2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine
- August 3-7
- William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Website (USA Swimming)
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Stream (USA Swimming)
FRIDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEET
Day 4 – Friday, August 6
- 400 Freestyle
- 100 Breaststroke
- 100 Backstroke
- Men’s 4 x 200 Free Relay
Scratch Report:
16-year-old Macky Hodges of Mission Viejo Nadadores will not be competing today. Hodges was the #9 seed in the women’s 400 free, and also scratched the women’s 100 back, where she was seeded #8. Also scratching the women’s 400 free was Irvine Novaquatics and Indiana University 19-year-old Ella Ristic. Ristic was the #14 seed in the 400 free.
Luke Barr, an 18-year-old from iNspire Swim Team, has also scratched out of day 4. Barr was the #5 seed in the men’s 100 breast, and the #2 seed in the men’s 100 back. There were two other scratches in the men’s 100 back. Unattached 19-year-old Gavin Wight was the #7 seed, and has scratched, while King Aquatic Club 18-year-old Billy Oates, the #9 seed, will also not be racing the event.
Canyons Aquatic Club 18-year-old Izabella Aname has scratched the women’s 100 breast, where she was the #6 seed. Also scratching the women’s 100 breast was SOL Swim Team 17-year-old Emily Lundgren, who was the #13 seed.
Day 4 Preview:
Day 4 will be Mission Viejo’s Justina Kozan‘s toughest battle yet this week. Kozan has won each of her 3 individual events so far, the women’s 200 fly, 200 free, and 400 IM. However, today she’s entered in the women’s 100 breast, where for the first time this week, she’s not the top seed. In fact, Kozan is seeded all the way down at 13th this morning, with her personal best of 1:11.45. It may take a lifetime best from Kozan just to make it to the A final.
The women’s 100 breast will give us our first sighting of USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler, who is the top seed in 1:06.29. Dobler swam the 1:06.29 in finals at the Olympic Trials in June, where she finished 5th. With the time, Dobler is currently #16 in the world this year. The closest challenger to Dobler is 17-year-old Denver Hilltoppers swimmer Emma Weber. Weber is seeded with a 1:08.04 and had a good race in the women’s 200 breast a few days ago.
Jillian Cox (Austin Swim Club) and Aurora Roghair (Iowa Flyers) are slated to race in the final heat of the women’s 400 free this morning. Cox and Roghair went 1-2 in the women’s 800 free on day 1, both swimming lifetime bests. They also both finished in the top 3 in the women’s 200 free, again both swimming lifetime bests.
Trenton Julian (ROSE/CAL) will be back in action in the 400 free, as he chases his 4th title of the meet. Also in the men’s 400 free is David Johnston (University of Texas), who has already won the men’s 1500 free and 400 IM in personal best fashion. Importantly, Johnston was a finalist in both those events at the Olympic Trials in June.
AJ Pouch (Virginia Tech/Team Rebel) is looking for a sweep of the men’s breaststrokes today. Pouch already won the 200 breast on day 2, and is the top seed in the 100 by a considerable margin. Metroplex’s Zhier Fan, 17, is the 2nd seed in the men’s 100 breast, and posted a massive lifetime best in the 200 breast on day 2, so we’ll be keeping an eye on him.
15-year-old Elmbrook Swim Club swimmer Maggie Wanezek, and 14-year-old Irvine Novaquatics swimmer Teagan O’Dell will be going head-to-head in another backstroke event today. After racing to lifetime bests and high all-time age group rankings in the women’s 200 back on day 2, the pair will battle in the women’s 100 back today. After both swimmer clocked large best times in the 200, we’ll be looking for the same in the 100.
Ziyad Saleem, the 200 backstroke champion from Schroeder Y, is the top seed in the men’s 100 back.
Live Recap:
WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Lilly Byrne (TULA) – 4:16.52
- Jillian Cox (ASC) – 4:16.60
- Kayla Han (RMDA) – 4:17.27
- Katie McCarthy (EDI) – 4:17.35
- Aurora Roghair (IFLY) – 4:17.45
- Autumn Haebig (HUSK) – 4:19.46
- Kathryn Hazle (NCA) – 4:19.99
- Juli Arzave (TAC) – 4:20.00
In a relatively tame 400 free prelims, Lilly Byrne of Tulane clocked the fastest time of the morning. Byrne was one of the few swimmers to post a best time this morning, touching in 4:16.52. The swim marked a 6-seconds improvement over her previous best of 4:22.03, which was established in 2019. Byrne got out to an early lead this morning, and held it through the end, despite Jillian Cox closing the gap.
Austin Swim Club’s Jillian Cox, the women’s 800 free champion and 200 free runner-up, came in 2nd this morning with a 4:16.60. Cox was well off her lifetime best of 4:13.24, and since we’ve already seen her clock personal bests in the 800 and 200 this week, we should expect her to be much closer to that 4:13 tonight.
