2020 U.S. Open – Irvine: Friday PM Live Recap

2020 U.S. Open Swimming Championships

Session Three – Friday, November 13

Women’s 400m Individual Medley – Timed Finals

  • American record: 4:31.12 6/29/2008 Katie Hoff
  • U.S. Open record: 4:31.07 6/19/2015 Katinka Hosszu
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 4:37.34 12/6/2019 Melanie A Margalis
  • U.S. Olympic Trial Cut: 4:51.79

Top 3:

  1. Katie Grimes, SAND – 4:47.58
  2. Lucy Bell, FAST – 4:54.25
  3. Hannah Kastigar, UN – 4:56.19

Katie Grimes, 14, from Sandpipers of Nevada moved to #11 all-time for 13-14 girls with her winning time of 4:47.58. She also punched her ticket to U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the 400 IM, having dropped 3.5 seconds to crack 4:50 for the first time. Grimes led from start to finish in the third and final heat. She was way out front after the backstroke, then successfully held off breaststroke charges from Lucy Bell of Fort Collins Area and Hannah Kastigar. Grimes cranked into another gear on the freestyle and put another body length between herself and the rest of the field over the final 100 meters. Bell touched second in 4:54.25; Kastiger was third in 4:56.19.

Another 14-year-old, Teagan O’Dell of Irvine Novaquatics, won heat 2 in 4:56.58. She led from start to finish, fending off a strong challenge from Mission Viejo’s Abby O’Sullivan (4:56.85) at the end. 12-year-old Kayla Han of La Mirada moved to #3 all-time in the 11-12 age group with her third-place finish of 3:58.36.

Emma Karam of Reno Aquatic Club won heat 1 with 4:58.21, an improvement of 8.7 seconds from her previous best time of 5:06.91.

Women’s 100m butterfly – Timed Finals

  • American record: 55.98 7/29/2012 Dana Vollmer
  • U.S. Open record: 56.38 1/15/2016 Sarah Sjostrom
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 57.48 12/6/2019 Torri J Huske
  • U.S. Olympic Trial Cut: 1:00.69

Top 3:

  1. Lucy Bell, FAST – 1:00.39
  2. Sydney Lu, PLS – 1:01.19
  3. Katie Crom, MVN – 1:01.22

Top-seeded Lucy Bell, fresh off her runner-up performance in the 400 IM, won the 100 fly with 1:00.39. She beat Mission Viejo’s Katie Crom (1:01.22) and Scottsdale’s Morgan Brophy (1:01.98) by over a body length.

Sydney Lu of Pleasanton Seahawks took heat3 in 1:01.19, dropping just over 1/10. Edith Simecek of Flatiron was 2nd in the heat with 1:01.25, a PB by 3/10.

Women’s 200m freestyle – Timed Finals

  • American record: 1:53.61 7/31/2012 Allison Schmitt
  • U.S. Open record: 1:54.40 6/25/2012 Allison Schmitt
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 1:56.24 12/6/2019 Katie G Ledecky
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 2:01.69

Top 3:

  1. Bella Sims, SAND – 1:59.93
  2. Justina Kozan, MVN – 2:00.58
  3. Samantha Pearson, TE – 2:02.95

Chase Davison of University of Denver Hilltoppers kicked off the 200 free heats with a 2:06.96 from the outside lane to win heat 1.

Bella Sims from Sandpipers won the next heat from lane 1, dropping 4/10 to dip under the 2-minute barrier for the first time. She won by 3 body lengths over Claire Tuggle from Santa Maria Swim Club (2:03.54).

Samantha Pearson from Team Elite was first out of the gate in the final heat; she held a strong lead at the 100. But the second half belonged to Justina Kozan of Mission Viejo. Both she and Sandpipers’ Erica Sullivan outsplit Pearson over the final 100 meters, but Pearson held on for second place in the heat. Kozan went 2:00.58 for the win. Pearson touched second in 2:02.95, while Sullivan finished 3rd in 2:03.18.

