2016 U.S. Open – Day 1 Prelims 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
• Live Results
• Championship Central

Day One – Tuesday, August 2, 2016

• Tuesday prelims heat sheets (prelims begin at 9:00 AM)
• Tuesday distance heats (slower heats begin at 2:49 PM)

Women’s 200 Meter Butterfly – Prelims

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

Schroeder YMCA’s Hannah Saiz, who came into the meet as the top women’s 200 fly entry, knocked 2/10 off her seed time and qualified first by a country mile in 2:09.61. Sarah Gibson of Aggie Swim Club and Courtney Harnish of York YMCA were the next-fastest qualifiers out of the morning heats, finishing second and third in 2:12.02 and 2:13.86, respectively.

The rest of the A final qualifiers were tightly bunched in with Harnish, and could provide excitement in tonight’s final. They include Madison Homovich of Marlins of Raleigh (2:13.99), Hannah Kastigar from Aberdeen Swim Club (2:14.41), Easop Lee of North Baltimore (2:14.65), Olivia Carter of Marlins of Raleigh (2:14.84), and Cardinal Aquatics’ Marah Pugh (2:15.13).

Top 8

1. Hannah Saiz, Schroeder YMCA, 2:09.61
2. Sarah Gibson, Aggie Swim Club, 2:12.02
3. Courtney Harnish, York YMCA, 2:13.86
4. Madison Homovich, Marlins of Raleigh, 2:13.99
5. Hannah Kastigar, Aberdeen Swim Club, 2:14.41
6. Easop Lee, North Baltimore Aquatic Club, 2:14.65
7. Olivia Carter, Marlins of Raleigh, 2:14.84
8. Marah Pugh, Cardinal Aquatics, 2:15.13

Men’s 200 Meter Butterfly – Prelims

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

The upshot of having a very small U.S. Open is that nearly everyone gets a second swim. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the men’s 200 fly in which there were only 16 entrants. Top-seeded Zach Harting of Cardinal Aquatics led the way in 1:59.22, just a half-second ahead of Australia’s Nicholas Brown (1:59.72). Vini Lanza of Indiana University was the third qualifier and the only other sub-2:00 in the field, touching in 1:59.94.

The rest of the A final tonight will consist of Matthew Grauslys of Irish Aquatics (2:00.23), Zach Brown of Marlins of Raleigh (2:00.55), Gator Swim Club’s Mark Szaranek (2:01.28), Kentucky Aquatics’ Isaac Jones (2:01.44), and Jack Saunderson of Columbia Aquatics Association (2:01.61).

Top 8

1. Zach Harting, Cardinal Aquatics, 1:59.22
2. Nicholas Brown, Australia, 1:59.72
3. Vini Lanza, Indiana University, 1:59.94
4. Matthew Grauslys, Irish Aquatics, 2:00.23
5. Zach Brown, Marlins of Raleigh, 2:00.55
6. Mark Szaranek, Gator Swim Bluc, 2:01.28
7. Isaac Jones, Kentucky Aquatics, 2:01.44
8. Jack Saunderson, Columbia Aquatics Association (2:01.61)

Women’s 100 Meter Freestyle – Prelims

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

Cardinal Aquatics’ Mallory Comerford posted the top time of the morning in the women’s 100 free, winning the penultimate heat with 55.05 to top Australia’s Shayna Jack, who won the final heat with 55.19. Aquazot Swim Club’s Eva Merrell dropped 3/10 to take her heat in 55.63 and climb to the third spot of the morning.

Wisonsin Aquatics’ Chase Kinney also improved her seed time, and qualified fourth for the A final in 55.70. 15-year-old Isabel Ivey of Gator Swim Club (55.84), Aggie Swim Club’s Gibson (56.38), Temarie Tomley from the University of Alabama Swim Club (56.46), and Claire Rasmus of Aggie Swim Club (56.62) will round out the A final tonight.

