2016 U.S. WINTER NATIONALS
- Live Results
- Wed. Nov 30 – Sat. Dec 3, 2016
- Georgia Tech McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, GA
- 25 yard course
- Live Stream
- Day 2 prelims heat sheets
Thursday night finals at the 2016 U.S. Winter Nationals will see swimmers compete in the 500 free, 200 IM, 50 free, and 400 medley relay. U.S. Olympians Melanie Margalis, Tom Shields, and Amanda Weir are all set up as the top seeds for their respective races tonight. Margalis headlines the 200 IM, while Weir and Shields will be competing in the 50 free.
WOMEN’S 500 FREE
- Lindsey Clary, Ohio State, 4:39.33
- Brooke Zeiger, Minnesota, 4:39.55
- Stephanie Marchuk, Indiana, 4:41.53
Ohio State’s Lindsey Clary and Minnesota’s Brooke Zeiger, two All-American swimmers in the NCAA, were neck and neck into the finish of the women’s 500 free. Zeiger had the slight advantage heading into the final 50, but Clary closed in a 27.26 to take gold in 4:39.33 ahead of Zeiger’s 4:39.55. Rounding out the podium behind them was Indiana’s Stephanie Marchuk in 4:41.53.
Erica Sullivan, who posted the 9th fastest time of all time in the 15-16 age group this morning, finished just off the podium. She didn’t match her 4:39.66 from prelims, but her 4:42.38 was good for 4th tonight.
MEN’S 500 FREE
- Marwan El Kamash, Indiana, 4:13.44
- Max Irwin, Indiana, 4:18.51
- Jordan Merrilees, UNC, 4:19.04
Indiana’s Marwan El Kamash blew away the field to win gold in the 500 free. El Kamash raced to the wall in 4:13.44, chopping about 4 full seconds off his previous best 4:17.41 from 2014. His teammate, Max Irwin, sealed a 1-2 finish for the Hoosiers with his 4:18.51 for 2nd place. UNC distance star Jordan Merrilees picked up bronze, also swimming under 4:20 with his 1:19.04.
The two high schoolers in the final, Sean Grieshop and Sam Pomajevich, finished 6th and 7th respectively. They were separated by less than two tenths, but it was Greishop who got there a nail faster in 4:21.83 to Pomajevich’s 4:22.00.
WOMEN’S 200 IM
- Melanie Margalis, Georgia, 1:53.16
- Meg Bailey, Ohio State, 1:57.81
- Miranda Tucker, Club Wolverine, 1:58.00
U.S. Olympian Melanie Margalis made it look easy, dominating the women’s 200 IM with a 1:53.16. That time is just a half second shy of her best and sits as the 10th fastest performance of all time. With that, she also set a new Winter Nationals Championship Record.
Ohio State’s Meg Bailey and Club Wolverine’s Miranda Tucker, who transferred from Indiana to Michigan but will sit out this NCAA season, were within a couple tenths of each other in a tight race for silver. Tucker was slightly faster on the back end, but she came up just shy, finishing in 1:58.00 behind Bailey’s 1:57.81.
MEN’S 200 IM
- Vini Lanza, Indiana, 1:43.57
- Nate Carr, Club Mountaineer, 1:45.01
- Omar Pinzon, FAST, 1:45.84
It’s been all Indiana so far on the men’s side, with the Hoosiers winning every event on the men’s side up to this point. In the 200 IM, it was Vini Lanza who got the job done, clocking a personal best 1:43.57 to take gold. Club Mountaineer’s Nate Carr took 2nd place honors in 1:45.01, while Colombian Olympian Omar Pinzon, a former Florida Gator who now trains with FAST in California, picked up bronze in 1:45.84.
WOMEN’S 50 FREE
- Amanda Weir, Swim Atlanta, 21.82
- Caroline Baldwin, UNC, 22.33
- Isabella Arcila, CANY, 22.40
Local star Amanda Weir, a 3-time U.S. Olympian and 4-time Olympic medalist, picked up a gold in front of her hometown crowd tonight. She was a half second ahead of the field, posting the only sub-22 time to win gold in 21.81. Joining her on the podium were UNC sprint standout Caroline Baldwin (22.33) and Canyons Aquatics’ Isabella Arcila (22.40), a native of Colombia.
