2024 Speedo Summer Championships: Day 4 Prelims 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
• Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1 |Day 2 | Day 3

DAY 4 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

It’s a similar pattern to yesterday morning’s events, with freestyle starting the day off, then a speedy 100 (in today’s case, backstroke), and ending with a 200 of stroke (breaststroke being on the menu this morning).

It is another star-studded morning as collegiate stars like Bella Sims, Grant House, Owen McDonald, and Jake Magahey can be found up and down the heat sheet. One can also find a smattering of up-and-comers. Both Kayla Han and Joe Polyak are in action today and will next month represent the United States at the Junior Pan Pacs.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2024)
• American: 1:53.61 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
• US Open: 1:54.13 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023
• Jr World: 1:53.65 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)

Top 8

1. Bella Sims (UN) -2:00.41
2. Jillian Cox (TXLA) – 2:00.45
3. Rachel Stege (ABSC) – 2:00.54
4. Shea Furse (ABSC) – 2:00.75
5. Mackenzie Hodges (2:01.01)
6. Kate Hurst (SCAR) – 2:01.06
7. Sloane Reinstein (PASA) – 2:01.84
8. Hannah Bellard (MICH) – 2:01.85

Heat 1 went to Sarah Beckman in 2:06.20. The rising senior has committed to swim for Harvard starting in the fall of 2025. Previous to today, her PB in the event appeared to be 2:07.48.

Beckman’s time lasted just one heat, though, as 16-year-old Liberty Clark undercut that time by over two seconds, clocking a new leading time of 2:04.03. The very next heat saw Kentucky’s Madilyn McGlothen record the same time as Clark, hitting the wall in 2:04.03.

Indiana’s Kristina Paegle displayed some outside smoke in heat 4 as swimming out of lane 1. The 20-year-old was out fast, splitting 58.65 at the halfway point, and held onto that speed to win the heat in 2:03.43 and take over the top time of the morning so far. Big Ten rival Malia Amuan, who swims for Michigan, was out in 1:00.01 but closed fast on the last 100 to finish just .19 behind in 2:03.62.

The first of the circle-seeded heats saw Claire Newman lead at the 100 turns, recording a split of 58.77, but Texas’ Jillian Cox took charge with just a 50 left as she surged on the backhand to record a time of 2:00.45. Cox will be looking to add to her victories, as she has already won the 400 and 800 frees. Hannah Bellard and Kayla Wilson also passed Newman on the back half and finished in 2:01.85 and 2:01.95.

Sloane Reinstein attacked the first 100, leading the penultimate heat to the halfway wall, flipping in 58.29 ahead of both Mackenzie Hodges and Shea Furse. The pair, in a similar fashion to the previous heat, passed the early leader on the backhalf of the race, with Furse pulling off the better finish of the two, touching in 2:00.75.

Sims was out like a rocket in the last heat of the 200 free. Sims wasted not effort to display her speed, splitting 57.7 at the halfway point, the only split in the field under 58. Sims would remain in front of the field and touch the wall first at 2:00.41 to take over the top time from Cox. Stege, who passed Sims in the 400 prelims yesterday, tried to do the same this morning and, despite gripping a few hundredths off her seed time, ran just short of catching Sim, as she finished in 2:00.54.

MEN’S 200 Freestyle– PRELIMS

• World: 1:42:00 – Paul Biederman, GER (2009)
• American: 1:42.96 – Michael Phelps, (2008)
• US Open: 1:44.10 – Michael Phelps, USA (2008)
• Jr World: 1:42.97 – David Popovici, ROU (2022)

Top 8

1. Grant House (SUN) – 1:48.29
2. Jack Dahlgren (TRI) – 1:49.20
3. Ivan Kurakin (TAC) – 1:49.39
4. Owen McDonald (ISC) – 1:49.56
5. Dylan Smiley (ISC) – 1:50.44
6. Ozan Kalafat (MICH) – 1:50.59
7. Luka Mijatovic (PLS) – 1:50.60
8. Silas Beth (UN) – 1:50.65

Heat 1 saw Shawmut Aquatic’s William Mulgrew take the win in 1:54.47. In a weird occurrence of happenstance, Mulgrew, like the winner in the first heat of the women’s 200, has announced his verbal commitment to swim for Harvard in the fall of 2025. For the 17-year-old distance specialist and Olympic Trials finalist, his time this morning appears to be a PB by close to half a second.