Women’s 100m breaststroke – Timed Finals

  • American record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
  • U.S. Open record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy (2009)
  • U.S. Open Meet record:
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:10.99

Top 3:

  1. Kaitlyn Dobler, UN – 1:08.77
  2. Emma Weber, TOPS – 1:08.83
  3. Isa Odgers, USC – 1:09.38

Scottsdale’s Riley Courtney took 4/10 off her seed time to win heat 1 with 1:13.76. She was followed in heat 2 by Audrey J-Cheng of Palo Alto Stanford (1:14.17). Heat 3 went to Charlotte Rosendale of DART Swimming, with a PB of 1:12.26. Kira Hobbs of Highlands Ranch went 1:13.86 for second, followed by Team Vortex’s Meredith Smithbaker (1:14.42).

Abigail Herscu from Livermore Aqua dropped 1.26 seconds to pick up her first Olympic Trials cut in the 100 breast with 1:10.28. Behind her, Clovis Swim Club’s Mackenzie Miller touched out Claire Chahbandour from University of Denver Hilltoppers, 1:12. 76 to 1:12.97.

Kaitlyn Dobler of The Dolphins won a close battle with University of Denver Hilltoppers’ Emma Weber in the final heat. They finished 1:08.77-1:08.83, with USC’s Isa Odgers just behind in 1:09.38. 33-year-old Danielle Herrmann of Clovis Swim Club was fourth in the final heat with 1:11.65.

Women’s 100m backstroke – Timed Finals

  • American record: 57.57 7/28/2019 Regan Smith
  • U.S. Open record: 58.00 7/28/2018 Kathleen Baker
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 58.63 12/6/2019 Phoebe M Bacon
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:02.69

Top 3:

  1. Kennedy Noble, YWSF – 1:02.22
  2. Emma Karam, RENO – 1:03.10
  3. Justina Kozan, MVN – 1:03.87

Top-seeded Kennedy Noble from YMCA Westside Silver Fins won the women’s 100 back with 1:02.22, coming to the wall in the final heat ahead of Reno’s Emma Karam (1:03.10) and Mission Viejo’s Justina Kozan (1:03.87).

Alana Barthel from Aulea Swim Club eked out the win in heat 2 over Margaret McGuire of SOCAL Aquatics, 1:04.60 to 1:04.91.

Anna Shaw from Denver Hilltoppers appeared to win the first heat but was later DQd for a 15 meter violation.

Men’s 400m Individual Medley – Timed Finals

  • American record: 4:03.84 8/10/2008 Michael Phelps
  • U.S. Open record: 4:05.25 6/29/2008 Michael Phelps
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 4:11.11 8/1/2013 Sebastien Rousseau
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 4:25.99

Top 3:

  1. Keaton Jones, NEP – 4:24.89
  2. Daniel Matheson, SAC – 4:26.01
  3. Will Gallant, MVN – 4:28.32

Keaton Jones, 16, of Swim Neptune chopped nearly 12 seconds off his previous PB of 4:36.43 and posted the top time of the evening when he won heat 2 with 4:24.89. Jones got out to a 2 body length lead after the backstroke leg and never let up. He punched his ticket to U.S. Olympic Team Trials and moved to #31 on the all-time list for 15-16 boys. Behind him, Etay Gurevich of Tucson Ford and Will Gallant from Mission Viejo battled for second place in the heat. Gurevich led after the breast but Gallant clocked him on the free, winning 4:28.32 to 4:32.29.

Daniel Matheson of Scottsdale just missed scoring another Trials cut in the last heat. He led on the fly leg, trailed Mission Viejo’s Humberto Najero after the back, pulled back ahead on the breast, and took it home over the last 100 meters to win in 4:26.01. Sandpipers’ Dylan Gravley pulled ahead of Najero over the second 200 and came in second with 4:30.60.

William Bansberg of Scottsdale (4:31.40) won heat 1 after blowing away the field on the backstroke and maintaining the lead throughout the rest of the race.

Men’s 100m butterfly – Timed Finals

  • American record: 49.50 7/26/2019 Caeleb Dressel
  • U.S. Open record: 50.22 7/9/2009 Michael Phelps
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 51.65 8/1/2013 Tom Shields
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 54.19

Top 3:

  1. Evan Carlson, SUN – 53.31
  2. Zheng Wen Quah, CAL – 53.65
  3. Danny Syrkin, ROSE – 55.39

Tona Zinn of SOCAL Aquatics dropped .84 to win the first of 3 heats with 56.30. Rose Bowl’s Danny Syrkin was about 1.2 seconds off his best with a 55.39 to win heat 2 over 35-year-old Kevin Bartell of Bakersfield (56.97).

