2017 Santa Clara PSS: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2017 Arena Pro Swim Series – Santa Clara

The 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series at Santa Clara continues tonight at the George F. Haines Aquatic Center in Santa Clara, California. Swimmers have gathered to compete in the 100 fly, 200 breast, 100 free, and 400 free. Several stars headline tonight’s action, including Olympians Caeleb Dressel, Nathan Adrian, Kelsi Worrell, Conor Dwyer, Tom Shields, Simone Manuel, Lia Neal, and more. Read on for live updates of tonight’s events.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY:

  1. Kelsi Worrell– 57.44
  2. Hellen Moffitt– 58.99
  3. Katie McLaughlin– 59.17

Olympic gold medalist Kelsi Worrell rocked a season best 57.44 to dominate the 100 fly field, clipping .06 off her former season best of 57.50 from the PSS stop in Atlanta. Worrell remains the 6th fastest swimmer in the world this year, and was a second and a half ahead of anyone else tonight.

Behind her, UNC’s Hellen Moffitt used her front half speed to take the advantage over Cal teammates Farida Osman and Katie McLaughlin. On the 2nd 50, McLaughlin made a late move, but Moffitt was able to hold her off in 58.99 to McLaughlin’s 59.17. Osman wound up 4th in 59.36.

MEN’S 100 FLY:

  1. Jack Conger– 52.24
  2. Caeleb Dressel– 52.29
  3. Tom Shields– 52.58

As usual, Cal’s Tom Shields had the edge with his front half speed, but coming in hot just a nail behind him was Texas’ Jack Conger. Florida’s Caeleb Dressel lurked just a few tenths behind, and it all came down to who had the most left in the tank on the back half. Dressel was the fastest of the 3 swimmers with his 27.17 closing split, but Conger did just enough to secure the gold, holding him off with a 52.24. Dressel’s 52.29 for silver was just .07 shy of his lifetime best, which stands at a 52.22 from 2016 Trials.

Shields held on for 3rd, touching in 52.58. Also clearing the 53-barrier was Stanford’s Andrew Liang (52.98), who narrowly out-touched Georgia’s Gunnar Bentz (53.03) for 4th.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST:

  1. Madisyn Cox– 2:25.62
  2. Emily Escobedo– 2:26.91
  3. Melissa Rodriguez– 2:28.21

Texas’ Madisyn Cox was on fire all throughout the yards season, and she’s kept that momentum going into the meters pool. Tonight, she swam a personal best 2:25.62 to win 200 breast gold, knocking a couple tenths off the 2:25.89 she swam at the PSS stop in Mesa. Cox now moves up to 20th in the world this year, bumping fellow U.S. National Teamer Melanie Margalis down to 21st.

Also rolling to a new best time today was Emily Escobedo. This morning, she shaved .03 off her best with a 2:26.91. She matched that in the final to take silver, while Melissa Rodriguez (2:28.21) rounded out the podium behind her.

Texas A&M’s Esther Gonzalez and USC’s Riley Scott were locked in a close battle for 4th place. Scott had the lead at the 100 mark by a full second, but Gonzalez picked up the pace to pull ahead on the back half. At the finish, Gonzalez was slightly faster, clocking in at 2:28.86 to Scott’s 2:28.97.

MEN’S 200 BREAST:

  1. Josh Prenot– 2:10.80
  2. Nic Fink– 2:11.86
  3. Will Licon– 2:12.13

Cal’s Josh Prenot and Texas’ Will Licon went head-to-head in the 200 breast, with Licon putting up a 1:03.52 split at the 100 to take the early lead ahead of Prenot’s 1:03.66. Prenot took to his usual back-half surge, however, taking off and never looking back as he won the race in 2:10.80. He wasn’t the only swimmer to capitalize off his back-half speed. Georgia’s Nick Fink charged to a 1:07.12 split, clocking in with a final time of 2:11.86 to take silver ahead of Licon (2:12.13).

A handful of men aside from Licon raced to the wall with 2:12s. Missing the podium by just a tenth was Miguel De Lara Ojeda in 2:12.25. U.S. Olympians Chase Kalisz and Kevin Cordes were neck-and-neck at the finish, but Kalisz got his hands to the wall first in 2:12.61 to Cordes’ 2:12.67.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE:

  1. Simone Manuel– 54.31
  2. Lia Neal– 54.64
  3. Siobhan Haughey– 54.84

Stanford teammates Simone Manuel and Lia Neal battled it out with Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil and Michigan’s Siobhan Haughey in a stacked 100 free field. At the halfway point, Olympic champ Manuel led as she flipped in 26.45 with Cal’s Weitzeil trailing by just a tenth. Manuel maintained her lead throughout the back half, winning with a 54.31.

