2014 Mesa Grand Prix: Romano Grabs Three A Finals, Lochte Two In A Day Full Of Doubles-LIVE Prelims Recap

Refresh this link frequently, as we’ll be updating results live as we go through the morning session.

Swim fans everywhere had to wait until the last race of the first finals session last night at the Mesa Grand Prix to get the excitement going.  While there were great times swum in great races throughout the evening, the men’s 100 fly, featuring none other than Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps, was the race everyone was waiting for and it did not disappoint.  Luckily, we’ll get to see the two superstars in action again today.

Friday morning looks to be the session of grueling doubles and even triples for some of the nation’s best.  We’ll see Lochte in the 200 free and 200 back, Elizabeth Beisel in the 400 IM and 200 back, Megan Romano in the 200 free, 200 back, and 50 free, and Tyler Clary in the 400 IM and 200 back. One of Russian’s bests, 30 year old Arkady Vyatchanin, is also putting up an impressive triple today as well, swimming the 200 free, 200 back, and 50 free.

The women’s 200 free could potentially be another star studded field filled with NBAC members, just like yesterday’s 400 free.  Allison Schmitt, Lotte Friis, Gillian Ryan, and Cierra Runge find themselves in the circle seeded heats and if they can kick their short twitch muscles into high gear, they have a great shot of making the A final.  However, Katie Ledecky is on fire and could definitely toy with the top seed for tonight.

After one of the most powerful yet smooth 100 freestyles we saw from Nathan Adrian last night, all are wondering what he has in store for the 50.  While we were all hoping for a Michael and Michael (Andrew and Phelps) showdown, scratches and Phelps’ decision to swim a lap of fly instead of free put that dream on hold.

The races to be swum on day 2 are the 400 IM, 200 freestyle, 200 backstroke, and 50 freestyle, in that order. All will be swum as a single A-flight, with the exception of the 400 IM which will swim 2 men’s heats and 4 women’s heats as a B-Flight after the completion of the rest of the prelims.

Women’s 400 IM

As of now, results are unofficial due to the four heats that still have to swim in the B flight.  While some of those swimmers may have a chance of making the C/D and maybe even the B final, there are most likely no A-finalists.  The majority of the top eight were a little off of their seed times in hopes of leaving it all in the pool tonight.  Becca Mann, another superstar out of NBAC, is the top seed as of now with a 4:46.29.  Stina Gardell and Elizabeth Beisel will rehash their 400 IM rivalry from NCAAs tonight, grabbing the next two spots in 4:49.32 and 4:49.50.  Another high profile name will be in tonight’s fastest heat, Caitlin Leverenz, who sits fourth with a 4:53.70.  Tanja Kylliainen, an All-American at Louisville this year, swam a 4:54.30 which is good enough for fifth place, while Iryna Glavnyk and Sonia Wang grabbed the 6th and 7th spot, swimming 4:56.57 and 4:57.34, respectively.  Sophie Krivokapic-Zhou was the only swimmer to drop from her seed time, swimming a 4:59.18, which is good enough for 8th place as of now. Results will become official after the four B flight heats swim later this session.

Men’s 400 IM

Conor Dwyer ran away with his heat, as well as the top seed in the 400 IM this morning.  Posting a smooth 4:25.55, Dywer secured lane four for tonight but needs to be careful on his back to breast turn tonight if he wants to secure the title tonight.  Jakub Maly had a big morning swim, grabbing second with a 4:26.16.   Tyler Clary, who still has the 200 back to swim this session, touched in a 4:27.97, which has him seated third for tonight.  Sean Grieshop could potentially be the youngest swimmer in the final tonight at 15 years old, is currently fourth with a 4:28.16.  Curtis Ogren out of Palo Alto its fifth with a time of 4:30.15.  The rest of the heat fell off a bit, a good three to four seconds behind the field with Hayden Palmer (4:33.00), Michael Weiss (4:33.81), and Diago Decarvalho (4:34.60) currently sit sixth through eighth.  Just like the women, the men’s results will become official once the two B flight heats swim later on today.

Women’s 200 Freestyle

This is going to be a fun race to watch tonight with the star studded pack field, with almost half from NBAC.  Katie Ledecky brought some life to a rather quiet morning, swimming a 1:59.08 to grab the top spot.  With the impressive day she had yesterday, expect her to catch fire tonight.  Leah Smith, ACC’s freshmen of the year, bumped up a few spots to second seed, touching with a time of 1:59.77.  Allison Schmitt continued her comeback, grabbing third in 1:59.92.  With her big drop from prelims to finals yesterday to win the 100 free, Schmitt will be a force to be reckoned with tonight.  Our other “comeback kid’, Katie Hoff, had a great prelims swim for herself and is sitting fourth with a 1:59.95.  At Grand Prixs in 2012, Hoff found herself swimming 1:58s, which will be a great goal for her to get to tonight in finals.  Two NBAC teamers grabbed fifth and sixth; Gillian Ryan in a 2:00.50 and Cierra Runge with a 2:00.76.  Megan Romano, who is competing in a grueling triple today, sits seventh with a 2:01.57 while Katie McLaughlin rounds out the top 8 with a 2:01.66.

