2019 Speedo Junior National Championships: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2019 USA SWIMMING SPEEDO JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, August 6 – Saturday, August 10, 2019
• Stanford Avery Aquatic Center, Palo Alto, CA
• Prelims 9 AM / Finals 5 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
• LCM format
• Psych sheet
• Live stream (all sessions)
• Start Lists & Live Results

Day 5 prelims heat sheets.

The fifth and final morning of the 2019 Speedo Junior National Championships feature heats of the 200 IM and 50 free. 200 IM women’s top seed Justina Kozan has won both the 200 fly and the 200 freestyle this week, and her entry time today puts her ahead of the field by over a second. She’ll face 200 back champion and 400 IM runner-up Felicia Pasadyn, as well as 400 IM champion Samantha Tadder.

On the men’s side, Ian Grum will race the 200 IM, where his seed time stands at 2:07.28. Grum already won the 400 IM and 200 back on the same night earlier this week, as well as took third in the 100 back, first as part of Dynamo’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay, and second as part of Dynamo’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay. He’s only the 26th seed this morning but is certainly one to keep an eye on.

100 freestyle champion Miranda Heckman will be back in the pool racing the 50 freestyle, which she qualified for with only a bonus time. She’ll look to catch tops seeds Cora Dupre and Emma Wheal, whose seed times are separated by only .01. On the men’s side, ATOM’s Garrett Boone dropped the 200 IM and will focus exclusively on the 50 freestyle, where he is the 4th seed (though the first seed is a yards time). He’ll take on Matt King, the only legit sub-23 entrant, who is committed to Indiana University.

Women’s 200 IM – Prelims

• World Record: 2:06.12, 8/3/2015, Katinka Hosszu
• World Junior Record: 2:09.98, 1/29/2017, Rikako Ikee
• Meet Record: 2:12.32, 8/3/2015, Ella Eastin
• U.S. Open Record: 2:08.32, 7/29/2018, Kathleen Baker
• Olympic Trials Cut: 2:17.39

Thirteen-year-old Leah Hayes was the story this morning, winning heat 15 in 2:14.81, making her the No. 2 13-14 performer in history behind Missy Franklin’s national age group record of 2:12.73. No other 13-14 girl has broken 2:15. Hayes was entered with a 2:17.62.

Justina Kozan, the 15-year-old top seed headed into the day, is the second seed for finals in 2:16.62 She should have a good race with Hayes tonights, as her lifetime best is 2:14.04.

Felicia Pasadyn, the No. 11 seed, hit a best time this morning for the third-fastest swim, and No. 2 seed Zoe Dixon gained a couple seconds to take the fourth seed heading into finals.

Outside of Hayes, the next-youngest qualifier for any 200 IM final is 14-year-old Rye Ulett, who continued her stellar run and hit a 2:19.29 to win heat 11 and make the C-final. Her older sister Tristen, 17, is the No. 6 seed in the A-final.

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Leah Hayes, TIDE, 2:14.81
2. Justina Kozan, BREA, 2:16.52
3. Felicia Pasadyn, SWIM, 2:17.11
4. Zoe Dixon, NOVA, 2:17.18
5. Samantha Tadder, TIDE, 2:17.64
6. Tristen Ulett, DYNA, 2:17.66
7. Colby Hurt, 757, 2:17.71
8. Sam Baron, BCB, 2:17.83

Men’s 200 IM – Prelims

• World Record: 1:54.00, 7/28/2011, Ryan Lochte
• World Junior Record: 1:57.06, 7/27/2017, Qin Haiyang
• Meet Record: 2:00.07, 8/14/2009, Kyle Whitaker
• U.S. Open Record: 1:54.56, 7/10/2009, Ryan Lochte
• Olympic Trials Cut: 2:04.09

Jack Meehan, 17, (ATOM) was the only swimmer under 2:06 through the first 13 heats, going 2:05.01, before Baylor Nelson (MAC) bested him by .01 in heat 14 (2:05.00).

