2016 Arena Pro Swim Series – Mesa: Day 3 Scratches and Finals Preview

Arena Pro Swim Series at Mesa

• Thursday, April 14 – Saturday, April 16, 2016
• Skyline Aquatic Center
• Mesa, Arizona (same as Pacific Daylight Time, GMT -7 hours)
• Prelims 9AM / Finals 5PM (12PM/8PM Eastern Daylight Time)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Meet Central
• Saturday PM Program

It’s Travel Day. There are dozens of scratches on the final night of competition as teams head to the airport to fly home after 2-1/2 days of racing. For those who remain, it’s a great opportunity to get a second swim against some of the world’s most elite athletes. Below is what to expect tonight.

Women’s 800 Meter Freestyle – Fastest Heat

• FINA A: 8:33.97
• U.S. Olympic Trials: 8:49.99

A couple of scratches, and/or top seeds electing to swim earlier in the day, has moved Kaitlin Pawlowicz of Nation’s Capital up to the evening heat, but otherwise the top seven are intact. Swimming in finals will be:

Top 8 seeds:

1. Katie Ledecky, Nation’s Capital Swim Club, 8:06.68
2. Lotte Friis, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 8:21.36
3. Becca Mann, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 8:21.77
4. Cierra Runge, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 8:24.69
5. Sierra Schmitt, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 8:27.54
6. Kristel Kobrich, Chile, 8:29.79
7. Joanna Evans, University of Texas, 8:37.18
8. Kaitlin Pawlowicz, Nation’s Capital Swim Club, 8:44.43

Women’s 200 Meter Individual Medley – Final

• FINA A: 2:14.26
• U.S. Olympic Trials: 2:18.69

There were no changes to the top eight for tonight’s final.

A couple of scratches in the consolation moved Crown Point’s Hannah Kukurugya and Katie Drabot of Ozaukee Aquatics into the B final. Katie Meili of SwimMAC Carolina pulled out of the B final as well, giving Emma Reaney of Irish Aquatics her spot in lane 8.

Top 8 seeds:

1. Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:11.06
2. Ella Eastin, Unattached, 2:12.97
3. Melanie Margalis, Saint Petersburg, 2:13.73
4. Maya DiRado, Stanford Swimming, 2:13.84
5. Madisyn Cox, University of Texas, 2:14.11
6. Kirsty Coventry, SwimMAC Carolina, 2:14.32
7. Sarah Henry, Aggie Swim Club, 2:15.29
8. Caitlin Leverenz, California Aquatics, 2:15.32

Men’s 200 Meter Individual Medley – Final

• FINA A: 2:00.28
• U.S. Olympic Trials: 2:05.09

Only SwimMAC’s Ryan Lochte opted out of the championship final of the men’s 200 IM; he has, however, kept his spots in the A finals of the 200 back and 100 free. Lochte’s teammate Marko Blazevski will take his place in the 200 IM final, allowing Andrew Porter of North Baltimore to move up to the B final. After adding 10 seconds in prelims and qualifying for the C final, Indie Swimming’s Michael Andrew pulled out of tonight’s race altogether.

Top 8 seeds:

1. Chase Kalisz, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 2:01.56
2. Michael Phelps, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 2:01.68
3. Gunnar Bentz, Athens Bulldog Swim Club, 2:02.57
4. Andrew Seliskar, California Aquatics, 2:02.81
5. David Nolan, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 2:02.98
6. Max Williamson, Unattached, 2:03.16
7. Sean Grieshop, Nitro Swimming, 2:04.98
8. Marko Blazevski, SwimMAC Carolina, 2:05.07

Women’s 200 Meter Backstroke – Final

• FINA A: 2:10.60
• U.S. Olympic Trials: 2:16.59

A couple of scratches landed Ally Howe into tonight’s A final, while Catherine Ladd, Eleanna Koutsouveli, and Chloe Kennedy Isleta have all moved up to the B final. It will be the second final in a row for Katinka Hosszu, Kirsty Coventry, and Maya DiRado, as they will have just hopped out of the warm-down pool after the 200 IM.

