2016 U.S. Winter Nationals: Day 4 Prelims Real-Time 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

The last day of the 2016 USA Swimming Winter Nationals will feature a focus on the 200 yard stroke events, with a smattering of freestyle in play as well. The 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly will be the morning races, while a timed final of the 1650 will occupy the afternoon slot between sessions.

Women’s 200 Back – Prelims

1. Bridgette Alexander, Unattached, 1:52.92
2. Hannah More, NC State, 1:54.56
3. Melanie Margalis, St. Petersburg Aquatics, 1:54.65
4. Kristen Romano, Long Island Aquatic Club, 1:55.10
5. Paige Madden, City of Mobile, 1:55.30
6. Erin Earley, Hopkins Mariner Swim Team, 1:55.42
7. Tevyn Waddell, University of Minnesota, 1:56.04
8. Emma Seiberlich, Phoenixville YMCA, 1:56.40

University of Kentucky junior Bridgette Alexander took the top seed in the 200 yard backstroke in Saturday’s first event, the 200 back, with a 1:52.92. While not an NCAA Automatic Qualifying Time, it will be enough to earn an invite – solidifying Kentucky as the hottest 200 backstroke program in the country right now.

Not pictured at this meet for the Cats are senior Danielle Galyer, the defending NCAA Champion in the event; and freshman Asia Seidt, who ranks 2nd nationally with a 1:51.18 from the Ohio State Invitational before Thanksgiving.

Building their own backstroke legacy are the Virginia Cavaliers: Madden, Earley, and Seiberlich are all high school seniors and UVA commits.

Alexander out-paced Hannah Moore (1:54.56) and Melanie Margalis (1:54.65) for the top seed. For Margalis, who’s the clubhouse leader for female Swimmer of the Meet, that time is a new lifetime best by over a second.

Men’s 200 Back – Prelims

1. Arkady Vyatchanin, New York Aquatic Club/Serbia, 1:43.12
2. Omar Pinzon, FAST/Colombia, 1:43.93
3. Bryce Bohman, Club Mountaineer Aquatics, 1:44.21
4. Michael Meyer, UNC, 1:44.41
5. Bob Glover, Indiana, 1:44.74
6. Marak Nikolaev, Grand Canyon University, 1:44.78
7. Maxine Rooney, University of Florida, 1:45.44
8. Yuval Safra, Unattached (Georgia Tech), 1:45.70

The veterans ruled the morning in the men’s 200 backstroke, with Serbian 32-year old Arkady Vyatchanin leading the way in 1:43.12 and Colombian Omar Pinzon earning the second seed in 1:43.93.

Former West Virginia NCAA All-American Bryce Bohman qualified 3rd in 1:44.21.

Women’s 100 Free – Prelims

1. Amanda Weir, SwimAtlanta, 47.84
2. Isabel Ivey, Gator Swim Club, 48.23
3. Isabella Arcila, Canyons Aquatic Club, 48.50
4. Zoe Avestruz, University of Minnesota, 49.24
5. Iris Wang, Georgia Tech, 49.25
6. Victoria Cunningham, SMU, 49.37
7. Caroline Baldwin, UNC, 49.42
8. Maddie Locus, SwimAtlanta, 49.44

Amanda Weir, an Atlantan and a three-time Olympic veteran, took the top seed in the women’s 100 yard free prelims with a 47.84. Lined up next to her in the final will be Isabel Ivey, 14 years her junior, after a 48.23 in prelims.

Isabella Arcila took 3rd in 48.50. She’s an alumni of SMU now training at the Canyons Aquatic Club in California that has become a bit of a magnet for female sprinters thanks in large part to their development of U.S. Olympian Abbey Weitzeil.

Men’s 100 Free – Prelims

1. Jacob Molacek, GOAL, 43.10
2. Matias Koski, Dynamo/Finland, 43.28
3. Anze Tavcar, Indiana, 43.38
4. Jack Dolan, Rockwood Swim Club, 43.61
5. Sam Lorentz, Indiana, 43.63
6. Bowen Becker, Minnesota, 43.69
7. Paul Fair, Minnesota, 43.69
8. Josh Romany, Indiana, 43.76

Jacob Molacek is on a gap year in the midst of his transfer from the most vaunted sprint program of history, Auburn, to one of the most vaunted sprint programs of present, NC State, but hasn’t missed much while back home training in his native Omaha.

He qualified through to finals as the top seed in 43.10, beating out former Georgia Bulldog Matias Koski (43.28) and current Indiana Hoosier Anze Tavcar (43.38).

