2016 U.S. Open – Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2016 U.S. Open Swimming Championships

• Tuesday, August 2 – Saturday, August 6, 2016
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center
• The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Heats 9:00 AM / Finals 5:00 PM (U.S. Central Time)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Video
• Tuesday Finals Timeline
• Tuesday Finals Heat Sheet
• Live Results
• Championship Central

Day One – Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Women’s 200 Meter Butterfly – Final

• American: 2:04.14 7/30/2009 Mary Mohler
• U.S. Open Meet: 2:07.20 12/4/1999 Susan O’Neill, AUS

Hannah Saiz of Schroeder YMCA and Kenyon was out 1.5 seconds slower than in the morning but home much faster, splitting 1:03.5/1:06.6 to win the championship final of women’s 200 fly with 2:10.14. She was just a half-second off her morning pace, but still won by 1.3 seconds.

Courtney Harnish of York YMCA was runner-up in 2:12.80. She trailed Saiz from beginning to end, and just barely held off a fast-charging Madison Homovich from Marlins of Raleigh to claim second. Homovich came home in 34.02 and blew past Hannah Kastiger of Aberdeen Swim Club, Sarah Gibson of Aggie Swim Club, and Marah Pugh of Cardinal Aquatics for third place with 2:13.54.

Gibson placed fourth with 2:13.72; Kastigar was fifth in 2:14.15. North Baltimore’s Easop Lee took sixth with 2:14.20, ahead of Pugh (2:14.40) and Marlins of Raleigh’s Olivia Carter (2:15.53).

Azra Avdic of NASA Wildcat Aquatics won the B final with 2:12.46. Longhorn Aquatics’ Remedy Rule was the C final winner in 2:15.60.

Top 8

1. Hannah Saiz, Schroeder YMCA, 2:10.14
2. Courtney Harnish, York YMCA, 2:12.80
3. Madison Homovich, Marlins of Raleigh, 2:13.54
4. Sarah Gibson, Aggie Swim Club, 2:13.72
5. Hannah Kastigar, Aberdeen Swim Club, 2:14.15
6. Easop Lee, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 2:14.20
7. Marah Pugh, Cardinal Aquatic, 2:14.40
8. Olivia Carter, Marlins of Raleigh, 2:15.53

Men’s 200 Meter Butterfly – Final

• American: 1:51.51 7/29/2009 Michael Phelps
• U.S. Open Meet: 1:55.64 7/30/2013 Sebastien Rousseau

Zach Harting of Cardinal Aquatics won the men’s 200 fly in 1:57.64, after having qualified first for finals in the morning session. It was Indiana University’s Vini Lanza, however, who set the pace over the first half of the race; Lanza led at the 100 with 56.44 ahead of Mark Szaranek of Gator Swim Club (56.57) and Harting (56.76). Harting came charging back over the second half to get the win, while Lanza placed second in 1:58.27. Third place went to Nicholas Brown of Australia in 1:58.82. Szaranek finished fourth in 1:59.12.

Jack Saunderson of Columbia Aquatics Association took fifth in 1:59.67, ahead of Zach Brown of Marlins of Raleigh (2:00.07), Matthew Grauslys of Irish Aquatics (2:00.46), and Isaac Jones of Kentucky Aquatics (2:02.36).

Luke Howdle of Great Britain won the B final in 2:00.29.

Top 8

1. Zach Harting, Cardinal Aquatics, 1:57.64
2. Vini Lanza, Indiana University, 1:58.27
3. Nicholas Brown, Australia, 1:58.82
4. Mark Szaranek, Gator Swim Bluc, 1:59.12
5. Jack Saunderson, Columbia Aquatics Association, 1:59.67
6. Zach Brown, Marlins of Raleigh, 2:00.07
7. Matthew Grauslys, Irish Aquatics, 2:00.46
8. Isaac Jones, Kentucky Aquatics, 2:02.36

Women’s 100 Meter Freestyle – Final

• American: 53.02 7/30/2009 Amanda Weir
• U.S. Open Meet: 53.92 8/7/2012 Megan Romano

Australia’s Shayna Jack, the top seed coming into the meet, won the women’s 100 free in 54.37, 2/100 faster than her seed time. Jack was out quickly, turning at 26.0 at the 50 wall. Mallory Comerford of Cardinal Aquatics charged hard over the second 50 and very nearly caught Jack, but she wound up in second with 54.46. Third place went to Eva Merrell of Aquazot Swim Club with 55.38. Merrell had a great back half, passing both Isabel Ivey of Gator Swim Club (55.82) and Chase Kinney of Wisconsin Aquatics (56.04), who placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

Temarie Tomley of University of Alabama Swim Club took sixth in 56.31, just ahead of Aggie Swim Club teammates Sarah Gibson (56.81) and Claire Rasmus (56.83).