Evan Carlson from Sun Devil Swimming took the final heat in 53.31, edging Zheng Wen Quah of California Aquatics (53.65). Hunter Foehner of Denver Hilltoppers notched a PB by .65 to come in 3rd with 55.41.

Men’s 200m freestyle – Timed Finals

  • American record: 1:42.96 8/12/2008 Michael Phelps
  • U.S. Open record: 1:42.96 8/12/2008 Michael Phelps
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 1:45.92 12/6/2019 Townley Haas
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:50.79

Top 3:

  1. Alexei Sancov, USC – 1:48.46
  2. Jorge Iga, FORD – 1:49.65
  3. Grant House, SUN – 1:49.68

Alexei Sancov of USC took 1/10 off his seed time to win the men’s 200 free in 1:48.46. He was in a battle for most of the race with Jorge Iga of Tucson Ford and Grant House from Sun Devil Swimming, but Sancov pulled away and won by a body length. Iga finished second in 1:49.65, just .03 ahead of House.

Ivan Kurakin won heat 4 in 1:52.12 ahead of Jordan Wilimovsky of KSwim (1:53.55) and Clovis’s Gabriel Jett (1:53.64). Paul Rogers of San Luis Obispo dropped .11 to win heat 3 in 1:53.84. Luke Hobson of Lakeridge touched out Hayden Johnson (TAC), 1:52.68 to 1:53.02 for the heat 2 win.

Men’s 100m breaststroke – Timed Finals

  • American record: 58.64 7/23/2017 Kevin Cordes
  • U.S. Open record: 58.74 6/30/2017 Kevin Cordes/Jaoa Gomes
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 59.28 12/6/2019 Andrew Wilson
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:03.29

Top 3:

  • Brandon Fischer, LAC – 1:01.82
  • Luke Rodarte, UN – 1:03.11
  • Miguel Chavez, TE – 1:03.68

Tona Zinn opened the breaststroke with a .90 drop to win heat 1 in 1:05.68. Jonathan Reiter of Aulea Swim Club improved his PB by 2.3 seconds, going 1:05.69 to win heat 2 just ahead of Scottsdale’s Luca Gissendaner (1:06.10). Luke Rodarte won heat 3 from lane 1, clocking a big personal best of 1:03.11. Hank Rivers from Golden West was 2nd in 1:05.21.

Anthony Fitzgerald from SOCAL Aquatics (1:05.18) picked up the heat 4 win in a close contest with Brian Lou (1:05.27). They both went best times. Justin Lum from USC won the penultimate heat in 1:05.32, followed closely by Aiichiroh Shirakata from Beach Cities (1:05.53), Liyang Sun from Irvine Nova (1:05.61), and Jason Schreiber of Mission Viejo (1:05.71).

Top-seeded Brandon Fischer of Livermore Aqua Cowboys, 31, went 1:01.82 to take the final heat and post the fastest time overall. Miguel Chavez of Team Elite was next to the wall in 1:03.68, followed closely by Eric Tolman from Fusion Aquatics (1:04.17).

Men’s 100m backstroke – Timed Finals

  • American record: 51.85 8/13/2016 Ryan Murphy
  • U.S. Open record: 51.94 7/8/2009 Aaron Peirsol
  • U.S. Open Meet record: 52.51 8/7/2009 Nick Thoman
  • U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 56.59

Top 3:

  1. Zheng Wen Quah, CAL – 55.70
  2. Ralph Porrazzo, UPHL – 56.43
  3. Andy Song, CAL – 56.47

Two heats of men’s 100 back finished off the Friday night session. Zheng Wen Quah held his #1 seed to win in 55.70. Ralph Porrazzo from Swim UpHill was second in 56.43. Cal’s Andy Song (56.47) and Keaton Jones of Swim Neptune (57.00) came in 3rd and 4th.

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About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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