Top 8 seeds:

1. Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:11.88
2. Kirsty Coventry, SwimMAC Carolina, 2:12.45
3. Maya DiRado, Stanford Swimming, 2:12.46
4. Kaitlin Harty, YMCA of the North Shore, 2:12.68
5. Erin Earley, Hopkins Mariner Swim Team, 2:14.46
6. Melanie Klaren, California Aquatics, 2:15.00
7. Matea Samardzic, Scarlet Aquatics, 2:15.10
8. Ally Howe, Unattached, 2:15.79

Men’s 200 Meter Backstroke – Final

• FINA A: 1:58.22
• U.S. Olympic Trials: 2:03.79

After turning out the only sub-2:00 200 backstroke this morning, Tennessee’s Sean Lehane scratched the final giving Lochte lane 4 for tonight’s championship. North Baltimore’s Chase Kalisz also chose not to swim in the 200 back final; he is top seed in the 200 IM, though, and will be present for that race. The two absences moved Johannes Calloni of Scarlett Aquatics, who had a monster swim in prelims, and Preston Jenkins in to the A final. Meanwhile, Coleman Stewart of North Baltimore, Robert Freeman of Baylor Swim Club, and Christopher Mayer of Nitro all jumped into the B final.

Top 8 seeds:

1. Ryan Lochte, SwimMAC Carolina, 2:01.31
2. Omar Pinzon, Trojan Swim Club, 2:01.51
3. Connor Green, Unattached, 2:02.61
4. Bryce Mefford, Unattached, 2:04.18
5. Drew Cosgarea, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 2:04.46
6. Nolan Tesone, University of Louisville, 2:04.65
7. Johannes Calloni, Scarlett Aquatics, 2:05.03
8. Preston Jenkins, Unattached, 2:05.07

Women’s 100 Meter Freestyle – Final

• FINA A: 54.43
• U.S. Olympic Trials: 56.49

The good news for sprint freestyle fans is that every single one of the top 16 finishers from the morning’s heats is expected to swim in finals. That includes Ledecky, who will have already warmed up with the 800.

Top 8 seeds:

1. Simone Manuel, Unattached, 53.93
2. Abbey Weitzeil, Canyons Aquatic Club, 54.23
3. Dana Vollmer, California Aquatics, 54.73
4. Kelsi Worrell, University of Louisville, 54.80
5. Amanda Weir, SwimAtlanta, 55.00
6. Lia Neal, Unattached, 55.06
7. Katie Ledecky, Nation’s Capital Swim Club, 55.17
8. Margo Geer, Tucson Ford, 55.40

Men’s 100 Meter Freestyle – Final

• FINA A: 48.99
• S. Olympic Trials: 50.69

The men’s 100 free championship final will feature all top 8 qualifiers, but there will be two changes to the B final. North Baltimore’s David Nolan chose to focus on the 200 back earlier in the program and scratched the free; Anthony Ervin of Trojan Swim Club opted out of the B final as well. That will move both Daniel Rzadkowski and Badger Swim Club’s Derek Toomey up to the consolation, which is a good thing since they had tied in heats and didn’t have a swimoff.

Top 8 seeds:

1. Nathan Adrian, California Aquatics, 48.06
2. Cristian Quintero, Trojan Swim Club, 49.68
3. Ryan Lochte, SwimMAC Carolina, 49.78
4. Conor Dwyer, Trojan Swim Club, 49.89
5. Michael Chadwick, University of Missouri, 49.96
6. Jimmy Feigen, Unattached-SwimMAC Carolina, 50.07
7. T7 Daniel Ramirez, Unattached, 50.28
8. T7 Matias Koski, Unattached-Dynamo Swim Club, 50.28

Men’s 1500 Meter Freestyle – Fastest Heat

• FINA A: 15:14.77
• U.S. Olympic Trials: 15:49.99

Ninth-seeded Jacob Ores of Loveland Swim Club swam in the morning heats and sixth-seeded Ryan Feeley didn’t check in for the 1500, so Nitro’s Christopher Yeager and Mission Viejo’s Ous Mellouli will occupy the outside lanes in tonight’s final.

Top 8 seeds:

1. Michael McBroom, The Woodlands Swim Team, 14:56.17
2. Jordan Wilimovsky, Team Santa Monica, 14:56.34
3. Andrew Gemmell, Nation’s Capital Swim Club, 15:07.82
4. Marcelo Acosta, Azura Florida, 15:13.09
5. Taylor Abbott, Nitro Swimming, 15:16.35
6. Daniel O’Connor, Mission Viejo Nadadores, 15:16.38
7. Christopher Yeager, Nitro Swimming, 15:17.99
8. Ous Mellouli, Mission Viejo Nadadores, 15:18.02