2021 Atlanta Classic: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2021 ATLANTA CLASSIC

• May 14-16, 2021
• McAuley Aquatic Center @ Georgia Tech
• Atlanta, GA
• Hosted by SwimAtlanta
• LCM Format (50m)
• Top 40 Finals: A, B, C, D (18&U)
• Meet Site
• Meet Packet
• Psych Sheets
• Wave I & II Olympic Trials Cuts
• FINA Olympic Qualifying Standards

The first finals session of the 2021 Atlanta Classic will feature the finals of the women’s and men’s 200 free, 100 breast, 100 fly, and 400 IM. Florida junior Kieran Smith leads the men’s 200 free with his top US time of 1:46.30 while IMer Melanie Margalis leads the women’s race at 1:58.75. Athens’ Nic Fink enters the 100 breast with a slight advantage over training-mates Andrew Wilson and Kevin Cordes with his sub-1:00 morning effort of 59.84 while Athens’ Zoie Hartman leads the women’s side at 1:08.67. Then, freestyler Gretchen Walsh leads the women’s 100 fly at 58.70 while WR holder Caeleb Dressel headlines his signature event at 51.92. Bluefish teen Summer Smith‘s lifetime best of 4:43.43 leads the women’s 400 IM with Rio Olympic finalists Chase Kalisz (4:16.38) and Jay Litherland (4:21.02) closing the session with their top two men’s 400 IM seeds.

Friday Finals Live Stream

Friday Finals Heat Sheet

Women’s 200 Free — Finals

• Meet Record: 1:54.82, Katie Ledecky (NCAP), 2016
• Wave II Cut: 2:00.24
• Wave I Cut: 2:01.69

Top 3:

1. Olivia Smoliga (Athens Bulldog), 1:57.04
2. Melanie Margalis (St. Petersburg), 1:58.85
3. Cora Dupre (Alabama), 1:59.61

Hitting a massive lifetime best to win the 200 free in Atlanta was backstroker Olivia Smoliga, stopping the clock at 1:57.04. Smoliga now surges to No. 2 in the US this season, coincidentally beating out the entire top 4 finishers from the Indy stop of the 2021 Pro Swim Series. Katie Ledecky sits in first place at 1:54.40.

2021 Pro Swim Series Indy: Women’s 200 Free

1. Paige Madden, 1:57.47
2. Allison Schmitt, 1:57.59
3. Emma Nordin, 1:57.68
4. Leah Smith, 1:57.81

Taking second place was St. Petersburg’s Melanie Margalis at 1:58.85, right outside her season best of 1:58.77 from PSS Mission Viejo. Taking third place was Alabama’s Cora Dupre at 1:59.61 while Florida’s Talia Bates took fourth at 1:59.97, both under the Wave II cut of 2:00.24.

Men’s 200 Free — Finals

• Meet Record: 1:46.30, Kieran Smith (FLOR), 2021
• Wave II Cut: 1:49.65
• Wave I Cut: 1:50.79

Top 3:

1. Kieran Smith (Florida), 1:46.46
2. Andrew Seliskar (Cal Aquatics), 1:47.07
3. Jake Magahey (SwimAtlanta), 1:47.30

After hitting the meet record and top US time this morning at 1:46.30, Kieran Smith swam a near-identical time of 1:46.46, staying ahead of Cal’s Andrew Seliskar (1:47.07) and SwimAtlanta’s Jake Magahey (1:47.30). Also swimming a season best for fourth was Caeleb Dressel, nailing the wall at 1:47.42.

Smith remains the fastest American this season while Seliskar shifts to No. 2 in the nation. Magahey’s lifetime best swim bumped him to No. 3 in the nation, passing Michigan’s Patrick Callan (1:47.38). Dressel now positions himself in fifth this season ahead of ASU’s Julian Hill (1:47.58) and Grant House (1:47.69).

Placing fifth was Cal’s Trenton Julian at 1:48.01, which knocks Olympian Blake Pieroni (1:48.06) and Texas’ Carson Foster (1:48.12) for No. 8 in the nation.