The B final went to Australia’s Holly Barratt in 56.19, while SwimMAC Carolina’s Nora McCullagh took the C final in 56.84.

Top 8

1. Shayna Jack, Australia, 54.37
2. Mallory Comerford, Cardinal Aquatics, 54.46
3. Eva Merrell, Aquazot Swim Club, 55.38
4. Isabel Ivey, Gator Swim Club, 55.82
5. Chase Kinney, Wisconsin Aquatics, 56.04
6. Temarie Tomley, University of Alabama Swim Club, 56.31
7. Sarah Gibson, Aggie Swim Club, 56.81
8. Claire Rasmus, Aggie Swim Club, 56.83

Men’s 100 Meter Freestyle – Final

• American: 47.33 7/30/2009 David Walters
• U.S. Open Meet: 48.52 8/5/2009 Nicholas Brunelli

Australia dominated the podia of the 100 freesytles in Minneapolis; after Shayna Jack won the women’s championship, her countryman William Stockwell took the men’s race from outside in lane 8. Stockwell was out front at the 50, turning in 23.61, just a couple of hundredths ahead of Joshua Fleagle of Ohio State Swim Club. Stockwell’s quick 50 was just enough to keep him out front of a field that was closing quickly. He stopped the clock at 49.84, touching .06 ahead of Wisconsin Aquatics’ Cannon Clifton (49.90) and .13 in front of Australia’s Alexander Graham (49.97).

Curtis Coulter of Ireland finished fourth in 50.03, out-touching Fleagle by 1/100. Calum Jarvis of Wales took sixth in 50.22, while Australia’s Blake Jones (50.37) and Greater Omaha’s Jacob Molacek (50.48) rounded out the A final.

Maxime Rooney of Pleasanton Seahawks claimed the B final title with 49.79, just ahead of Wisconsin Aquatics’ Brett Pinfold (49.98). The C final went to University of Denver Hilltoppers’ Kyle Robrock in 50.98.

Top 8

1. William Stockwell, Australia, 49.84
2. Cannon Clifton, Wisconsin Aquatics, 49.90
3. Alexander Graham, Australia, 49.97
4. Curtis Coulter, Ireland, 50.03
5. Joshua Fleagle, Ohio State Swim Club, 50.04
6. Calum Jarvis, Swim Wales, 50.22
7. Blake Jones, Australia, 50.37
8. Jacob Molacek, Greater Omaha Aquatics, 50.48

Women’s 800 Meter Freestyle – Fastest Heat by Seeding

• American: 8:06.68 1/17/2016 Katie Ledecky
• U.S. Open Meet: 8:24.36 8/7/2012 Stephanie Peacock

The time to beat from the early heats came from Stephanie Marchuk of Indiana University when she touched in 8:38.36 to win the 3rd and final heat before finals. Hannah Moore of North Carolina State was out first, turning at the 100 wall in 1:00.3 to lead by a half-body length. Ashley Twichell pulled even at the 200 and began to build her lead thereafter. Twitchell was almost a body length up at the halfway point, flipping in 4:10.23 at the 400 wall. Moore was second with 4:11.12, and North Baltimore Aquatic Club’s Sierra Schmidt was running third at 4:13.26. Over the second half of the race, Katy Campbell of Swim Pasadena inched her way up from the outside lane, moving from seventh at the 400 to fifth at the 600. By the 650 she was within a half-second of third-place Schmidt and a good body length ahead of the rest of the field. Campbell and Schmidt fought over the final 100 meters, but Campbell had begun her descent earlier and had the momentum. She finished third with 8:37.17, taking 2.5 seconds off her seed time. Schmidt was fourth in 8:37.69.

The rest of the podium spots went to Erica Sullivan of Sandpipers of Nevada (8:37.92), Marchuk (8:38.36), Madison Homovich from Marlins of Raleigh (8:39.97 from the earlier heats), and Stephanie Peters of Marietta Marlins (8:40.66).