Heat 2 went the way of Alex Schwartz, who dropped nearly a second off his entry to time to overtake Mulgrew as the fastest time of the morning so far with his 1:53.46.

I mentioned it yesterday morning, but one can never have enough reminders. Have you checked your fire suppression system lately, cause heat 4 lane 8 was cooking with gas. Entered in a yard time Indiana’s Dylan Smiley exploded off the blocks and was out in 52.17. Smiley built more than a body’s length lead over the field and continued to press his advantage, and set a new top time of 1:50.44.

Heat 8, the first of the circle-seeded heats, was a tight affair between Ozan Kalafat, Luka Mijatovic, and Silas Beth, but Michigan Kalafat got the better of the other to win the heat in 1:50.59, dropping more than a second off his seed time. #3 seed Rex Maurer, who scratched the 100 back in the session, was a no-show in the heat.

Smiley was most likely warming down, but it took until heat 9, the penultimate heat for his top time to be surpassed. In heat noticeably missing the #2 seed Jake Magahey, it was Indiana’s Owen McDonald, who took charge of the race, out in 52.54 and back in 57.02; McDonald posted the first sub-1:50 time this morning as he hit the wall in 1:49.56.

The last heat was a full heat, and three swimmers pushed themselves to the top of the leaderboard. Grant House lead the way recording a top time of 1:48.29. Also joining him under McDonald’s time were Jack Dahlgren (1:49.20) and Ivan Kurakin (1:49.39).

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE– PRELIMS

• World: 57.13– Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• American: 57.13– Regan Smith, (2024)
• US Open: 57.13– Regan Smith, USA (2024)
• Jr World: 57.57– Regan Smith, USA (2024)

Top 8

1. Julie Mishler (FAST) – 1:01.77
2. Mya Dewitt (ISC) – 1:01.84
3. Claire Jansen (PITT) – 1:02.08
4. Casey Chung (MICH) – 1:02.09
5. Alana Berlin (SSTY) – 1:02.32
6. Lily Cleason (MICH) – 1:02.37
7. Miranda Grana (ISC) – 1:02.50
8. Tierney Lenahan (WILD) – 1:02.56

Up through the circle-seeded heats, the fastest time of the morning came out of heat 2, where entered in a yards time, Kentucky’s Grace Frericks recorded a mark of 1:02.57. Pitt’s Claire Jansen surpassed that mark in the first of three circle-seeded heats as she stopped the clock in 1:02.08.

While Frericks time held up for a few heats, Jansen’s time atop the leaderboard was shortlived as the very next heat saw FAST’s Julie Mishler almost equal her entry as she was just .13 away from it, stopping the clock in 1:02.08.

Surging over the last few meters in the last heat was Mya Dewitt, who got her hand on the wall first to post just the second time under the 1:02 barrier, as she stopped the clock in 1:01.84. Unfortunately for Frericks, after all the heats were completed, she fell to 9th and will miss the A-final.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

• World: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, ITA (2022)
• American: 51.85 – Ryan Murphy, (2016)
• US Open: 51.94 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• Jr World: 52.53 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)

Top 8

1.  Jack Wilkening (MICH) – 54.25
2. Steph Goncharov (LSU) – 55.22
3. Nathan Welker (YY) – 55.74
4. Ruard Van Renen (ABSC) – 56.00
5. Edward Huang (CDST) – 56.78
6. Sam Parker (GCAT) – 57.02
7. Luigi Perez Franco (TAC) – 57.07
8. Ralph Porrazzo (UPHL) – 57.18

Halfway through the six heats in the 100 back, the early leader was heat 2’s Oliver Schimberg. The AQUA of Colorado swimmer was entered with yards time but was out in 27.98 and closed in 29.76 to stop the clock in 57.74.

Heat 4 saw that time erased as Ruard Van Renen posted a new best mark of 56.00. The Georgia Bulldog attacked the race, going out in 26.89, and had a strong lead after the first 50. Closing in 29.11, Van Renen won the heat by over a full second as Same Parker finished 2nd in 57.02.

55.74 by Nathan Welker surpassed Van Renen’s time as the York YMCA swimmers was just .22 of his entry time. It’s the first time under 56 that we have seen, and with just one heat remaining, the 19-year-old should easily be looking at a middle lane this evening.