Behind her, Neal (54.64) and Haughey (54.84) stepped on the gas on the 2nd 50, running down Weitzeil to take silver and bronze respectively. Weitzeil held on for 4th, touching in 55.47.

MEN’S 100 FREE:

  1. Nathan Adrian– 48.55
  2. Caeleb Dressel– 49.26
  3. Michael Jensen– 49.35

Cal’s Nathan Adrian ran away with the 100 free, flipping in 23.41 en route to his 48.55 for gold. That was a few tenths shy of his season best, which stands at a 48.18 from the PSS stop in Mesa. Behind him, Florida’s Caeleb Dressel popped off a season best time of 49.26 to take 2nd place, giving him his second silver of the evening.

After a fantastic yards season as a freshman, Cal’s Michael Jensen has already been dropping time in the long course pool. He had a big performance in this race to round out the podium. Jensen broke 50 seconds for the first time, throwing down a 49.35 to run down Russian rocket Vlad Morozov (49.40) and Brazilian Olympian Marcelo Chierighini (49.47) into the finish. His previous best time was a 50.06 from last summer.

WOMEN’S 400 FREE:

  1. Katie Drabot– 4:08.33
  2. Cierra Runge– 4:10.64
  3. Leah Stevens– 4:14.03

Stanford’s Katie Drabot had a big swim in the 400 free, knocking 3 seconds off her lifetime best to win the race in 4:08.33 ahead of Wisconsin’s Cierra Runge (4:10.64). The field tightened up behind them, as the next 6 swimmers finished in the 4:14-range. Stanford teammates Leah Stevens (4:14.03) and Ella Eastin (4:14.19) battled closely with Pleasanton Seahawks’ Miranda Heckman (4:14.25) for the final podium spot, with Stevens getting her hand to the wall for the bronze.

MEN’S 400 FREE:

  1. Clark Smith– 3:49.40
  2. Jay Litherland– 3:50.96
  3. Marcelo Acosta– 3:52.49

Texas’ Clark Smith was the only man to break 3:50 tonight, taking it out in 1:53.54 to lead the race from start to finish. His winning time of 3:49.40 put him over a second and a half ahead of the field. Georgia’s Jay Litherland came from behind on the back half, charging to a 3:50.96 for silver with the fastest final 100 split of the field (56.39).

Stanford’s True Sweetser held a slight lead over Louisville’s Marcelo Acosta at the 300-meter mark in their battle for bronze. He was nearly a second ahead as they flipped for the final 100 meters, but Acosta dropped the hammer, outsplitting Sweetser 57.12 to 58.38 on the last 100. At the touch, Acosta nabbed the bronze in 3:52.49, followed by Sweetser in 3:52.83.

 

 

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IMs for days
6 years ago

As much potential as Dressel has in the 100 fly, seeing him prioritise the event is unlikely due to the schedrule conflict with his best event, the 50 free. I wonder if he will follow what many of the worlds best sprinter do and swim both the 50 fly and 50 free. I could see dressel being grest at the 50 fly

pvdh
Reply to  IMs for days
6 years ago

I dont know that the 50 is his best event….and the way he has been swimming, with a lot of back half speed, makes me think he might be shifting towards 100 fly over 50 free.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
6 years ago

I never heard of Michael Jensen before – seriously ! But hey , Usa has maybe found another solid sprinter to complete the relay …lets see in 4 weeks time how it unfolds – very exciting 100 free at Trials .

Bigly
6 years ago

When was the last time (Biondi? Spitz before him? ), someone had a shot like Dressel to make the 4 X 100 medley relay on a Worlds or Olympic team in two different strokes?

ELLIE
Reply to  Bigly
6 years ago

Sarah Sjostrom

Joe
Reply to  Bigly
6 years ago

Phelps could have probably made the 08 team in the 100 back, fly, and free if he wanted

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Bigly
6 years ago

Lochte could have or has done it at least once …….cant remember when .

Robert Gibbs
Reply to  Bigly
6 years ago

Phelps in 2015 if he hasn’t been suspended, I believe.

bobo gigi
6 years ago

A few thoughts

Women’s 100 fly. Kelsi was in 58.10 at last year’s same period. 57.44 this year. Better and better from Katie McLaughlin.