15-year old Jack Dolan, who made waves earlier this week with a 19.8 in the 50 free, qualified 4th in 43.61. That’s a new lifetime best for him by a second-and-a-half. That bumps him to 4th in the all-time 15-16 rankings.

Former U.S. National Teamer Maxime Rooney of the University of Florida will swim in the B Final with a 43.97.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Prelims

1. Breeja Larson, New York Aquatic Club, 2:08.27
2. Miranda Tucker, Club Wolverine, 2:09.46
3. Nikol Popov, Canyons Aquatic Club, 2:10.67
4. Vanessa Pearl, Metro, 2:10.70
5. Lindsey Horejsi, University of Minnesota, 2:10.71
6. Melanie Margalis, St. Petersburg Aquatics, 2:10.74
7. Kendra Crew, Unattached, 2:11.03
8. Danielle Herrmann, Clovis, 2:11.83

Former NCAA Champion and American Record holder Breeja Larson took the top seed in the 200 breaststroke in 2:08.27, putting a full second between her and Miranda Tucker (2:09.46). The latter is on a redshirt year while completing a transfer from Indiana to Michigan.

Qualifying 5th for the final was Minnesota freshman Lindsey Horejsi in 2:10.70 – a lifetime best swim for her. Horejsi is one of the best high school breaststrokers we’ve ever seen in the 100, and now training at Minnesota with 2015 NCAA 200 champion Kierra Smith has shown improvement in the longer distance as well.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Prelims

1. Kevin Cordes, Unattached, 1:54.47
2. Nick Zito, WEST Swim Club, 1:55.10
3. Conner McHugh, University of Minnesota, 1:56.15
4. John Bushman, University of Minnesota, 1:56.74
5. Tanner Olson, Canyons, 1:56.89
6. Mike Alexandrov, New York Athletic Club, 1:57.14
7. Miguel de Lara, Unattached, 1:57.46
8. Juan Sequera, Unattached, 1:58.36

Kevin Cordes, who has won the 100 breaststroke on Friday in his first action since the Olympics, took the top qualification in the 200 yard breaststroke in 1:54.47. He’s been solid this week, though not quite on the form that some of his Olympic teammates like Tom Shields and Melanie Margalis have been on this week in Atlanta. Cordes won’t be swimming at next week’s Short Course World Championships.

Only one junior swimmer qualified for the A-final: Tanner Olson from the Canyons Aquatic Club. He qualified 5th with nearly a full-second personal best of 1:56.89.

Women’s 200 Fly – Prelims

1. Hannah Saiz, Schroeder YMCA, 1:56.37
2. Sarah Koucheki, UNC, 1:56.51
3. Meg Bailey, Ohio State, 1:56.53
4. Caty Hulsey, UNC, 1:57.10
5. Gia D’Alesandro, Indiana, 1:57.73
6. Danielle Nack, Minnesota, 1:57.88
7. Reagan Cook, Indiana, 1:58.12
8. Michelle Cefal, Tennessee, 1:58.80

Veteran pro swimmer, and former NCAA D3 Champion, Hannah Saiz qualified 1st through to the final in the women’s 200 yard fly, swimming a 1:56.37. She’ll be chased in that final heat by, among others, a pair of North Carolina Tar Heels continuing that program’s legacy in this event: Sarah Koucheki, who qualified 2nd in 1:56.51; and Caty Hulsey, who qualified 4th in 1:57.10.

The Indiana Hoosiers also put two into the A-final: Gia D’Alesandro in 1:57.73 and Reagan Cook in 1:58.12.

Men’s 200 Fly – Prelims

1. Vini Lanza, Indiana – 1:42.62
2. Max Irwin, Indiana – 1:45.70
3. Sean Lee, PASA – 1:46.50
4. Sam Pomajevich, NCAP – 1:46.07
5. Luis Soto-Ramirez, IM – 1:47.49
6. Carter Grimes, Sandpiper – 1:47.70
7. Danill Antipov, Grand Canyon – 1:48.37
8. Michael Meyer, UNC – 1:48.48

Indiana sophomore Vini Lanza, for a moment, swam the fastest time in the NCAA in the 200 yard fly this season on Saturday morning, posting a 1:42.62. That pushes him past  Kentucky senior Kyle Higgins for the #1 national ranking, though Texas’ lethal butterfly group has yet to swim this event at the Texas Invite – which should come later in the morning.

Lanza led a Hoosier 1-2, with Max Irwin touching 2nd in 1:45.70. California high school senior, and UPenn commit, Sean Lee qualified 3rd in 1:46.05.