Top 8

1. Mallory Comerford, Cardinal Aquatics, 55.05
2. Shayna Jack, Australia, 55.19
3. Eva Merrell, Aquazot Swim Club, 55.63
4. Chase Kinney, Wisconsin Aquatics, 55.70
5. Isabel Ivey, Gator Swim Club, 55.84
6. Sarah Gibson, Aggie Swim Club, 56.38
7. Temarie Tomley, University of Alabama Swim Club, 56.46
8. Claire Rasmus, Aggie Swim Club, 56.62

Men’s 100 Meter Freestyle – Prelims

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

It was a tough morning for the top seeds in the men’s 100 free. Maxime Rooney of Pleasanton Seahawks, who was entered with a field-leading 48.87, was out fast enough, turning at 23.93, just behind Ohio State Swim Club’s Joshua Fleagle, but he had trouble coming home and wound up tenth overall with a final time of 50.10. Fleagle went on to with the heat with 50.02 to qualify sixth.

Ireland’s Curtis Coulter and Wisconsin Aquatics’ Cannon Clifton edged #2 seed William Stockwell of Australia in their heat. Coulter’s 49.72 was the top time of the morning, Clifton’s 49.80 was second, and Stockwell just eked his way into tonight’s A final with a 50.08 for the eighth qualifying spot.

Jacob Molacek of Greater Omaha Aquatics had the breakout swim of the morning. Seeded in yards, Molacek won the first heat with a 49.85, his first-ever sub-50 and the third-fastest time of the morning.

The remaining A final competitors will be Alexander Graham of Australia (49.89), Calum Jarvis of Swim Wales (50.00), and Blake Jones of Australia (50.07).

Top 8

1. Curtis Coulter, Ireland, 49.72
2. Cannon Clifton, Wisconsin Aquatics, 49.80
3. Jacob Molacek, Greater Omaha Aquatics, 49.85
4. Alexander Graham, Australia, 49.89
5. Calum Jarvis, Swim Wales, 50.00
6. Joshua Fleagle, Ohio State Swim Club, 50.02
7. Blake Jones, Australia, 50.07
8. William Stockwell, Australia, 50.08

Women’s 800 Meter Freestyle – Slower Heats

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

Rachel Zilinskas, from Athens Bulldog Swim Club, won the opening heat of women’s 800s with 8:47.54, her best effort of the year.

Madison Homovich from Marlins of Raleigh followed up with a 8:39.97 win in heat 2, coming to the wall a half-pool length ahead of second-place Autumn Finke of Saint Petersburg Aquatics (8:59.97). It was a second-best lifetime swim for Homovich, who ranks seventh on the all-time list for 13-14 girls but hadn’t yet cracked the top 100 in the 15-16 age group. She now moves to #45 on the latter list.

It was a wire-to-wire win for Stephanie Marchuk of Indiana University in the third and final afternoon heat of women’s 800s. Marchuk controlled the tempo from the beginning and clocked a 8:38.36 to finish with the fastest time overall so far. It was her best-ever 800 by 5 seconds. Finishing second in the heat was Aggie Swim Club’s Gibson, who cruised to a 8:41.72 finish for her third event of the day. Gibson clocked her second-best time ever, and was a tick faster than she had been at Trials last month.

Men’s 1500 Meter Freestyle – Slower Heats

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

Indiana Swim Team’s Arthur Conover blasted a 15:39.59 to win heat 1 of the men’s 1500. Conover crushed his former personal-best, dropping over 46 seconds from his previous time of 16:07.71. Coming to the wall second was Taylor Delk of SwimAtlanta, who also had a significant drop; his 15:52.45 was a PB by 6.3 seconds.

Pitchfork Aquatics’ Juan Tolosa took over the lead from Conover with a 15:22.63 win in the second and final afternoon heat, bettering his previous time by 32.5 seconds. Ben Lawless dropped 9.6 seconds to finish number 2 overall so far, with 15:31.29.