2013 US World Championship Trials: Final Day Prelims Real-Time Recaps

It’s time for the final morning session in Indianapolis at the 2013 USA Swimming National Championships and World Championship Trials, and it will be a quick one. Just the men’s and women’s 200 IM’s, the 50 sprints, and then in the afternoon the heats of the non-Olympic women’s 1500 and men’s 800.

The story-lines on this day are pretty good. Adrian trying to redeem himself after not making the 50 freestyle last year, and Anthony Ervin trying to get onto the team. On the women’s side, the 200 IM could be impressive. Liz Pelton and Maya DiRado are swimming incredibly well, but Olympic medalist Caitlin Leverenz still hasn’t qualified for the team, though she comes in with the top seed.

In the men’s 200 IM, it’s Ryan Lochte and then a big chase pack from North Baltimore in Conor Dwyer and Chase Kalisz, plus Tyler Clary. And don’t look now, but David Nolan is having maybe the best long course meet of his career, and is very much in contention to make the team in the 200 IM, as is Nic Fink from Georgia after torching the breaststroke races (he’s already on the squad in the 100 breaststroke).

As a reminder, all the links you need to follow tonight’s finals action can be found here.

Women’s 200 IM – PRELIMS

The big stunner in this women’s 200 IM was the number of disqualifications. Kathleen Baker touched in 2:15.5 but was called for her back-to-breast turn; Felicia Lee had another fantastic swim and won her heat in 2:15.3 but was called for the same. Then the real stunner: Maya Dirado touched in 2:12.7, which would’ve been the second-fastest time in the morning, but she was DQ’ed for an illegal dolphin kick on her breaststroke leg.

With how well Dirado has swum (she’s already on the roster in multiple races), one has to believe that her DQ probably opened up a spot at Worlds in this event.

The top seed went to Cal’s Caitlin Leverenz in 2:11.80, looking more like the Leverenz we’ve come to expect with a 37.4 split on the breaststroke leg. She and the 2nd seed Melanie Margalis (2:14.30) are the breaststrokers in the field, but they’re followed by a bunch of front-half swimmers who will test their nerves.

That includes Shannon Vreeland, who didn’t swim this race at her taper meets last year, but some in-season swims showed her potential. She’s the 3rd seed in 2:14.42, followed by Elizabeth Beisel and Liz Pelton in 2:14.45 and 2:14.47, respectively. Out of the 3, the best guess is that Pelton (who’s swum very well) and Beisel (who’s been solid) will make the biggest moves for those top two spots.

Justine Mueller sits 6th in 2:14.60, followed by Celina Li (2:14.66) and Jana Mangimelli (2:14.97) to round out the A-Final. Li, after being called for a false start in the 400 IM, was much more conservative with her reaction in the 200 IM, the slowest of the top 8, in fact.

Jasmine Tosky and Karlee Bispo are on top of the B-Final in 2:15’s.

Men’s 200 IM – PRELIMS

If there’s an event where Ryan Lochte is still the class of the American, and probably world, field, it’s the 200 IM, and he demonstrated that with a 1:57.51 to take the top seed on Saturday morning. As we’ve seen in a lot of Lochte swims, he didn’t turn this swim on much until the second-half, including a 33.9 breaststroke split. He could be another good time in finals.

In 2nd was Texas Longhorn Austin Surhoff in 1:58.94; he was the one swimmer who was close to Lochte on the front-half. He’s not a big international-level name yet, but as a freshman in 2010 he was the NCAA Champion in the 200 yard version of this race and is now into his second year of “sub-two-minute-swimming” in this 200 IM – he did it in all three rounds at the Olympic Trials last year.

He’s another name in a crowded field that includes Conor Dwyer as a 3rd seed in 1:59.84, Chase Kalisz in 2:00.23, former National High School Record holder Kyle Whitaker in 2:00.62, and Cal’s Josh Prenot in 2:00.82.

Georgia’s Ty Stewart and Georgian Gunnar Bentz round out the A-Final.

At the top of the B-Final was David Nolan in 2:01.18, just missing a top-8 swim by less than a tenth, and Tyler Clary in 2:01.89.

Women’s 50 Free – PRELIMS

A tie for the top seed in the women’s 50 free came between two swimmers with virtually no senior international-level experience will set up a very interesting final. Simone Manuel, who broke MIssy Franklin’ National Age Group Record, and Margo Geer, the NCAA Champion, tied in 25.06 for the top seed.

The new-look Natalie Coughlin, focusing exclusively on the sprints, is a 25.20 for the 3rd seed. Her 5th-place finish from the 100 free is looking pretty solid to earn her a relay swim at Worlds, but after totally changing her focus this season, she’ll be wanting an individual swim to go with it.

Christine Magnuson, winner of the 50 fly, continues to look quick off the blocks in 25.21, followed by Jessica Hardy (25.37), Caroline Simmons (25.43), and Ivy Martin (25.45). Those last two are solid college swimmers who are now trying to make a move to the national level, especially true of Martin who’s only 19.

Aside from her and Manuel, though, this was a race of veterans; half of the A-and-B finalists in this race were 23 or older.

Men’s 50 Free – PRELIMS

The same veteran spirit came in the men’s 50 free preliminary session, where the 8 A-finalists almost 25.5 years of age each. That’s even with Cal’s Seth Stubblefield, the lone teenager, bringing down the average by placing 6th in 22.44.

The top seed went to Anthony Ervin in 21.93, as he and Longhorn Aquatics’ Jimmy Feigen got locked up in a heat battle.  Feigen took the 2nd seed in 21.98.

Cincinnati post-grad Josh Schneider takes the 3rd seed in 22.00 after winning the last heat, and Nathan Adrian (22.36) and Cullen Jones (22.37) will sit relatively wide as compared to their usual. Both swimmers, though, coasted the last 10 meters from the flags in, though, which is a dangerous game to play in this 50 free. Neither ended up in all-that-much danger, as they were safe by almost half-a-second.

The last two finalists were Matt Grevers in 22.66 and Karl Krug in 22.71.

Daniel Tucker (22.78) and Santo Condorelli (22.83) both went best times to sit 9th and 10th, respectively.

Don’t forget, the women’s 1500 and men’s 800 will also be swum in the afternoon as a timed final.