2016 U.S. Winter Nationals: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

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 3 finals heat sheets

Day 3 finals at the 2016 U.S. Winter Nationals will see several Olympians and NCAA champions go head-to-head in the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. Headlining the men’s 100 breast is American Record holder Kevin Cordes, while Melanie Margalis (200 free/100 breast) and Tom Shields (100 fly/100 back) each take on a double. 15-year-old Jack Dolan will be back in action in the 200 free and 100 back.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

1. Brooke Zeigler, Minnesota, 4:02.71
2. Lindsey Clary, Ohio State, 4:06.10
3. Meg Bailey, Ohio State, 4:08.29

In a race that featured last year’s NCAA 2nd and 6th place finsihers, it was 16 year-old Emma Muzzy of the Virginia Gators who took this race out fast, jumping out to a lead at the 50, and holding it through at least the 175.  Minnesota’s Brooke Zeiger took the lead at the 200 mark.  Zeiger built her lead throughout the breaststroke leg, splitting 1:08.27 as she lookedstrong all the way.  That gave her a two second lead over OSU’s Lindsay Clary and Muzzy, and Zeigler easily maintained that lead throughout the final leg, touching in 4:02.71.   Clary finished 1-2, followed by another Buckeye, Meg Bailey.

MEN’S 400 IM

1. Sean Grieshop, Nitro, 3:44.69
2. Nate Carr, Unattached (West Virginia), 3:47.79
3. Omar Pinzon, FAST, 3:48.06

In contrast to the women’s race, here it was the eldest in the group, 27 year-old Omar Pinzon, who had the early lead, as he went out in 51.31, and continued to set the pace through the 150 mark.  Nate Carr and Sean Grieshop closed on Pinzon over the next few lengths, and all three swimmers were within a few tenths of each other halfway through the breaststroke leg.  Grieshop began to ratchet it up from there — he outsplit Carr and Pinzon in the second 50 of the breaststroke leg, and then really turned on the nitro in the freestyle, including a 24.73 final lap to win in 3:44.69.

Grieshop is the junior world record holder in the long course version of the event.  Tonight, he was just off his personal best, and should continue to develop under Cal’s Dave Durden over the next four years.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

1. Aliena Schmidtke, Unattached (51.87)
2. Claire Donahue, Unattached (51.95)
3. Sarch Koucheki, UNC, (52.77)

Claire Donahue and Aliena Schmidtke kept it tight all the way through in a race that came down to the touch.  Donahue touched first at the 50, 24.19 to 24.20.  She continued to appear to be in the lead right up to the final touch, but Schmidtke  got her hands to the wall first, taking the win 51.87 to 51.95.  UNC’s Sarch Koucheki placed 3rd in 52.77.

MEN’S 100 FLY

1. Tom Shields, Cal, 43.84
2. Vini Lanza, Indiana, 45.5
3. Daryl Turner, Minnesota, 46.53

There aren’t a ton of Olympians at this meet, but the ones who are here have been looking like it.  I wrote that sentence in the middle of this race, and Tom Shields definitely proved that to be true, blowing away the American and US Open records in 43.84.

The Indiana men have been looking so far at this meet, and Vini Lanza continued the Hoosier’s roll with a 45.56, a time that’s good enough to put him in the A final at NCAA’s, where he finished 11th last year.  Minnesota’s Daryl Turner finished 3rd in 46.53.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

1. Melanie Margalis, St. Petersburg, 1:43.72
2. Isabel Ivey, Gator Swim Club, 1:43.96
3. Amanda Weir, Swim Atlanta, 1:43.98

Last night, Amanda Weir reminded us she can sprint.  Tonight, she showed us she’s no slouch at middle-distance either in short course.  Weir, as you might expect from a sprinter, went out hard and led through the first 100, but didn’t end up with the win.  That went to fellow 2016 Olympian Melanie Margalis, who earned a gold medal last year as part of the 4×200 free relay in Rio.  Margalis held off Weir and 16 year-old Isabel Ivey to take her second national championship of the meet in a time of 1:43.72, after winning the 200 IM Thursday night.  All three of the top swimmers swam personal bests tonight, and Ivey’s swim now ranks her 4th all-time in the 15-16 age group.

MEN’S 200 FREE

1. Maxime Rooney, Florida, 1:33.85
2. Jordan Merrilees, North Carolina, 1:34.31
3. Anze Tavcar, Indiana, 1:34.61

In the opposite of the women’s event, it was a distance swimmer who went out first.  Last night’s 500 free champion Marwan el Kamash (Indiana) touched first at the 50, but Florida freshman Maxime Rooney quickly took over the lead and maintained it to the end, winning in 1:33.85.  UNC’s Jordan Merilees had the fastest backhalf of the race, splitting each of the final two 50s in under 24 seconds, and touched 2nd in 1:34.41.  Anze Tavcar rounded out the top three, while fellow Hoosiers Jackson Miller and el Kamash took the next two spots.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST

1. Melanie Margalis, St. Petersburg, 58.0
2. Breeja Larson, NYAC, 58.21
3. Miranda Tucker, Club Wolverine, 58.95

There aren’t a ton of swimmers who are elite in both the 200 free and 100 breast, but tonight Melanie Margalis has won national championships in both.  Breeja Larson went out first, but Margalis closed on her over the final few strokes to take the win, 58.09 to 58.21.  Miranda Tucker, last year’s 3rd place finisher at NCAA’s took 3rd tonight as well, touching in 58.95.

MEN’S 100 BREAST

1. Kevin Cordes, Unattached, 51.88
2. Ian Finnerty, Indiana, 52.68
3. Rostyslav Fedyna, Queens, 53.21

The USA Olympians continue their run tonight, at American Record holder Kevin Cordes got back into racing tonight with a 51.88 a week before he swims at short course worlds.  Cordes was almost two seconds off his American Record time of 50.04, but still almost a second ahead of the 2nd-place finisher, Indiana’s Ian Finnerty (52.68). Rostyslav Fedyna, who attends Queens, but is swimming officially unattached, took 3rd in 53.21.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK

1. Bridgette Alexander, Kentucky, 52.53
2. Caroline Baldwin, UNC, 52.70
3. Ally Rockett, Indiana, 52.91

No Olympians in this race, but we stil had plenty of excitement.  Indiana’s Marie Chamberlain was out first at the 50, but the field closed in on her the second lap, and the entire middle of the pool appeared to be in the mix halfway down the final length.  Kentucky’s Bridgette Alexander got her hand on the wall first in 52.53, just ahead of UNC’s Caroline Baldwin (52.70).  Ally Rockett touched 3rd in 52.91, while her teammate Chamberlain ended up 4th.

MEN’S 100 BACK

1. Tom Shields, California, 45.11
2. Arkady Vyatchanin, NYAC, 45.89
3. Mark Nikolaev, Grand Canyon, 45.92.

An hour and 15 minutes after swimming the fastest 100 yard fly in history, Tom Shields doubled up to win the 100 back in 45.11.  Indiana’s Bob Glover was out first at the 50, but Shield was close behind, and used his powerhouse underwaters to propel himself over the back half to victory.  International veteran Arkady Vyatchanin took 2nd in 45.89.  Grand Canyon’s Mark Nikolaev has the second fastest back half of the field and finished 3rd in 45.92.