Jack Wilkening had a massive advantage in the entries and the results of the last heat showed that as he cruised into the wall in 54.25 to take lane 4 tonight in the final. Pushing him much of the way in that race was LSU Steph Goncharov, who dropped over half a second to post a new PB of 55.22.

WOMEN’S 200 Breaststroke– PRELIMS

• World: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova, RUS (2023)
• American: 2:19.30 – Kate Douglass (2024)
• US Open: 2:19.30 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024)
• Jr World: 2:19 .64– Viktoria Gunes, TUK (2015)

Top 8

1.  Isabelle Odgers (TROJ) – 2:30.15
2. Mia Su (SCSC) – 2:30.36
3. Kaitlyn Nguyen (NOVA) – 2:30.86
4. Ella Flowers (TROJ) – 2:32.04
5. Maddie Moreth (VSC) – 2:32.35
6. Grace Koenig-Song (WILD) – 2:32.41
7. Bridget Engel (KYA) – 2:32.55
8. Elle Scott (MAC) – 2:34.41

Up through the start of the circle-seeded heats, the top time was posted by Ana Jih-Schiff. The UCLA swimmer, who entered in a yard time, swam out of heat 2 and posted a time of 2:35.48.

The first of the circle-seeded heats saw seven swimmers undercut that mark posted back in heat 2. It was a very tight affair as just .2 separated the top three swimmers. Taking the win was Maddie Moreth, who stopped the clock in 2:32.35, just .06 ahead of 14-year-old Grace Koenig-Song.

Kaitlyn Nguyen stormed past the competition in heat 6 as she posted a time of 2:30.86 to overtake the lead. Behind her was Ella Flowers, who dropped .20 seconds off her seed time to register a time of 2:32.04.

1:12.40 was the 100 split for Isabelle Odgers as she led the field in the last heat of the 200 breaststroke. Coming home in 1:17.75, Odgers held off a late charge by Mia Su to go on and post the fastest time of the morning at 2:30.15. Su was more than two seconds back at the 100, but surged on the backhalf, splitting 1:15.42 to finish just .21 behind Odgers in a time of 2:30.36.

MEN’S 200 Breaststroke– PRELIMS

• World: 2:05.48– Qin Haiyang, CHN (2023)
• American: 2:06.54– Matt Fallon, (2024)
• US Open: 2:06.54 – Matt Fallon, USA (2024)
• Jr World: 2:08.04 – Dong Zhihai, CHN (2023)

Top 8

1. Jordan Willis (MAC) – 2:14.08
2. Joe Polyak (IFLY) – 2:14.87
3. Ben Dillard (TROJ) – 2:15.07
4. Grant Sanders (FAST) – 2:15.27
5. Pavel Romanov (ALPH) – 2:15.85
6. Joseph Hong (VT) – 2:16.12
7. Max Matteazzi (PITT) – 2:16.26
8. Andrew Eubanks (UN) – 2:16.51

Through the first three heats, the top time belongs to Lubbock Swim Club’s Gunnar Hansen. The 16-year-old, like so many before him, entered with a yard time and set a new PB in meters as he recorded a time of 2:20.37.

Hansen’s time didn’t last very long as the very next heat saw the first sub 2:20 times. Max Matteazzi and Colin McKenzie swimming out of lanes 7 and 1 posted times of 2:16.26 and 2:18.71.

Matteazzi and McKenzie were joined under 2:20 by 16-year-old Elonzo Santos (2:19.14) and by Stuart Timmerman, 18 (2:19.80), but weren’t replaced atop the leader boarded until heat 8, when Ben Dillard swam 2:15.07.  It was a strong swim from Dillard, who was trailing Pavel Romanov at the 100 mark from 1:04.92 to 1:05.56 but came back over the last 100 to beat Romanov by nearly a full second.

The second to last heat saw Joe Polyak surge to the top of the leaderboard as her recorded the first sub 2:15 time, stopping the clock in 2:14.87. Polyak, who swims for the Iowa Flyers, will represent the USA in Australia this August as part of the Junior Pan Pacs.

The last heat saw top seed Jordan Willis one-up Polyak, nearly breaking the 2:14 barrier. In the last heat of the session, Willis, a rising senior and Florida commit, posted a time of 2:14.08. Both he and Polyak were more than two seconds off their entry times, so the pair will hopefully push each other to be faster tonight.