La Mirada Armada 13-year-old Kayla Han touched just off her lifetime best of 4:16.53 to finish 3rd this morning with a 4:17.27. Han closed faster than Cox or Byrne this morning, posting a 31.22 on the final 50.
Katie McCarthy of Edina Swim Club tied her lifetime best this morning to come in 4th. McCarthy has swum well this week, finishing 4th in the 400 IM last night in a lifetime best. Aurora Roghair (Iowa Flyers), the runner-up in the women’s 800 free and 3rd-place finisher in the 200 free, was 5th this morning in 4:17.45. She was off her personal best of 4:14.70, and given that she’s gone best times in the 800 and 200 already this week, it seems most likely that Roghair will challenge Cox for 1st tonight.
Nebraska’s Autumn Haebig clocked a 4:19.46 to finish X, and advance to tonight’s final. Haebig was off her personal best of 4:14.96, but the event was also her first of two this morning. She’ll be back in the pool shortly in the women’s 100 back, where she is the #2 seed. Heabig was one of the stars of the Olympic Trials Wave I meet, but has been slightly off that form so far this week.
Kathryn Hazle (NCA), a 16-year-old, qualified for the A final tonight with a personal best of 4:19.99. The swim marks her first time under 4:20 in the event.
MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Luke Hobson (LAKE) – 3:55.25
- Trenton Julian (ROSE) – 3:55.96
- Christopher Mykkanen (NOVA) – 3:56.31
- Rex Maurer (ROSE) – 3:56.52
- Cameron Kelley (UOFM) – 3:56.63
- Ivan Kurakin (TAC) – 3:56.76
- Alec Enyeart (TST) – 3:56.87
- Luke Maurer (UN) – 3:57.86
This event marks the first time this week Rosebowl’s Trenton Julian came in as the top seed and didn’t post the fastest time of the morning. Instead, Lakeridge Swim Team’s Luke Hobson, 18, clocked a 3:55.25, out-swimming Julian by 0.71 seconds this morning. Neither swimmer was near their best. Hobson was approximately 2.5 seconds off his top mark this morning, while Julian was 6.5 seconds off his. Julian has swum significantly faster in finals than prelims all week, so we should expect a quicker swim, and an exciting race, tonight.
Christopher Mykkanen of Irvine Novaquatics was also off his personal best, coming in 3rd with a 3:56.31. Mykkanen has been as fast as 3:54.10 before.
16-year-old RoseBowl swimmer Rex Maurer cruised to a new personal best of 3:56.52 this morning, touching 4th. Maurer has already posted a big lifetime best in the 200 free earlier in the meet. Cameron Kelley of the University of Minnesota also cracked a lifetime best, swimming a 3:56.63 to improve by half a second, and finish 5th.
Ivan Kurakin (Triton Aquatic Club) was just off his personal best of 3:55.98 this morning, touching 6th in 3:56.76. Coming in 7th was Tsunami Swim Team’s Alec Enyeart, who posted yet another lifetime best. Enyeart, who impressively dropped 30 seconds in the men’s 1500 to take 2nd on day 1, clipped a sizable 1.90 seconds off his previous best with this morning’s swim.
Stanford’s Luke Maurer, the older brother of Rex Maurer, swam a lifetime best to qualify for tonight’s A final. Swimming outside the circle-seeded heats, Maurer clocked a 3:57.86, which marked a personal best by 0.61 seconds. His previous best of 3:58.47 was swum in 2019.
WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – PRELIMS
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Emma Weber (TOPS) – 1:08.55
- Olivia Anderson (AQJT) – 1:09.21
- Katilyn Dobler (TASC) – 1:09.72
- Lucy Thomas (EBSC) – 1:09.76
- Jordyn Wentzel (AQJT) – 1:10.42
- Mary Codevilla (EA) – 1:11.09
- Maggie Papanicholas (UN-IL) – 1:11.15
- Holley Dennis (TOPS) – 1:11.19
A pair of Aquajets, Olivia Anderson and Jordyn Wentzel, made it through to the A final. Anderson, 24, finished 2nd overall in a time of 1:09.21. The swim was 1.21 seconds off her personal best of 1:08.00, which she swam in 2016. Wentzel clocked a 1:10.42 to establish a new lifetime best, and finish 5th. Her previous best was a 1:10.86 from August of 2019.
There was also a pair of Denver Hilltoppers who qualified for the A final. leading the field this morning was Emma Weber, swimming the only sub-1:09 of the morning. Weber’s time was just 0.54 seconds off her personal best. She had the 2nd-fasest 50 split in the field on both 50s, going out in 32.08, and coming home in 36.47. Joining her in the A final will be Holley Dennis (18), who swam a personal best of 1:11.19 to qualify.
Kaitlyn Dobler, the top seed by a wide margin, swam a conservative 1:09.72 this morning, finishing 3rd. The USC star will be racing out of lane 3 tonight, where she’ll attempt to hold off Anderson and Weber. Dobler’s lifetime best of 1:06.29 is from U.S. Trials, and she’s currently #16 in the world this year in the event.
