University of Missouri LCM Intrasquad
- June 7, 2024
- University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- Long Course Meters (50m)
- Full Meet Results
While the first entry deadline for the US Olympic Swimming Trials has passed, and initial psych sheets released, there is a second deadline on Monday, June 10, for “late entries.”
At this point, the only entries that can be changed are new qualifiers/qualifications that weren’t previously in there, and on Friday night, the Missouri Tigers took full advantage earning two new qualifiers at the last minute.
An evening of Hail Marys began in the men’s 400 IM where Matthew Mortenson swam 4:23.87. That gets him under the qualifying standard of 4:25.19.
Mortenson, a rising sophomore, had a previous best time of 4:26.22 done at a March 2023 Sectionals meet in Indianapolis while he was still in high school.
He came close to that time at May’s Atlanta Classic, going 4:26.60, but the taper hit hard on Friday evening.
His improvements were made across the board, building a huge margin on the standard and giving about a second-and-a-half back on the closing 100 meters:
Splits Comparison
| Previous PB | New PB | |
| Fly | 1:01.20 | 1:00.31 |
| Back | 1:08.74 | 1:07.03 |
| Breast | 1:14.54 | 1:13.11 |
| Free | 1:01.74 | 1:03.42 |
| Total Time | 4:26.22 | 4:23.87 |
One race later, his teammate Darden Tate went for a fast first 50 in a 200 free event, touching in a recorded time of 22.54 before legally completing the race at cooldown pace.
That dips under the Olympic Trials standard of 22.79 and improves his previous best of 22.88 done in May at the Atlanta Classic.
Tate, another rising sophomore, was a 20.49 in the 50 free coming out of high school and as a sophomore improved that to 19.93, which placed him 35th at the SEC Championships. He then split 19.31 and 43.25 on Missouri free relays at the NCAA Championships, showing he had more left in his tank.
The long course drop was even more dramatic – his high school best was just 23.87.
He previously time trialed a regular-race 50 free in 22.92 earlier in the evening.
Other Missouri swimmers swam final tuneups for Trials, including Jack Dahlgren touching in 50.53 in the 100 free.
Great Swim Matthew!
Congrats!!!