon (eastern time)… impressive.
wow, nice start to her college career for Douglass
Definately one to watch.
And all these fast times were done without Louise Hanson who was resting! UVA and USC are gonna right in there!!
Wowza Lady ‘Hoos ownin 10 top times in nation! Big big gap waaay ahead of the competition!
Freshman hitting lifetime bests in early Oct! Best coaching in country proving itself once again!
Wait until ACCs & NCAAs best is yet to come! Wahoowa! CATCH US IF YOU CAN!
I love the spirit 🙂 But incoherent rambling is not a great way to voice that opinion.
Count me as one who thinks “Desorbo Effect” is affiliated with NC State and a bit sour he left….