2024 Speedo Summer Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2024 Speedo Summer Championships

• Tuesday, July 23 – Saturday, July 27, 2024
• Prelims 9AM, finals 5PM (Pacific Time)
• LCM (50 meters)
• Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, California
• Meet Central
• Pre–scratch Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream

TUESDAY EVENING HEAT SHEETS

Women’s 200m Butterfly – finals

• World: 2:01.81 – Zige Liu, CHN (2009)
• American: 2:03.87 – Regan Smith, Sun Devil (2023)
• US Open: 2:03.87 – Regan Smith, Sun Devil (2023)
• Jr World: 2:04.06 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)

Podium:

1. Hannah Bellard, MICH – 2:09.98
2. Katie Forrester, ISC – 2:12.19
3. Emily Wolf, FAST – 2:13.71
4. Carli Cronk, AAAA – 2:13.84
5. Mia Abruzzo, PWAC – 2:14.65
6. (tie) Ava Whitaker, ISC/Clare Watson, BC – 2:15.28
7. –
8. Skylar Knowlton, PHX – 2:15.59

Michigan’s Hannah Bellard took control of the championship final from the start, splitting 29.1-32.5-33.7-34.4 to clock in at 2:09.98 for the only sub-2:10 of the night. Behind her, Katie Forrester of Indiana Swim Club held off the rest of the field, touching in second place behind Bellard at each wall. Forrester finished with 2:12.19, about .7 off her entry time. Fishers Area Swim Team’s Emily Wolf and Carli Cronk from Alamo Area Aquatics traded places at 3rd and 4th throughout the 8 50s, but Wolf closed in 35.5, just a touch faster than Cronk, to take 3rd with 2:13.71.

Jenna Bridges won the B Final, taking over the lead at the 150 and coming home strong to stop the clock at 2:15.84. Lilly Mehok of Blazing Barracudas was .8 behind in 2:16.61.

North Baltimore’s Shannon Conway cruised to a 2:15.57 to win the C Final by 2.6 seconds. Streamline Aquatics’ Averie Hager was 2nd in 2:17.30, while Arianna Wertheim of Southwest Stars finished 3rd in 2:17.73. Vanderbilt’s Kailia Utley won the D Final in 2:17.63.

Men’s 200m Butterfly – finals

• World: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2022)
• American: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps, USA (2009)
• US Open: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps, Club Wolverine (2008)
• Jr World: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)

Podium:

1. Trenton Julian, MVN – 1:54.71
2. Jack Dahlgren, TRI – 1:55.79
3. Ryan Merani, KYA – 1:58.21
4. Jake Magahey, SA – 1:58.64
5. Ryan Branon, NBAC – 1:58.81
6. Tyler Ray, MICH – 1:59.46
7. David Sammons, MAC – 1:59.72
8. Colin Geer, MICH – 2:00.53

Mission Viejo’s Trenton Julian led from wire to wire and turned in his best performance of the year, going 1:54.71 to win the 200 fly title ahead of Jack Dahlgren from Team Triumph (1:55.79). Julian was out in 54.52 to Dahlgren’s 55.05; he then split 29.4 on the 3rd 50 to pull ahead of the field by a full body length. He came home in 30.7 for the win, holding off Dahlgren, who went hard on the last 50. Ryan Merani of Kentucky led the next wave; he, too, kept at bay fast-charging Jake Magahey of SwimAtlanta and Ryan Branon of North Baltimore.

15-year-old Shareef Elaydi of Santa Clara Swim Club cracked the 2:00 barrier for the first time, winning the B Final in 1:58.92 and rising to #15 all-time for the 15-16 age group. Patrick Branon from North Baltimore Aquatic Club came in 1 second behind at 1:59.94.

The C Final was a thriller, with Farmington Valley’s John Rusnock coming from 3rd place at the halfway point to with by .10 with 2:01.30. That’s a lifetime best by 1.8 seconds. Also moving past a couple of early leaders was Richard Poplawski of Scarlet Aquatics; he charged hard at the end but fell just short of the heat win, going 2:01.40, a PB by .40. Swimming in lane 8, William Miller from Cougar Aquatics lopped 2.5 seconds off his lifetime best to win the D Final with 2:02.76.

Women’s 100m Breaststroke – finals

• World: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
• American: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
• US Open: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy, Trojan (2009)
• Jr World: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)

Podium:

1. Elle Scott, MAC – 1:08.73
2. Isabelle Odgers, TROJ – 1:08.83
3. Bridget Engel, KYA – 1:08.87
4. Mia Su, SCSC – 1:09.43
5. Molly Urkiel, SCAR – 1:09.50
6. Maddie Moreth, VSC – 1:09.76
7. Grace Koenig-Song, WILD – 1:09.80
8. Mary Elizabeth Cespedes, VSC – 1:10.82

It was a thrilling finish to the A Final of the women’s 100 breast, as SwimMAC’s Elle Scott, Trojan Swim Club’s Isabelle Odgers, and Kentucky Aquatics’ Bridget Engel all came to the wall together. Scott got the touch by .10 with 1:08.73, beating her entry time by .26. The next four finishers were within 4-tenths of each other with 1:09s. Finishing 7th, Grace Koenig-Song of NASA Wildcats went under 1:10 for the first time and moved from #11 to #8 all-time in the 13-14 age group.

Irvine Novaquatics’ Angelina Chen was 3 seconds faster than her entry time as she won the B Final in 1:09.88 ahead of Bellevue Club’s Cecilia Howard (1:10.33) and NYAC’s Breeja Larson (1:10.38).