MEN’S 50 FREE
- Bowen Becker, Minnesota, 19.67
- Jacob Molacek, Greater Omaha Aquatics, 19.69
- Sam Lorentz, Indiana, 19.70
Minnesota’s Bowen Becker broke the Hoosier streak in the men’s events, winning the 50 free in 19.67. Just 3 hundredths separated the top 3 places, with Jacob Molacek taking 2nd in 19.69. Indiana’s Sam Lorentz barely missed out on keeping the Hoosiers’ streak alive, taking 3rd in 19.70.
15-year-old Jack Dolan from Rockwood Swim Club broke 20 seconds for the first time tonight. Before today, his best time was a 20.53. In tonight’s race, he blew that away with a 19.86 to finish 5th. That makes him the 4th fastest 15-16 swimmer of all time, and he sits just .04 behind Caeleb Dressel in those rankings.
After taking the top seed in prelims, Tom Shields decided to mix it up by swimming butterfly in the final tonight. Shields narrowly missed breaking 20 seconds to finish 6th in 20.10.
WOMEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY
- Minnesota, 3:34.15
- UNC, 3:36.42
- Indiana, 3:37.71
The Minnesota women won their 3rd relay title of the meet, swimming to a 3:34.15 for gold in the 400 medley relay. Highlighting the relay was Tevyn Waddell, who clocked a speedy 52.40 on the backstroke leg to give them a good lead to start. UNC’s Sarah Koucheki split a 52.56 on the fly leg to help the Tarheels earn silver in 3:36.42. Rounding out the podium were the Indiana Hoosiers in 3:37.71.
MEN’S 400 MEDLEY RELAY
- Indiana, 3:09.51
- Minnesota, 3:12.51
- Grand Canyon University, 3:13.16
The Indiana Hoosiers picked up another relay win, clocking the only sub-3:10 to take gold in 3:09.51. Vini Lanza, who won the 200 IM earlier in the session, clocked a quick 46.07 on the butterfly leg to help them to the win. Bowen Becker, the 50 free champ, helped Minnesota to their 3:12.51 for silver with his 43.72 anchor split. Picking up bronze was Grand Canyon university’s relay in 3:13.16.
Margalis good performance in the 200 IM
15-year-old Dolan continues to drop time in 19.86 in the 50 free. Special sprint talent. Now the 2nd fastest 15-year-old US boy ever behind bathtub’s monster Hoffer and 4th fastest ever in the 15/16 ranks.
Shields shows he’s ready for next week.
The rest is pretty average. But not surprising. Around 90% of the best US seniors and juniors don’t swim in Atlanta.
By the way what’s the use of swimming the 200 IM for Rooney? Don’t tell me they want to transform him into an IMer! After Dressel, looks like it’s an obsession at Florida. 🙂 Rooney is a freestyler and only a freestyler. I know. I know.… Read more »
Is no one paying attention to the four second drop by Marwan? IU is really coming on strong in a number of areas. They don’t have great depth but they have the top guys, they also have mohammed sammy coming in January as well as having their divers back this year. I think they will crack the top 5 at NCAAs if they swim well.
20.10 flat start fly from Tom Shields utterly insane and with manadou gone that 50 fly title is wide open
I really don’t see Tom Shields flying across the world for a title in the 50 fly.
Le Clos will be tough to beat but Govorov and Shields could bother him.
Michael Taylor slipped on the start and still went a best of 47.16 leading off his relay
Does anyone know what the fastest 50 fly is ever? For flat start?
Schooling was out 20.42 at nationals last year
20.10 by tom shields. No one has broken 20 flat start
Would have been more interested to see Shields do his 50 full underwater, probably would have been faster too. Excited to see how he does at short course worlds coming up.
Jack Dolan dropped a 19.8 proud to have known him at one point, that kid is something special.
He is the real deal. He’s barely scraped the surface of his potential.
Does it bother anyone else watching the live stream they keep saying these yards time are the blahdeblah fastest in the world? I would imagine there aren’t many other yards time outside of the US.
Other recent displays of ignorance by my fellow Americans that have bothered me much more – this one not so much.
Yards are bigly. Meters – sad!