2017 US Open: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2017 U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 2-6, 2017
• East Meadow, NY
• Long course (50m)
• Psych Sheet
• Pre-scratch timelines
• Meet Information
• Meet central
• Live Results
• Day 5 Prelims Heat Sheet

Women 200 LC Meter IM

• American: 2:06.15 7/27/2009 Ariana Kukors
• U.S. Open: 2:08.66 5/17/2015 Katinka Hosszu
• U.S. Open Meet: 2:11.06 8/3/2013 Justine Mueller

1. Margaret Aroesty, LIAC 2:15.11
2. Nora McCullagh, TXLA 2:15.66
3. Fantine Lesaffre, FRA 2:15.71
4. Lisa Bratton, TAMU 2:15.87
5. Vanessa Pearl, MTRO 2:15.97
6. Sharli Brady, UMIZ 2:16.05
7. Meaghan Raab, NAC/UGA 2:16.69
8. Kelly Fertel, GRSC 2:16.85

The first big swim of the morning came from Marlins of Raleigh’s Madison Homovich, who dropped just over 1 second to win heat 5 in 2:18.35. Danika Katzer of Coast Guard Blue Dolphins dropped 1.1 in the following heat to win with 2:17.91 and hold the lead going into the circle-seeded heats.

France’s Fantine Lesaffre blasted a 2:15.71 to win the first of the championship heats by two body lengths. Texas A&M’s Kristin Malone was second in the heat with 2:17.82. Her teammate Lisa Bratton took the following heat in 2:15.87 over Kelly Fertel from Gulliver (2:16.85) and Alabama’s Mia Nonnenberg (2:17.30). Long Island Aquatic Club’s Margaret Aroesty won the final heat with the morning’s top time of 2:15.11. Nora McCullagh of Longhorn Aquatics dropped 2.3 seconds to finish second in the heat from out in lane 9 with 2:15.66.

Men 200 LC Meter IM

• American: 1:54.00 7/28/2011 Ryan Lochte
• U.S. Open: 1:54.56 7/10/2009 Ryan Lochte
• U.S. Open Meet: 1:59.26 11/30/2006 Michael F Phelps

1. Ryan Lochte, TROJ 1:59.82
2. Sam Stewart, TXLA 2:01.88
3. Michael Andrew, RPC 2:02.35
4. Xavier Mohammed, SW 2:02.45
5. Kyle Maas, MLA 2:03.19
6. Ross Palazzo, HEAT 2:03.29
7. Kieran Smith, RAC 2:03.39
8. Brock Bonetti, TAMU 2:03.40

Hudson Explorer’s Ross Palazzo, seeded with a yards time of 1:46.24, blasted a 2:03.29 in the second heat of 200 IMs to lead through 5 heats until the circle-seeds. It was his best time by an astounding 8.3 seconds (although he hasn’t registered a LCM time in the event since the summer of 2014). Texas A&M’s Brock Bonetti also had a strong morning performance; he dropped 2.1 seconds to win heat 5 with 2:03.40 over Missouri State/Rockwood’s Phillip Willett (2:04.91, PBx0.9).

Xavier Mohammed of Swim Wales kicked off the circle-seeded heats with a 2:02.45 over Charlie Swanson, unattached from Michigan/NOVA of Virginia (2:03.39). Michael Andrew of Race Pace Club was the heat 8 winner in 2:02.35. Michigan Lakeshore’s Kyle Maas was just behind with 2:03.19.

In the final heat of the morning, Sam Stewart of Longhorn Aquatics led after the backstroke, followed by Matthew Josa of California Aquatics and Trojan Swim Club’s Ryan Lochte. Lochte then proceeded to split a 33.8 breaststroke and blew past the field. He cruised home in 29.3 and still won the heat by two body lengths with 1:59.82. Stewart was second in the heat with 2:01.88, and second overall.

Women 50 LC Meter Freestyle

• American: 23.97 7/30/2017 Simone Manuel
• U.S. Open: 24.13 5/18/2008 Cate Campbell
• U.S. Open Meet: 24.90 8/8/2009 Jessica Hardy

1. Madison Kennedy, MAC 25.42
2. Marie Wattel, FRA 25.55
3. Gretchen Walsh, NAC 25.73
4. Margo Geer, FORD 25.77
5. Amanda Kendall, UN-IN 25.77
6. Kristin Mallone, TAMU 25.80
7. Rebecca Millard, TXLA 25.81
8. Courtney Caldwell, WOLF 25.88

Letizia Bertelli of FIU Swimming and Ohio State’s Macie McNichols set the bar in heat 6/10 of the 50s with 26.00 and 26.07, respectively. Both were personal bests by over 1/10. They remained in the lead until the circle-seeded heats, when we saw the first sub-26s.

France’s Marie Wattel won the first circle-seed in 25.55, just .09 off her best. Ky-lee Perry of Wolfpack Elite/NC State went 25.97 for second in that heat. Margo Geer of Tucson Ford took her heat in 25.77, with Texas A&M’s Kristin Malone just behind in 25.80.

Madison Kennedy of SwimMAC was the final heat winner, going 25.42 to lead the morning’s qualifiers for tonight’s final. Second was 14-year-old Gretchen Walsh of Nashville Aquatic Club with 25.73. Walsh improved her PB by 1/10. She was already the fifth-fastest 13-14 in history with 25.83, and while her position doesn’t change, she inches closer to Kate Douglass’ fourth-fastest 25.60 with her morning swim.

Men 50 LC Meter Freestyle

• American: 21.15 7/29/2017 Caeleb Dressel
• U.S. Open: 21.14 7/9/2009 Cesar Cielo
• U.S. Open Meet: 21.73 8/8/2009 Nicholas Brunelli

1. Brad Tandy, UN-AZ 21.95
2. Cullen Jones, WOLF 22.17
3. Tate Jackson, TXLA 22.66
4. Robert Howard, BAMA 22.67
5. Brett Ringgold, NTN 22.69
6. Michael Andrew, RPC 22.70
7. Kyle Robrock, UN-CO 22.87
8. BJ Hornikel, UN-SE 22.88

The winning times hovered in the 23-mids for the first five heats, then BJ Hornikel, entered with 23.51, clocked a 22.88 to jump to the head of the pack. Robert Howard of University of Alabama edged Race Pace’s Andrew in the first circle-seeded heat, lowering the leading times to 22.67 and 22.70, respectively.

In the next heat Brad Tandy, unattached from Tucson Ford, cracked a 21.95, the only sub-22 of the morning. He won the heat by half a body length over Tate Jackson of Longhorn Aquatics (22.66). The final heat was all Wolfpack Elite’s Cullen Jones. He hit the wall in 22.17, while the next-fastest, Kyle Robrock, touched in 22.87.