2020-2021 US Rankings — Men’s 200 Free (As of 5/14/21)

1. Kieran Smith, 1:46.30
2. Andrew Seliskar, 1:47.07
3. Jake Magahey, 1:47.30
4. Patrick Callan, 1:47.38
5. Caeleb Dressel, 1:47.42
6. Julian Hill, 1:47.58
7. Grant House, 1:47.69 *PSS Indy
8. Trenton Julian, 1:48.01
9. Blake Pieroni, 1:48.06 *PSS Indy
10. Carson Foster, 1:48.12

Women’s 100 Breast — Finals

• Meet Record: 1:07.25, Molly Hannis (TNAQ), 2018
• Wave II Cut: 1:09.55
• Wave I Cut: 1:10.99

Top 3:

1. Micah Sumrall (Gamecock), 1:08.47
2. Zoie Hartman (Athens Bulldog), 1:08.49
3. Melanie Margalis (St. Petersburg), 1:08.55

In a tight race for the win, the top three finishers all stopped the clock within eight one-hundredths of each other. Taking the win was 2012 Olympian Micah Sumrall, hitting the wall at 1:08.47. Settling for second place by 0.02s was UGA’s Zoie Hartman at 1:08.49, moving up to No. 14 in the US this season.

After placing second in the 200 free, Olympian Melanie Margalis dove in for the 100 breast final and placed third at 1:08.55, which is No. 15 in the nation behind Hartman. Florida’s Tylor Mathieu and Arkansas’ Vanessa Herrmann tied for fourth place in Atlanta at 1:09.78, both breaking 1:10.

Men’s 100 Breast — Finals

• Meet Record: 59.98, Michael Andrew (RPC), 2018
• Wave II Cut: 1:01.97
• Wave I Cut: 1:03.29

Top 3:

1. Nic Fink (Athens Bulldog), 59.52
2. Reece Whitley (Unattached), 1:00.53
3. Andrew Wilson (Athens Bulldog), 1:00.76

Looking sharp in the pool to win the men’s 100 breast was Nic Fink, swimming the No. 2 US time this season at 59.52. Fink is now only behind 22-year-old Michael Andrew (58.67) and improved to No. 15 in the world rankings. Cal’s Reece Whitley finished strong for second place at 1:00.53, moving up to No. 7 in the US. Fink’s time also took down MA’s 2018 meet record of 59.98.

Meanwhile, Andrew Wilson of Athens Bulldog took third at 1:00.76, well off his US No. 3 time of 59.58 from the 2020 U.S. Open. Kevin Cordes took fourth at 1:01.06, just off his US No. 8 time of 1:00.81. Alabama’s Derek Maas took 5th in the event at 1:02.41, just off his morning time of 1:02.16, which ranks No. 25 in the US this season.

2020-2021 US Rankings — Men’s 100 Breast (As of 5/14/21)

1. Michael Andrew, 58.67 *PSS Indy
2. Nic Fink, 59.52
3. Andrew Wilson, 59.58
4. Cody Miller, 59.65
5. Josh Matheny, 1:00.31
6. Alex Evodokimov, 1:00.47
7. Reece Whitley, 1:00.53
8. Kevin Cordes, 1:00.81

Women’s 100 Fly — Finals

• Meet Record: 59.06, Hali Flickinger (ABSC), 2019
• Wave II Cut: 59.59
• Wave I Cut: 1:00.69

Top 3:

1. Natalie Hinds (Athens Bulldog)/Gretchen Walsh (Nashville), 58.61
2. (tie)
3. Rhyan White (Alabama), 58.78

With 25 meters to go, Natalie Hinds was jabbing at Gretchen Walsh‘s elongated stroke as Rhyan White accelerated towards the duo. At the finish, Hinds and Walsh tied at 58.61 while White took third by 0.17s at 58.78. Both Hinds’ and White’s season bests move them up to 10th and 11th respectively in the nation following the PSS Indy final. Meanwhile, Walsh remains the 4th-fastest American this season at 57.43.

Hinds’ and Walsh’s winning time also took down Hali Flickinger‘s 2019 meet record of 59.06.

2020-2021 US Rankings — Women’s 100 Fly (As of 5/14/21)

1. Claire Curzan, 56.20
2. Torri Huske, 56.69
3. Katie McLaughlin, 57.39
4. Kate Douglass/Gretchen Walsh, 57.43
5. (tie)
6. Regan Smith, 57.68 *PSS Indy
7. Kelsi Dahlia, 57.75 *PSS Indy
8. Beata Nelson, 58.37 *PSS Indy
9. Linnea Mack, 58.48 *PSS Indy
10. Natalie Hinds, 58.61
11. Rhyan White, 58.78
12. Sydney Harrington, 58.94

Men’s 100 Fly — Finals

• Meet Record: 51.41, Caeleb Dressel (GSC), 2019
• Wave II Cut: 53.37
• Wave I Cut: 54.19

Top 3:

1. Caeleb Dressel (Gator), 51.15 *Meet Record
2. Tom Shields (Cal Aquatics), 51.55
3. Luis Martinez (UNAT), 51.75

Breaking his two-year-old meet record was Gator Swim Club’s Caeleb Dressel, touching in with a season best of 51.15. Shortly after Dressel’s swim, Michael Andrew put up a new PSS record of 50.80 in Indianapolis, quickly taking the top American time this season from Dressel. That’s two meet records making up the top two times in the nation within an hour.

