2014 US National Championships: Day 1 Finals Preview

INFO YOU NEED TO FOLLOW DAY 1 OF THE 2014 US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday PM Heat Sheets 
• Wednesday PM Timetime
• More Links, Storylines, and Selection Procedures 
• Scratches:
  1. Elizabeth Beisel scratched from the A-final of the women’s 200 butterfly, bumping Maya DiRado into tonight’s A-final. Haley Lips beat Celina Li in a swim off for the first alternate position earlier this morning, which bumps Haley Lips into the B-final of the women’s 200 butterfly B-final.
  2. Katie Ledecky scratched out of the B-final of the 100 freestyle, bumping Felicia Lee into the B-final, and Jessica Hardy into the first alternate position.
  3. Matt McLean scratched as the first alternate in the men’s 100 freestyle, bumping Carl Weigley into the first alternate position.

Women’s 200 Butterfly

• Average Age of A-final: 19 Years, 7 Months
• Youngest A-finalist: Cassidy Bayer, 14
• Oldest A-finalist: Kate Mills, 25

Cammile Adams had the fastest time of the morning with her time of 2:08.o6. She is no stranger to national level finals, as a 2012 Olympic Team member and 2013 World Championship team member in this event. She looked very smooth this morning to position herself in the middle of the pool. She is our favorite to win tonight after prelims this morning.

Cassidy Bayer, 14, had the 7th fastest 13-14 200 butterfly in USA Swimming history to qualify 8th tonight with her time of 2:11.88. Katie McLaughlin is another young swimmer to keep your eye on. She will be chasing the Junior World Record in this event. She was 1.39 seconds off of the current record from 2009 of 2:08.10. McLaughlin had the 10th fastest 17-18 200 butterfly in USA Swimming history with her time this morning.

Men’s 200 Butterfly

• Average Age of A-final: 21 Years, 9 Months
• Youngest A-finalist: Andrew Seliskar, 17
• Oldest A-finalist: Tyler Clary, 25

Tyler Clary had the fastest time of the morning at 1:56.11. His lifetime best time in this event is 1:53.64. He has been faster than anyone else in the final by two seconds or more. There were only three other swimmers in the final that did not have life time best swims; Bobby Bollier, Tom Luchsinger, and Andrew Seliskar.

Luchsinger and Bollier have been 1:55’s before, and should be faster than they were this morning. Luchsinger qualified for the 2013 World Championship team at nationals last summer and ended up finishing fifth at the 2013 World Championships. Andrew Seliskar was just off his time from last year. He is the current junior world record holder from the Junior World Championships last summer. He needs to break 1:56.42 to lower his junior world record.

Women’s 100 Freestyle

• Average Age of A-final: 22 Years
• Youngest A-finalist: Abbey Weitzeil, 17
• Oldest A-finalist: Natalie Coughlin, 33

Simone Manuel posted the second fastest 17-18 100 freestyle time in history this morning to earn the top seed for tonight’s finals. Her time of 53.60 will stand as the seventh fastest time in the world this year and only .17 away from Missy Franklin’s meet record of 53.43 that she set last year.

Missy Franklin has qualified for finals at all of her major international championship meets over the last two years. In 2012, she finished fifth at the Olympic Games and last year at the 2013 World Championship’s she finished fourth. Her time from this morning of 53.76 is the tenth fastest time in the world this year.

Keep your eye on Natalie Coughlin as well. She is going for her fifth Pan Pac’s team at this meet.

Men’s 100 Freestyle

• Average Age of A-final: 27 Years
• Youngest A-finalist: Seth Stubblefield, 21
• Oldest A-finalist: Anthony Ervin, 33

This is going to be a loaded final. With 32 swimmers under 50 seconds this morning, it is one of the deepest meets in history, if not the deepest. Seven US Olympians will be swimming in the A-final. The only non-olympian in the field is 21 year old Seth Stubblefield.

The A-finalists are all seeded within a second of each other. It will be interesting to compare the different race strategies tonight. Nathan Adrian and Anthony Ervin were both out in 22.6 to the feet, compared to Michael Phelps, who was the slowest at the 50, but the only swimmer that brought it back under 25 seconds.

Phelps’ split differential was only .8, which is insane for a 100 freestyle.

Another swimmer to watch that has come on strong in the last few years in Jimmy Feigen. He qualified for his first Olympic team as a relay swimmer in 2012 and then improved to second in the world last year with a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships, touching out Nathan Adrian. Will he get to the wall before Adrian again tonight, I doubt it, but he will be in the race.

Nathan Adrian should win this final without too much of a problem, but after that, it could be anyones race.

Looking away from the A-final, Caeleb Dressel did not appear to be 100% this morning. Many were surprised to see him finish at 49.93. Hopefully he can drop some time during the C-final, where he is swimming in between Maxime Rooney and his junior world championships teammate, Blake Pieroni.

Women’s 800 Freestyle

• Average Age of Top 8 Seeds: 19 Years, 7 Months
• Youngest In Top 8: Katie Ledecky, 17
• Oldest In Top 8: Four Swimmers, 22

Katie Ledecky has the top seed and World Record at 8:11.00. Whether she is tapered or not, she has this race locked up. It should be a good race for second place.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle

• Average Age of Top 8 Seeds: 21 Years, 7 Months
• Youngest In Top 8: Two Swimmers, 20
• Oldest In Top 8: Michael McBroom, 23

Connor Jaeger has the top seed in this race, but just like last year, expect a great race between Jaeger, Michael McBroom, and Sean Ryan. Arthur Frayler and Zane Grothe have also been swimming well this season and could be a factor in the race tonight.