Men’s 100 fly. Clearly a 3-guy battle to come at world trials between Shields, Conger and Dressel. Right now I would pick Shields and Dressel. I have just a problem with Dressel’s schedule. Men’s 50 free and 100 fly are on the same days at worlds. Swimming 2 races of 100 fly and 2 races of 50 free the day before the 50 free final could cost him the gold in that event. What is better? Finishing 2nd behind Schooling in the 100 fly and 3rd in the 50 free or focusing on the 50 free,… Read more »

Bigly
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Worrell is much faster than last year. Looonnnggg on the turn and the finish. If she hit those, she’d have been 57.0 this meet. Maybe 56.5 at trials. For Dressel, maybe he thinks he can take Schooling, AGAIN.

ELLIE
Reply to  Bigly
6 years ago

Don’t overlook Chad Le Clos. He broke his own SCM WR last year, which I don’t think was less impressive than Dressel’s SCY record. And he is currently top ranked in the world with a 51.29 untapered & unshaven. We can’t say he won’t do something great this summer.

My prediction for 100 fly is
Joe Schooling gold
Chad Le Clos silver
Li Zhuhao/ the top US guy bronze
Unless US guys do something special in the trails.

Caleb
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

Dressel’s schedule is a tough call, but he’s held up pretty well at NCAAs the past two years. Remember, that 40.00 was his 12th swim in three days. Tough to do when you’re 30 or even 25, but he’s young enough to bounce back…

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Caleb
6 years ago

and he has Troy to bring him serious endurance ( like Lochte had as well with Troy ) .

DrSwimPhil
Reply to  bobo gigi
6 years ago

You really don’t understand how NCAA (and USA Swimming, to a lesser extent) swimming helps prepare these swimmers to pull multiple swims in every session. Dressel can pull off a 100fly/50Fr double, as he’s done that plus more (when factoring in relays) many times over his relatively short swimming career. One will not affect the other.

PNW
6 years ago

I know I’m a little late to the party, but watching the Men’s 100 fly replay it looks like Dressel didn’t breathe for the final 6 strokes into the wall, copying his now infamous short course strategy

DMacNCheez
Reply to  PNW
6 years ago

I believe Austin Staab was the first to be known for this, when he went 44.18 back in 2009 and didn’t breathe the last 25. So not exactly Dressel’s strategy.

PACFAN
Reply to  DMacNCheez
6 years ago

Dressel does the strategy. So by default it’s his. Nobody is saying he invented it

Pvdh
Reply to  PACFAN
6 years ago

Also Le clos’s strategy as well.

Bigly
Reply to  Pvdh
6 years ago

To make up for looking around the rest of the race.

Coach Mike 1952
Reply to  PNW
6 years ago

Why “infamous”?

Zzz
Reply to  Coach Mike 1952
6 years ago

I’m assuming because at the 2008 olympics, Cavic had the same strategy…

SwimSwim13
6 years ago

any idea why Mackenzie Paddington was DQd?

korn
Reply to  SwimSwim13
6 years ago

they said false start but on the replay, i didn’t detect a FS

KRB
6 years ago

That was a good time for Masse in the B final of the 100 Fly. I suspect she is going to be very fast in her two backstroke events coming up on the weekend

MichaelTran
6 years ago

About Dressel:
His back halfs in the meet are very good (27.17 in 100 fly and 25.24 in 100 free). This is a good sign
Because of his hard training now, we can not expect some super fast times. But in the big meets, the front speed will come!!
Come on, My boy Dressel!!

PACFAN
Reply to  MichaelTran
6 years ago

Whatever his biggest meet of the season is prediction:

100 fly: 23.6 26.7 50.3
100 free: 22.6 24.8 47.4

ELLIE
Reply to  PACFAN
6 years ago

For his fly, he should swim a 51.3 first before going 50.3

PACFAN
Reply to  ELLIE
6 years ago

He’s gonna skip the 51 club, just go straight 50.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  PACFAN
6 years ago

lol

Pvdh
Reply to  PACFAN
6 years ago

That would make him a better flyer than a freestyler. Which would be hilarious.

Ex Quaker
Reply to  Pvdh
6 years ago

To be fair, I honestly don’t know whether 40.0 or 43.5 is more impressive.

nuotofan
Reply to  Ex Quaker
6 years ago

SCY…

Person
Reply to  Ex Quaker
6 years ago

Well he’s the faster ever by like 0.7 in the 100 free, and by about 0.3 in the 100 fly. In the 100 fly there are multiple guys within 0.7 seconds of him (Schooling, Conger, and Staab). So I guess his 100 free is better? At least in SCY. Either way he’s the fastest ever in both.

About Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh

Lauren Neidigh is a former NCAA swimmer at the University of Arizona (2013-2015) and the University of Florida (2011-2013). While her college swimming career left a bit to be desired, her Snapchat chin selfies and hot takes on Twitter do not disappoint. She's also a high school graduate of The …

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