2017 Santa Clara PSS: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2017 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES – SANTA CLARA

• Thursday, June 1st-Sunday, June 4th
• 50-Meter Course
• Prelims 9 am/Finals 5 pm (PST)
• Santa Clara, California
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Live Results

The 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series at Santa Clara continues tonight at the George F. Haines Aquatic Center in Santa Clara, California. Swimmers are slated to compete in the 200 fly, 100 breast, 100 back, 200 IM, women’s 800 free, and men’s 1500 free. Several stars headline tonight’s action, including Olympians Ryan Murphy, Madisyn Cox, Chase Kalisz, Kevin Cordes, and more. Read on for live updates of tonight’s events.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY:

1. Katie McLaughlin– 2:10.35
2. Lauren Case– 2:10.80
3. Remedy Rule– 2:11.41

Cal’s Katie McLaughlin (2:10.35) built a sizeable lead on the front half with a 1:01.35 opening split. She started to fade on the last 50 with a 35.00, but was still able to hold off a late charge by Texas’ Lauren Case (2:10.80) who closed in 33.94. Taking bronze was Case’s teammate Remedy Rule in 2:11.41.

MEN’S 200 FLY:

1. Chase Kalisz– 1:56.60
2. Pace Clark– 1:56.75
3. Jack Conger– 1:58.44

Georgia’s Pace Clark set the pace ahead of teammate Chase Kalisz through the front half, but Kalisz made his move on the 3rd 50. The 2 swimmers were in a dead heat down the stretch, but Kalisz was able to get his hand to the wall faster at the finish, winning in 1:56.60 to Clark’s 1:56.75.

Texas’ Jack Conger used his back half speed to run down Cal’s Mike Thomas (1:58.54), catching him on the last 50 and taking bronze with his 1:58.45.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST:

1. Macarena Ceballos– 1:08.02
2. Riley Scott– 1:09.00
3. Marina Garcia– 1:09.29

Argentinian breaststroker Macarena Ceballos took down her own National Record tonight, dominating the final with a 1:08.02. That cleared the former mark, which she’d set at 1:08.03 earlier this season, by a hundredth. She’s now brought it down by nearly half a second since March.

MEN’S 100 BREAST:

1. Kevin Cordes– 1:00.61
2. Nic Fink– 1:00.70
3. Michael Andrew– 1:01.46

After missing the podium in the 200 breast, Kevin Cordes bounced back to win gold tonight. Cordes was out in a quick 28.39, and held off a hard-charging Nic Fink on the back half to touch 1st in 1:00.61 to Fink’s 1:00.70. Behind them, Michael Andrew and Will Licon battled it out for the bronze. Licon came from behind to nearly catch Andrew at the finish, but Andrew took the bronze by a nail in 1:01.46 to Licon’s 1:01.58.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK:

1. Kylie Masse– 1:00.34
2. Regan Smith– 1:01.01
3. Caroline Baldwin– 1:01.15

Canadian backstroke star Kylie Masse (1:00.34), the Olympic bronze medalist in this race, took off on the back half to outpace age group phenom Regan Smith (1:01.01). UNC’s Caroline Baldwin (1:01.15) used her front half speed to take the edge over Cal’s Amy Bilquist (1:01.60) and Canada’s Hilary Caldwell (1:01.85) in the race for the final podium spot.

MEN’S 100 BACK:

1. Ryan Murphy– 53.48
2. Matt Grevers– 53.90
3. Grigory Tarasevich– 54.16

Cal’s Ryan Murphy busted out a season best time of 53.48, leading the race from start to finish. Murphy now moves up to #6 in the world rankings, just a hundredth ahead of Justin Ress’ performance at Charlotte UltraSwim. Team USA veteran Matt Grevers was the only other man to break 54 tonight, clocking in at 53.90 to take silver.

Murphy’s teammate Jacob Pebley (55.02) was just off the podium, taking 4th behind Russian Olympian Grigory Tarasevich (54.16).

WOMEN’S 200 IM:

1. Madisyn Cox– 2:11.56
2. Siobhan Haughey– 2:12.10
3. Emma Barksdale– 2:15.78

Texas’ Madisyn Cox completed her IM sweep with a victory in the 200 IM tonight. She was neck-and-neck with Siobhan Haughey through the backstroke leg, but really took off on the breaststroke leg. At the finish, Cox touched 1st in 2:11.56, while Haughey made up some ground to take silver in 2:12.10.

MEN’S 200 IM:

1. *(T-1)* Michael Andrew– 2:00.48
2. (T-1)* Jay Litherland– 2:00.48
3. Michael Weiss– 2:02.12

Georgia’s Jay Litherland landed once again on top of the podium, but this time he shared that spot with age group star Michael Andrew. The 2 swimmers traded the lead throughout the race. Andrew took the lead on fly, while Litherland outpaced him to touch first after the backstroke leg. Andrew once again took the lead on the breaststroke leg, but Litherland made big moves on the freestyle leg. At the finish, they touched simultaneously, as both won gold with a pair of 2:00.48s.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE:

1. Cierra Runge– 8:29.27
2. Mackenzie Padington– 8:34.42
3. Kristel Kobrich– 8:34.75

Wisconsin’s Cierra Runge moved up to #12 in the world with her winning time of 8:29.27. She was 5 seconds faster than anyone else, as Mackenzie Padington (8:34.42) and Kristel Kobrich (8:34.75) rounded out the podium in a pair of 8:34s.

MEN’S 1500 FREE:

1. Marcelo Acosta– 15:14.03
2. Shogo Takeda– 15:17.23
3. Shingo Nakaya– 15:17.24

Louisville’s Marcelo Acosta turned in a season best 15:14.03 to finish body lengths ahead of the field. A tight race behind him saw 3 men finish in the 15:17-range. Shingo Nakaya was well ahead for silver until Shogo Takeda and Ricardo Vargas made a late charge with 27 splits on the final 50. At the touch, Takeda (15:17.23) successfully ran Nakaya down for silver. Nakaya (15:17.24) was just a hundredth shy of 2nd, but managed to hold off Vargas (15:17.83) for 3rd.