Finishing in second place was Cal’s Tom Shields, posting a season best of 51.55 to rank 3rd in the US this season. Behind him was Guatemalan Luis Martinez at 51.75. Dressel now moves up to 5th in the world rankings while Shields boosts to 15th. Martinez’ season best and U.S. Open meet record of 51.50 remains 13th in the world.

Placing fourth was Andrew Seliskar at 51.81 while backstroker Ryan Murphy hit 52.08 for fifth. UGA newcomer Luca Urlando settled for sixth at 52.66, just off his 52.62 from this morning. Seliskar is now No. 4 in the US this season while Murphy cracked the top 8 US times at No. 7.

2020-2021 US Rankings — Men’s 100 Fly (As of 5/14/21)

1. Michael Andrew, 50.80 *PSS Indy
2. Caeleb Dressel, 51.15
3. Tom Shields, 51.55
4. Andrew Seliskar, 51.81
5. Shaine Casas, 51.91
6. Miles Smachlo, 51.98
7. Ryan Murphy, 52.08
8. Maxime Rooney, 52.13

Women’s 400 IM — Finals

• Meet Record: 4:33.55, Elizabeth Biesel (ABF), 2016
• Wave II Cut: 4:47.72
• Wave I Cut: 4:51.79

Top 3:

1. Lauren Poole (Kentucky), 4:42.32
2. Summer Smith (Bluefish), 4:42.53
3. Alexis Yager (Tennessee), 4:45.83

Kentucky’s Lauren Poole came in with a strong breaststroke to pass up backstroke specialist Summer Smith, setting up a race for the last 100 yards freestyle. Under the flags, stroke-for-stroke, it was Poole who out-touched Smith by 0.21s for the win, 4:42.32 to 4:42.53. Tennessee’s Alexis Yager (4:45.83) and Kathleen Golding (4:46.12) both swam under the Wave II cut for 3rd and 4th, respectively.

Poole and Smith now rocket up to No. 10 and No. 11 in the nation this season. At the same time, 18-year-old Smith now moves up to No. 29 in the all-time 17-18 age group rankings.

2020-2021 US Rankings — Women’s 400 IM (As of 5/14/21)

1. Melanie Margalis, 4:35.18
2. Hali Flickinger, 4:37.55
3. Madisyn Cox, 4:39.10
4. Ally McHugh, 4:39.11
5. Emma Weyant, 4:39.18
6. Leah Smith, 4:40.48
7. Brooke Forde, 4:40.59
8. Katie Grimes, 4:41.39
9. Justina Kozan, 4:42.05
10. Lauren Poole, 4:42.32
11. Summer Smith, 4:42.53
12. Zoe Dixon, 4:43.01

Men’s 400 IM — Finals

• Meet Record: 4:14.66, Jay Litherland (DYNA), 2016
• Wave II Cut: 4:23.24
• Wave I Cut: 4:25.99

Top 3:

1. Chase Kalisz (Athens Bulldog), 4:13.64
2. Jay Litherland (Dynamo), 4:14.94
3. Bobby Finke (Florida), 4:17.36

Breaking Jay Litherland‘s 2016 meet record of 4:14.66 was Chase Kalisz, stopping the clock at 4:13.64. Litherland settled for second at 4:14.94, just 0.28s off his previous record. Taking third behind the Rio Olympians was Florida’s Bobby Finke (4:17.36) while Cal’s Sean Grieshop took fourth at 4:21.15.

Kalisz and Litherland now rank No.1 and No.3 in the nation behind 19-year-old Carson Foster (4:13.79) while Bobby Finke moves up to No. 6. Grieshop’s season best of 4:16.14 now shifts to No.4. Kalisz also bumped up to No. 12 in the world rankings while Litherland cracked the top 20 times.

2020-2021 US Rankings — Men’s 400 IM (As of 5/14/21)

1. Chase Kalisz, 4:13.64
2. Carson Foster, 4:13.79
3. Jay Litherland, 4:14.94
4. Sean Grieshop, 4:16.14
5. Jake Foster, 4:17.04
6. Bobby Finke, 4:17.36
7. Charlie Swanson, 4:19.43
8. Grant Sanders, 4:20.98