Top 8

1. Ashley Twichell, Unattached-CA, 8:25.31
2. Hannah Moore, NC State, 8:28.23
3. Katy Campbell, Swim Pasadena, 8: 37.17
4. Sierra Schmidt, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 8:27.69
5. Erica Sullivan, Sandpipers of Nevada, 8:37.92
6. Stephanie Marchuk, Indiana University, 8:38.36
7. Madison Homovich, Marlins of Raleigh, 8:39.97
8. Stephanie Peters, Marietta Marlins, 8:40.66

Men’s 1500 Meter Freestyle – Fastest Heat by Seeding

• American: 14:41.20 8/9/2015 Connor Jaeger
• U.S. Open Meet: 14:58.55 12/1/1991 Glen Housman, AUS

The men’s 1500 was as thrilling as a sprint, just a much longer thrill. Juan Tolosa of Pitchfork Aquatics had set the time to beat at 15:22.63 in the earlier heats, ahead of Ben Lawless who had 15:31.29. Daniel Jervis of Wales took the final heat out decisively, getting into clear water from the 100 wall. Jervis was up by over a body length at the 200; he turned at 1:57.60 to Robert Finke of Saint Petersburg Aquatics’ 1:58.64. True Sweetser of Gator Swim Club was another body length back, flipping at 1:59.34. Crimson Aquatics’ Liam Egan was right with Sweetser. Jervis stayed out front by a couple of body lengths while Sweetser battled Finke for second. They were together at the 400, then Sweetser began to make a move on Finke. At the 600 the top three were spread out, each about 1-1.5 seconds apart.

Sweetser outsplit Jervis over the middle 500 of the race and was within a second of the leader at the 1000 wall. Sweetser made his move at the 1250 and took over the lead from Jervis at the 1350. They got their bells at 14:05.58 and 14:06.92, respectively, and it was an all-out sprint to the finish. Unbelievably, Jervis found another gear at the 1450 wall, and coming home in 27.2, he edged out Sweetser to win, 15:03.99 to 15:04.52. Finke held on to his position to claim bronze with 15:14.75. Both Sweetser (18) and Finke (16) picked up new times, and both improved their respective all-time age group rankings. Sweetser jumps from 9th to 6th for 17-18s, while Fink stays at number 5 for 15-16s, but with a faster time.

The rest of the podium was made up of Logan Houck of Sandpipers of Nevada (15:15.10), Tolosa, Egan (15:29.56), Logan Redondo of Mission Viejo Nadadores (15:30.53), and Ben Lawless (15:31.29 from the earlier heats).

Top 8

1. Daniel Jervis, Swim Wales, 15:03.99
2. True Sweetser, Gator Swim Club, 15:04.52
3. Robert Finke, Saint Petersburg, 15:14.75
4. Logan Hock, Sandpipers of Nevada, 15:15.10
5. Juan Tolosa, Pitchfork Aquatics, 15:22.63
6. Liam Egan, Crimson Aquatics, 15:29.56
7. Logan Redondo, Mission Viejo Nadadores, 15:30.53
8. Ben Lawless, Unattached-MD 15:31.29

Women’s 400 Meter Freestyle Relay – Timed Final

• American: 3:32.31 7/28/2013 USA World Championship Team (M Franklin, N Coughlin, S Vreeland, M Romano)
• U.S. Open Meet: 3:42.38 7/30/2013 Australia (K Stubbins, Y Kukla, M Groves, M Sheridan)

Australia won the first heat of women’s 400 free relays, dropping nearly 10 seconds off their seed time and touching with a combined 3:42.98. Holly Barratt (56.55), Shayna Jack (54.63), Lindsay Hadley (56.39) and Sian Whittaker (55.41) contributed to the effort.

Wisconsin Aquatics (Chase Kinney, Marissa Berg, Emmy Sehmann, and Dana Grindall) win the second heat in 3:45.92 to place second overall, while Cardinal Aquatics (Mallory Comerford, Andee Cottrell, Hannah Magnuson, and Marah Pugh) came in third overall with 3:46.81.

Top 8

1. Australia, 3:42.98
2. Wisconsin Aquatics, 3:45.92
3. Cardinal Aquatics, 3:46.81
4. Aquazot Swim Club, 3:49.70
5. Aggie Swim Club, 3:50.90
6. SwimMAC Carolina, 3:51.03
7. Indiana University, 3:52.53
8. Gator Swim Club, 3:56.84