Lucy Parson of USS Destroyers won a very tight C Final with 1:11.20, edging Nitro Swimming’s Ella McQuinn by .17 and Irvine Nova’s Sofia Szymanowski by .23. The D Final went to Caroline Larsen of Foxjets in 1:11.11.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke – finals

• World: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
• American: 58.14 – Michael Andrew, Race Pace Club (2021)
• US Open: 58.14 – Michael Andrew, Race Pace Club (2021)
• Jr World: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)

Podium:

1. Charlie Egeland, AQJT – 1:01.10
2. Joe Polyak, IFLY – 1:01.58
3. Oleksandr Karpenko, SASA – 1:01.78
4. Chris O’Grady, SPAR – 1:02.10
5. Maxwell Blume, BA – 1:02.16
6. Colin Zhang – 1:02.67
7. Haru Yamagata, GWSC – 1:02.68
8. Pavel Romanov, ALPH – 1:02.77

Top-seeded Charlie Egeland of Aquajets and Yale came within .26 of his lifetime best to win the A Final of the men’s 100 breast by nearly half a second with 1:01.10. He split 28.38/32.7 to keep the field at bay. Iowa Flyers’ Joe Polyak touched out Okeksandr Karpenko from Streamline Aquatics, 1:01.58 to 1:01.78, for 2nd place, coming home half a second faster on the second 50.

Trojan Swim Club’s Ben Dillard took care of the B Final, going 1:02.25 to Cavalier Aquatics’ Jack Smith’s 1:02.40.

Lubbock Swim Club’s Gunnar Hansen won the C Final with 1:03.17. Carson Agnew of Heartland Aquatics and Trey Clervi from Columbia Swim Club tied for 2nd with 1:03.37. Austin Carpenter from Central Ohio Aquatics edged Valparaiso’s Jonah Lee, 1:03.55 to 1:03.58, in the D Final.

Women’s 800m Freestyle – fastest heat

• World: 8:04.79 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2016)
• American: 8:04.79 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2016)
• US Open: 8:06.68 – Katie Ledecky, Nation’s Capital (2016)
• Jr World: 8:11.00 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)

Podium:

1. Jillian Cox, TXLA – 8:26.43
2. Rachel Stege, ABSC – 8:30.96
3. Kate Hurst, SCAR – 8:34.17
4. Kayla Han, UNAT – 8:35.57
5. Caroline Pennington, UNAT – 8:45.54
6. Marissa Inouye, CUDA – 8:46.99
7. Adele Sands, BA – 8:47.37
8. Sloane Reinstein, PASA – 8:47.74

Jillian Cox from Longhorn Aquatics dominated the 800 free final, getting out to an early lead and never looking back. She finished in 8:26.43, 4.5 seconds ahead of runner-up Rachel Stege from Athens Bulldogs Swim Club. Cox split 31-mid to 31-high over the first 400 meters and 32-lows on the second half, to come within 6.7 seconds of her seed time. Stege was in 2nd place through the 300, when Kayla Han passed her and held the spot for the next 300 meters. Stege moved past Han at the 650 and kept the runner-up position through to the end. Kate Hurst from Scarlet Aquatics came from behind to catch Han at the 700; they flipped together with 7:31s, before Hurst came home in 1:02 on the final 100 to beat Han by 1.4 seconds and earn the bronze medal.

Marissa Inouye from Front Range Barracudas and Adele Sands from Boilermaker Aquatics, the two fastest finishers from the earlier heats, made the top-8 in 6th and 7th places, respectively.

Men’s 1500m Freestyle – fastest heat

• World: 14:31.02 – Yang Sun, CHN (2012)
• American: 14:31.59 – Bobby Finke, USA (2023)
• US Open: 14:40.28 – Robert Finke, Saint Petersburg (2024)
• Jr World: 14:46.09 – Franko Grgic, CRO (2019)

Podium:

1. Charlie Clark, OSU – 15:09.44
2. William Mulgrew, SAC – 15:12.63
3. Carson Hick, KYA – 15:14.07
4. Isaac Fleig, FAST – 15:16.33
5. Bucky Gettys, GOLD – 15:17.16
6. Levi Sandidge, KYA – 15:18.20
7. Jacob Pishko, LSU – 15:23.84
8. Ellis Crisci, TST – 15:31.36

Ohio State’s Charlie Clark let the field settle down before making his move at the 200, when he took over the lead from Whitaker Steward. From there, it wasn’t even close; Clark set the pace and built his lead, letting the field jockey for position behind him. Clark’s final time of 15:09.44 was about 18.6 off his seed time.

Kentucky Aquatics’ Levi Sandidge was in 2nd place behind Clark for most of the race, until William Mulgrew of Shawmut Aquatic Club pulled even with him at the 950. By the 1000 Mulgrew was the man to beat for the silver medal, and he held on to that position until the end. Mulgrew dropped 2.2 seconds to finish with 15:12.63. Carson Hick of Kentucky Aquatics challenged Mulgrew over the final third of the race but couldn’t quite catch him. Hick took 3rd with 15:14.07, improving his entry time by 3 seconds.

Fishers Area’s Isaac Fleig and Texas Gold’s Bucky Gettys had strong finishes and were able to get by Sandidge for 4th and 5th places, respectively, with 15:16.33 and 15.17.16.

LSU’s Jacob Pishko, who dropped 29.9 seconds in the earlier heats to eviscerate his lifetime best, with 15:23.84, and Tsunami Swim Team’s Ellis Crisci, who improved his time by 6.3 seconds for a heat win in the afternoon, made the top-8 overall with their earlier swims.