15-year-old Lucy Thomas of Elmbrook Swim Club came in 4th this morning, posting a 1:09.76. The swim wasn’t too far off Thomas’ lifetime best of 1:09.04. Thomas has swum well this week, participating in the Elmbrook women’s 200 medley relay time trial yesterday, which shattered the 15-18 girls National Age Group Record.
MEN’S 100 BREAST – PRELIMS
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- AJ Pouch (TRA) – 1:01.01
- Zhier Fan (MTRO) – 1:02.19
- Ben Dillard (TASC) – 1:02.50
- Aaron Parrott (SST) – 1:02.88
- Pavel Romanov (ALPH) – 1:03.03
- Andrew Benson (WA) – 1:03.22
- Hayden Zheng (AQJT) – 1:03.23
- Ivan Zhukau (TRA) – 1:03.46
AJ Pouch maintained his #1 seed, posting a 1:01.01 to lead the field by over a second. Pouch has a personal best of 1:00.36, which he swam at the Olympic Trials in June. Pouch finished 9th in semifinals of the 100 breast at trials, narrowly missing advancing to the finals.
Zhier Fan, a Metroplex 17-year-old, swam a 1:02.19 to finish 2nd and secure lane 5 for tonight’s final. Fan was also in the A final of the men’s 200 breast, where he finished 3rd in a massive lifetime best, rising to #22 all-time in the 17-18 boys rankings. Fan was just off his personal best of 1:01.74.
The rest of the field that qualified for the A final, including Ben Dillard, Aaron Parrott, Pavel Romanov, Andrew Benson, Hayden Zheng, and Ivan Zhukau, were all just slightly off their personal bests this morning. That indicates we could see a tight race tonight on the outside the middle of the pool, and we may well see a large number of personal bests.
Nate Germonprez, a 16-year-old out of iNspire Swim team, finished 13th this morning to qualify for the B final. Germonprez’s time of 1:03.76, marked a 0.74-second personal best. His previous best of 1:04.50 was swum just 3 weeks ago. The swim raises Germonprez to #52 all-time for 15-16 boys.
WOMEN’S 100 BACK – PRELIMS
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 1:01.62
- Maggie Wanezek (EBSC) – 1:01.83
- Meghan Donald (ACAC) – 1:02.96
- Charlotte Wilson (TOPS) – 1:03.11
- Amy Feddersen (UN-IA) – 1:03.19
- Taylor McCoy (COUG) – 1:03.25
- Katie Power (UH) – 1:03.44
- Campbell Stoll (EBSC) – 1:03.47
Teagan O’Dell won prelims of her race against Maggie Wanezek, swimming a new personal best in the process. O’Dell swam a 1:01.62, chipping 0.26 seconds off her previous best, which was set in June. She’s is now the #15 performer all-time in the 13-14 girls age group. Notably, O’Dell has swum faster than prelims in all of her finals so far at this meet, so we can reasonably project she’ll do so tonight as well.
Wanezek was also 1:01 this morning, touching in 1:01.83. Her personal best is 1:01.20, which she swam in May of this year. Wanezek’s best has her #26 all-time for 15-16 girls. O’Dell and Wanezek will be in lanes 4 and 5 again tonight, where we should have maybe the most thrilling race of the night.
O’Dell wasn’t the only 14-year-old to qualify for the A final. Denver Hilltoppers Charlotte Wilson finished 3rd this morning, establishing a new personal best of 1:03.11. The 14-year-old has now risen to #47 all-time for 13-14 girls, with another shot at climbing even higher tonight.
ACAC 17-year-old Meghan Donald swam a personal best of 1:02.96 to finish 3rd this morning. Campbell Stoll, a 16-year-old from Elmbrook Swim Club, also swam a lifetime best of 1:03.47. Stoll was 8th this morning, qualifying for the A final.
MEN’S 100 BACK – PRELIMS
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Ziyad Saleem (SSTY) – 55.91
- Kyle Millis (BC) – 56.47
- Michael Long (EBSC) – 56.53
- Grant Bochenski (HSC) – 56.62
- Charlie Crosby (HURR) – 56.68
- Marcus Gentry (SSS) – 57.24
- Logan Walker (NTRO) – 57.25
- Kyle Brill (CANY) – 57.31
Ziyad Saleem, Schroeder Y 18-year-old and 200 back champion, maintained his #1 seed, posting the top time of the morning. Saleem was just off his personal best of 55.54 with his time of 55.91, touching as the only swimmer in the field under 56 seconds.
Elmbrook Swim Club got another A finals qualifier, with 17-year-old Michael Long swimming a personal best of 56.53 to finish 3rd.
Harry Homans (USC) swam a 57.46 to finish 10th this morning, qualifying for the B final. Homans was the runner-up in the men’s 200 backstroke on day 2.
