2019 Art Adamson Invite: Day 3 Live Recap

2019 ART ADAMSON INVITE

• Thursday, November 21 – Saturday, November 23, 2019
• Texas A&M Natatorium, College Station, Texas
• Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Central Time)
• Prelims Long Course Meters (LCM) format
• Finals Short Course Yards (SCY) format
• Live results

The final session of the Art Adamson Invite is here, and with it we should see some of the best races of the meet. In the first event tonight, the women’s 1650, Phoebe Hines will be squaring off against Megan Byrnes. Last Season, Hines swam so well in the mile at this invite, her time stood as the top time in the NCAA all the way until NCAAs in March.

Shaine Casas will be competing in one of his best events, the 200 back, and we’ll likely get to see him on the 400 free relay as well. We’ll also get to see a women’s 200 breast showdown between Zoe Bartel, Anna Belousova, and Bethany Galat.

WOMEN’S 1650 FREE:

1. Phoebe Hines (Hawaii) – 15:56.61
2. Joy Field (TAMU) – 16:07.44
3. Morgan Tankersley (STAN) – 16:11.73

In a field of only 7 swimmers, Phoebe Hines shined in her top event. While Hines’ 15:56.61 was a far cry away from the 15:41.35 she swam at this invite last year, her time will still stand as one of the fastest in the NCAA for a large chunk of this season. The only swimmer in the field to drop time was Texas A&M’s Ashley Conrad, a freshman who came in 7th with a 16:58.19.

MEN’S 1650 FREE:

1. Victor Johansson (USC) – 14:47.27
2. Grant Shoults (STAN) – 14:52.91
3. Andrew Matejka  (STAN) – 15:03.78

Victor Johansson won the race by a margin of 5 seconds. He swam a very consistent race, splitting between 26.62 and 27.20 on every 50 excluding the first and last 50s. Grant Shoults came in 2nd, swimming a 14:52.91 in his first rested 1650 of the season.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK:

1. Erin Voss (STAN) – 1:52.79
2. Alex Crisera (STAN) – 1:53.66
3. Lucie Nordmann (STAN) – 1:53.84

It was a 1-2-3 charge by the Stanford Cardinal, with senior Erin Voss taking the top spot with a season best 1:52.79. Voss led the race from early on, expanding her lead as the race progressed. Alex Crisera, a Stanford freshman, picked up a 2nd place finish with a 1:53.66, marking a personal best and her first swim under 1:54. Lucie Nordmann was off her personal best of 1:50.70, but still swam a season best.

USC freshman Aela Javier was 4th into the finish, touching in 1:54.01.

MEN’S 200 BACK:

1. Shaine Casas (TAMU) – 1:38.21
2. Johannes Calloni (STAN) – 1:42.18
3. Kane Follows (HAWAII) – 1:44.63

Shaine Casas blazed to a new best time, winning the race by 4 seconds. Casas came into the meet with a 1:39.84 best from last season. His 1:38.21 tonight makes Casas the #7 performer all-time in the NCAA, and currently leads the NCAA this season. Casas’ time was also an NCAA A cut, automatically qualifying him for NCAAs in March.

Johannes Calloni was just off his personal best, which sits at 1:41.82 from last year’s PAC 12 Championships.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE:

1. Laticia Transom (USC) – 47.83
2. Amalie Fackenthal (STAN) – 48.22
3. Jemma Schlicht (USC) – 48.29

Laticia Transom posted one of the top 100 freestyles in the NCAA this season, clocking a 47.83. She went out the exact same as runner-up Amalie Fackenthal (23.26), but came home with a speedy 24.57, significantly out-pacing the field. Stanford’s Anya Goeders was the fastestest going out, turning in a blistering 23.10, but came home in 25.66 for a 4th place finish (48.76).

MEN’s 100 FREE:

1. Adam Koster (TAMU) – 42.26
2. Nikola Miljenic (USC) – 43.24
3. Will Macmillan (STAN) – 43.49

Adam Koster roared to a new personal best of 42.26, winning the race by nearly a second. Koster came into the meet with a best time of 42.38. His time stands as one of the top times in the NCAAs this season, and will likely remain towards the top through the rest of the mid-season invites. The time also puts Koster just .55 seconds off the NCAA A cut, which would guarantee him an invite to NCAAs in March.