Notable B finalists include Sarah Shimomura, Chloe Sutton, and Stina Gardell.  Shimomura has been swimming lights out at this swimming, garnering a personal best in the 100 free yesterday.  She sits 12th and is only a tenth off of grabbing another PB.  Sutton, who failed to make the A final in her 400 free yesterday, hopes to get back on the saddle and shave some time off tonight in her 200.  Gardell, who is already swimming the 400 IM tonight, showed her versatility off and was able to jump up a few spots and claim a second swim tonight.

Men’s 200 Freestyle

After a great win in the 400 free last night, Michael McBroom finds himself at the top once again but this time in the 200.  Swimming a solid 1:51.35 this morning, McBroom is seated first ahead of Darian Townsend (1:51.63) and Ryan Lochte (1:51.96).  Matthias Lindenbauer is right behind them, seated fourth with a 1:52.02 along with Tom Luchsinger who is currently fifth with a 1:52.38.  Jason Dunford had one of the best swims of the morning, dropping three seconds from his seed time in an event we don’t normally get to see him compete in.  Dunford won his heat in a time of 1:52.47, which was good enough for sixth.  Bobby Bollier and John Foster rounded out the top eight with times of 1:52.93 and 1:53.17, respectively.

Women’s 200 Backstroke

There are some not-so-familiar names atop the women’s 200 backstroke prelim results.  Clara Smiddy, Carolina Colorado, and Abby Richter are your surprising top three for today.  Smiddy sits first with s 2:13.29 while Colorado was just off her seed time and sits second in 2:13.67.  14 year old Richter drop a second and half and is sitting pretty with a PB in third place with a 2:15.35.  Megan Romano, now two thirds done with her intense triple, is right behind Richter with a 2:15.25 and is followed closely by Fernanda Gonzalez Ramirez who is currently fifth with a 2:15.41.  Beisel, who finished up her double for the day, may be feeling her 400 IM a little and is currently sitting in sixth place with a 2:15.57.  Ally Howe and Isabella Arcilla finish out the top eight with times of 2:15.61 and 2:15.71, respectively.

Men’s 200 Backstroke

Tyler Clary finished out his double for the day with a top seed in the 200 back.  Swimming to the win in the final heat, Clary was just able to get under Ryan Murphy‘s leading time (2:01.26) with a 2:01.05.  Grigory Tarasevich is seated third with a 2:01.76 while Jacob Pebley grabbed fourth with a 2:02.48.  Ryan Lochte was able to claim another A final for ronight, finishing his double with a fifth place seed in a time of 2:02.54.  Arkady Vyatchanin, who has one more event to go on the day, is sitting sixth with a 2:03.38 while Kristian Kohn (2:03.95) and Jian Wang (2:04.96) rounded out the top eight.  It’s worthy to note that Sean Grieshop, the 15 year old who is already an A finalist in the 400 IM tonight, came back with another personal best in the 200 back and found himself a spot in the B final.

Wonen’s 50 Freestyle

The splash and dash for the ladies tonight will feature a handful of big names.  Amanda Weir, the American record holder in the 100, grabbed land four for tonight with a 25.33.  Natalie Coughlin will be right on her tail with her monster underwater tonight, grabbing second with a 25.43.  Cheyenne Coffman was just behind Coughlin, touching in a 25.44 for third while Amanda Kendall shaved a tenth of her seed to get fourth with a 25.50.  Jessica Hardy and Katie Meili, two outstanding breaststrokers, sit fifth and sixth with times of 25.59 and 25.88, respectively.  Megan Romano will swim in her third A final tonight with the seventh seed and a time of 25.97.  Teen sprint phenom, Simone Manuel, will be an outside smoke, grabbing eighth in a 26.01.

Men’s 50 Freestyle

This was Phelps’ only event of the day, and while he swam fly in his heat, he hung in there, placing seventh in the heat and 42nd overall with a 24.06.  But besides Phelps, there’s a packed field of Olympians tonight in the A final.  Roland Schoeman scorched the pool this morning and sits first with a 22.43.  Anthony Ervin sits second with a 22.59 and Josh Schneider is right behind him in third with a 22.70.  Nathan Adrian, who swam a powerful 100 yesterday, is fourth in a 22.74.  Places fourth, fifth, and sixth are almost identical with Karl Krug (22.89), Alex Coville (22.90), and Renzo Tjon A Joe (22.91).  Jimmy Feigen snuck in for eighth place with a 22.94. Something worth noting is Kevin Cordes‘ 24.36 in prelims, freestyle not breaststroke.  While he scratched the 200 breast yesterday due to an academic conflict, it’s rare that we would ever see him swim another stroke besides breaststroke.  He’ll swim the 100 tomorrow. Also, Damir Dugonjic did decide to stick to his primary stroke and put up the third fastest time in the world this year in the 50 breast in a time of 27.58.

All the Links You Need to Follow the 2014 Mesa Grand Prix

• Live results
• Live video (here once meet begins)
• Psych Sheet (Updated 4/23)
• Friday’s Heat Sheet
• Prelims 9AM/Finals 5PM (Pacific Time)
• Current Grand Prix points standings after 3 events
• Full preview: here.