Sixteen-year-old Arsenio Bustos (WAC) upped the ante in heat 15, dropping nearly a second off his lifetime bbest to nab a 2020 Olympic Trials cut at 2:03.99. Georgia commit Zach Hils added about a second-and-a-half on his PR as is the No. 3 seed for finals at 2:40.89.

Top seed Tim Connery led the 16th and final heat from start to finish, winning by multiple body lengths by 2:01.58. Connery, 16, leapfrogs Cal’s Sean Grieshop (2:01.83 in 2015) and goes from the No. 8 to No. 7 15-16-year-old boy in U.S. history.

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Tim Connery, MAC, 2:01.58
2. Arsenio Bustos, WAC, 2:03.99
3. Zach Hils, LEXD, 2:04.89
4. Baylor Nelson, MAC, 2:05.00
5. Jack Meehan, 2:05.01
6. Will Goodwin, TOPS, 2:05.34
7. Ton Zinn, SCAL, 2:05.51
8. Ansel Froass, RAYS, 2:05.62

Women’s 50 Free – Prelims

• World Record: 23.67, 7/29/2017, Sarah Sjostrom
• World Junior Record: 24.33, 9/16/2017, Rikako Ikee
• Meet Record: 25.07, 8/3/2015, Marta Ciesla
• U.S. Open Record: 24.10, Simone Manuel, 7/29/2018
• Olympic Trials Cut: 25.99

Top seed Emma Wheal (WHAV) touched strokes ahead of the final heat’s field in 25.47, a best time by .01.

No. 2 qualifier Cora Dupre was just off her best of 24.49, going 25.58. Third qualifier Lindsay Flynn was just .02 off her best, going 25.78.

Fourteen-year-old Zoe Skirboll, the youngest A-finalist by two years, improved on her best time by .03m going 26.04 for the No. 5 spot this morning.

There were ties for the final spot in both the B-final (Amy Feddersen/Meredith Smithbaker, 26.40), and C-final (Lindsay Ervin/Sophie Fiske, 26.46), that may require swim-offs later on.

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Emma Wheal, WHAC, 25.47
2. Cora Dupre, RAYS, 25.58
3. Lindsay Flynn, ATOM, 25.78
4. Amelia Liu, LAC, 25.95
5. Zoe Skirboll, RXA, 26.04
6. Alexandra Crisera, CITI, 26.09
7. Lexie Mulvihill, TEAM, 26.13
8. Rachel Rhee, RSD, 26.25

Men’s 50 Free – Prelims

• World Record: 20.91, 12/18/2009, Cesar Cielo
• World Junior Record: 21.75, 8/25/2017, Michael Andrew
• Meet Record: 22.13, 8/13/2010, Vladimir Morozov
• U.S. Open Record: 21.14, 7/9/2009, Cesar Cielo
• Olympic Trials Cut: 23.19

18-year-old Hunter Armstrong, a West Virginia commit representing Canton City Schools, blasted a lifetime best of 22.74 ut of heat nine to take the top qualifying spot for finals by over half a second. His previous PR was 22.86 from the 2019 U.S. National Championships last week.

Virginia commit August Lamb dropped almost a full second to nab the No. 2 seed in 23.26. His previous best time of 24.21 was done a year ago.

Matt King, the only swimmer under 23 seconds heading into the meet, was 23.32 this morning for the No. 3 spot. He is the only 17-year-old in the heat, which otherwise has only 18-year-olds.

Sixteen-year-olds Emilio Perez and Garrett Boone were the youngest swimmers to qualify for the A or B-final. Perez was ninth this morning in 23.50 and Boone 11th in 23.52, both a couple tenths off their best times.

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Hunter Armstrong, CCS, 22.74
2. August Lamb, CAV, 23.26
3. Matt King, BC, 23.32
4. Coleman Kredich, TNAQ/Brooks Curry, DYNA, 23.40
5. —
6. Liam Bell, USAC, 23.43
7. Luke Maurer, WILD, 23.44
8. Nicholas Goudie, DYNA, 23.45