Nikola Miljenic was the top Trojan swimmer of the night, swimming a season best 43.24.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST:

1. Zoe Bartel (STAN) – 2:08.18
2. Anna Belousova (TAMU) – 2:08.23
3. Brooke Forde (STAN) – 2:09.37

What was expected to be a great race at the top came through, with Stanford’s Zoe Bartel holding on to her top seed for tonight, edging out victory over veteran Anna Belousova. Zoe Bartel won the race with a time faster than her top time from all of last season. Bartel was 2:08.27 at her fastest last season, although she has a personal best of 2:06.24 from 2018. Bartel got out to the early lead, and managed to hold on to get her hands on the wall first, as Belousova closed on her throughout the last 100. Belousova, widely regarded as the top 200 breaststroker heading into this season, came home quick, splitting 32.88 and 33.07 on the final 2 50s.

MEN’S 200 BREAST:

1. Andres Puente (TAMU) – 1:52.48
2. Hank Poppe (STAN) – 1:52.97
3. Benjamin Walker (TAMU) – 1:53.33

Texas A&M freshman Andres Puente tore to a 1:52.48 final time tonight, marking one of the fastest we’ve seen this season. For reference, Puente’s time tonight would have eanred him a spot in the A final at NCAAs last year, and of the 8 that made the A final last year, 3 graduated. Stanford breast star Hank Poppe was 2nd tonight, clocking a 1:52.97, which is a new personal best for the senior. Poppe swam a 1:53.25 last season, which was his best, and finished just outside finals at 17th at NCAAs with a 1:53.86.

A&M’s fastest returning breaststroker heading into this season, Benjamin Walker, came in 3rd tonight with a season best 1:53.33. Walker was an A finalist in the event at NCAAs last year.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY:

1. Katie Drabot (STAN) – 1:53.14
2. Taylor Pike (TAMU) – 1:54.81
3. Catherine Sanchez (USC) – 1:55.67

Katie Drabot swam a season best to win the race handily tonight, solidifying her place as one of the fastest 200 flyers in the NCAA this season. Drabot earned an NCAA A cut in the event, coming in just under the time standard of 1:53.20. The time was, however, a bit slower than she swam at this invite last season (1:51.74). Drabot faded a bit down the stretch, splitting 28.78, 28.98, and 29.40 on the last 3 50s.

Taylor Pike nearly swam a personal best, clocking a 1:54.81 for 2nd. Pike’s personal best comes in at 1:54.05, which she swam at last year’s Art Adamson Invite.

MEN’S 200 FLY:

1. Alexei Sancov (USC) – 1:42.20
2. Alex Liang (STAN) – 1:43.45
3. Jace Brown (TAMU) – 1:45.71

Alexei Sancov, who spent last season as primarily a freestyler for USC, swam a lifetime best to win the 200 fly tonight. Sancov’s previous best was 1:44.51 from 2018. Stanford’s Alex Liang was next in, just off his personal best of 1:42.74. Sancov’s endurance was on display, splitting 25.87 on the 3rd 50.

WOMEN’S 4×100 FREE RELAY:

1. USC – 3:14.00
2. Stanford – 3:15.96
3. Texas A&M – 3:17.77

USC showed off their sprint power, picking up an NCAA A cut by .61 seconds. Laticia Transom led the relay off in 48.07, which was actually the 2nd fastest split in the field, despite being from a flat start. She was followed by a 48.27 from Jemma Schlicht, then 49.48 from Catherine Sanchez, and 48.18 from Tatum Wade coming home. Stanford picked up an NCAA B cut with a 3:15.96, fueled by a big 48.00 anchor leg from Amalie Fackenthal, which was the top split in the field.

MEN’S 4×100 FREE RELAY:

1. Texas A&M – 2:49.99
2. USC – 2:54.42
3. Hawaii – 2:54.48

Texas A&M posted what, at this point, is the the 2nd fastest 400 free relay in the NCAA this season, besting their top time from all of last season by over 2 seconds. Arizona State swam a 2:49.94 tonight, which is leading national currently. A&M finished last season with the 21st ranked 400 free relay (3:52.04). Their top time last season came from SECs in February.

Shaine Casas swam another lifetime best of 42.94 to lead the relay off, giving them excellent position out the gates. Adam Koster was next in, splitting a field-leading 42.01, then Kaloyan Bratanov split 42.47, and Mark Theall split 42.57 on the end. Adam Koster was lightning off the start, splitting 19.80 on the first 50.