2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine

SATURDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

Day 5 – Saturday, August 7

  • Women’s 1500 Freestyle
  • 200 Individual Medley
  • Men’s 800 Freestyle
  • 50 Freestyle
  • 4 x 100 Medley Relay

Scratch Report:

The first notable scratch for the final prelims session of the meet is 13-year-old Kayla Han (La Mirada Armada) scratching the women’s 200 IM to focus on the 1500 free. Han was the #13 seed in the 200 IM, and finished 5th in the 400 IM on day 3. We saw Han make a similar move on day 1, scratching the women’s 200 fly in order to focus on the 800 free. Han didn’t swim a personal best in the 800 on day 1, however, since then she’s swum lifetime bests in the 200 free, 400 free and 400 IM.

King Aquatic Club 15-year-old Camden Doane has also scratched the women’s 200 IM. Doane was the #16 seed in the event.

The men’s 200 IM also saw 2 scratches in the top 16 seeds. Wisconsin’s Caleb Aman, who was the #3 seed in the event, will not be racing today. Luke Barr, an 18-year-old from iNspire Swim Team, has scratched out of today as well. Barr was the #14 seed in the IM.

Barr also scratched the men’s 50 free, where he was the #4 seed. Also scratching the 50 free is King Aquatic Club 18-year-old Billy Oates, the #8 seed.

There were no scratches in the women’s 1500 and men’s 800 free, and there were no top 16 scratches in the women’s 50 free.

Preview:

The final day of the Speedo Summer Championships will see the 200 IM and 50 free competed, as well as timed finals of the women’s 1500 free, men’s 800 free, and the 4×100 medley relays.

Justina Kozan will be chasing her 4th title of the meet, and a sweep of the women’s IMs this week. Kozan is the top seed in the women’s 200 IM by well over 3 seconds. She has a personal best of 2:11.55, which she swam at the 2019 World Junior Championships. However, Teagan O’Dell, the 14-year-old out of Irvine Novaquatics, is in the women’s 200 IM field. O’Dell has swum lifetime bests in all of her events this week, and has won 2 events already

Trenton Julian is also chasing his 4th title of the meet, as he enters the men’s 200 IM as the top seed by over 2 seconds. Julian qualified for the final at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June, where he finished 8th. Zhier Fan, who had phenomenal breaststroke races this week, will also be racing in the IM.

USC swimmers Marta Ciesla and Laticia Transom are tied for the top seed in the women’s 50 free. It also has to be noted that Teagan O’Dell is in the 50 free field as well. 100 breast champion from last night, USC’s Kaitlyn Dobler, is also slated to race the 50.

Cristian Quintero (NOVA) is the top seed in the men’s 50 free. Quintero has been slightly off his personal bests this week, so we’ll see if he turns that around in the 50 today.

Live Recap:

WOMEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — PRELIMS

Top 8 Qualifiers:

  1. Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 2:15.97
  2. Justina Kozan (MVN) – 2:18.19
  3. Isabelle Odgers (TASC) – 2:18.33
  4. Rachel Butler (UOFM) – 2:18.91
  5. Taylor McCoy (COUG) – 2:19.01
  6. Campbell Stoll (EBSC) – 2:19.27
  7. Mary Codevilla (EA) – 2:19.59
  8. Megan Van Berkom (UOFM) – 2:19.66

NOVA 14-year-old Teagan O’Dell has done it again. O’Dell secured the top seed for tonight’s final, swimming a 2:15.97 to post the fastest time of the morning by 2.22 seconds. O’Dell was just 0.44 seconds off her lifetime best, making her the closest swimmer to their lifetime best this morning out of everyone who made the A final, except Taylor McCoy, who swam a best time.

McCoy, a Washington State senior who will be using her 5th year of eligibility this upcoming season, finished 5th this morning in 2:19.01. That swim chipped 0.02 seconds off McCoy’s previous best, which she established in May of this year.

Justina Kozan who has the fastest personal best in the field by far (2:11.65), clocked the 2nd-fastest time of this morning with a very relaxed 2:18.19. Kozan, the women’s 200 fly champion, had the 5th-fastest fly split this morning out of the top 8 qualifiers. She also came home in 32.80 on freestyle, and we’ve seen her split under 30 coming home multiple times, so we can expect Kozan to be much faster tonight.

Isabelle Odgers (USC) has the 2nd-fastest personal best in the field (2:14.98), and came in 3rd this morning. Odgers is the 200 breast champion from day 2, so we’ll look for her to make a big move on the breaststroke leg tonight.

MEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — PRELIMS

Top 8 Qualifiers:

  1. Trenton Julian (ROSE) – 2:02.15
  2. Sean Grieshop (CAL) – 2:02.41
  3. Zhier Fan (MTRO) – 2:03.78
  4. Andrew Benson (WA) – 2:04.01
  5. Nate Germonprez (ISWM) – 2:05.64
  6. David Boylan (CRAW) – 2:05.89
  7. Ben Hayes (OAPB) – 2:05.90
  8. Chris Morris (SCSC) – 2:06.11

Trenton Julian led this morning’s 200 IM over Cal teammate Sean Grieshop, with both swimmers touching off their personal bests, The pair were also seeded 1-2 coming into this morning, so they maintained their positions. As was the case with a lot of Julian’s prelims swims this week, he swam a conservative race. The 100 fly champion from day 3, Julian was out-split by 3 of the swimmers who made the A final on the fly 50 this morning.

Grieshop, who is an excellent all-around IM swimmer, was notably a bit sluggish on the breaststroke leg this morning. His 36.59 split was 1.65 seconds slower than Julian’s If Grieshop is going to keep up with Julian tonight, he’ll need to be improved on that breast leg, so he can use his superior endurance freestyle closing speed.

17-year-old Zhier Fan from Metroplex swam a lifetime best of 2:03.78 to finish 3rd this morning. The swim marks a best time for Fan by 0.78 seconds, from a time he just established 2 weeks ago. Fan, who has burst his way into the all-time 17-18 boys breaststroke rankings this week, had an incredible breast split this morning – 33.79. That led all breaststrokers in the field by 1.25 seconds. Fan had the slowest opening 100 of anybody in the top 8 this morning, so if he’s going to improve his time again tonight, and possibly move up places, he’ll probably need to speed up that front half. Luckily, Fan has done a great job of improving his times from prelims to finals, so tonight should be an exciting race to watch.

 

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE — PRELIMS

Top 8 Qualifiers:

  1. Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 26.17
  2. Lucy Thomas (EBSC) – 26.19
  3. Caroline Larson (FOXJ)/Avery Karl (EKC)/Anna Shaw (TOPS) – 26.21
  4. Amy Feddersen (UN-IA) – 26.26
  5. Maggie Wanezek (EBSC) – 26.35
  6. Laticia Transom (TASC) – 26.40

In a interesting turn of events, top-seeded USC swimmer Laticia Transom and Marta Ciesla were well off their best times this morning. Transom did still make the A final, although her time of 26.40 was 0.73 seconds off her personal best. Ciesla, on the other hand, finished 17th, qualifying for the C final with a 26.63.

Teagan O’Dell was back in action yet again, impossibly grabbing another lane 4 assignment for tonight’s final finals session. O’Dell swam a 26.17, just a hair off her personal best of 26.08. If we’ve learned anything from O’Dell over the course of this week, it’s that we should probably expect her to improve on this morning’s swim tonight, even while facing a double.

Elmbrook Swim Club advanced two swimmers to the A final, both 15 years old. Lucy Thomas finished 2nd this morning, touching just off her personal best of 26.00 with a 26.19. Maggie Wanezek, who has swum exceptionally well in her backstroke events at this meet, added just 0.02 seconds to her personal best, finishing 7th this morning.

There was a 3-way tie for 3rd this morning between Foxjets 15-year-old Caroline Larsen, Empire KC 15-year-old Avery Karl, and Denver Hilltoppers 18-year-old Anna Shaw. All 3 girls swam a 26.21. For Larsen, the time marked a personal best by a quarter-second. Karl and Shaw were both close to half a second slower than their lifetime bests.

Amy Feddersen, 20, picked up 6th this morning, swimming a 26.26. She was also off her lifetime best, which stands at 25.88.

 

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE — PRELIMS

Top 8 Qualifiers:

  1. Spencer Daily (TAC) – 22.97
  2. Jesse Novak (NOVA) – 22.98
  3. Cristian Quintero (NOVA) – 23.02
  4. Andrew Benson (WA) – 23.09
  5. Brian Lou (NOVA) – 23.10
  6. Luke Hobson (LAKE) – 23.20
  7. Mateo Parker (RSD) – 23.30
  8. Charlie Crosby (HURR) – 23.34

Just as the men’s 100 free was on day 1, the men’s 50 free has proven to be a very tight field, especially at the top. Triton Swim Club’s Spencer Daily led this morning’s times, clocking a 22.97. Jesse Novak, the 100 free champion, was just 0.01 seconds behind. Cristian Quintero, the top seed coming in, finished 3rd this morning in 23.02, just 0.05 seconds behind Daily.

Andrew Benson (University of Wisconsin) made his 2nd A final of the day. He clocked a 23.09 to finish 4th this morning, matching the 4th-place finish in the men’s 200 IM shortly beforehand.

18-year-old NOVA swimmer Brian Lou clocked a personal best of 23.10 to advance. Rancho San Dieguito 18-year-old Mateo Parker also swam a lifetime best, 23.30, to finish 7th this morning, and qualify for the A final.

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