2019 Pro Swim Series – Des Moines: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – DES MOINES

• March 6th-9th, 2019
• Wellmark YMCA, Des Moines, Iowa
• LCM (50m), Prelims-Finals
• Live Results
• Psych Sheets
• TV/Webcast Info
• Event Schedule
• Saturday Finals Heat Sheet

The Des Moines PSS is finishing up tonight with the last session of finals.

Michael Andrew is back after popping a 21.9 in the 50 free this morning, while he heads into the 100 back final with the 2nd seed. Caeleb Dressel will be lurking, though, in the 50 free, while he’s also seeded 3rd in the 100 fly.

In the women’s 100 back, world record holder Kathleen Baker along with Olympian Olivia Smoliga and top backstroker Ali Deloof square off, while the on-fire Annie Lazor eyes another title this weekend, this time in the 200 breast.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE – FINALS

• World: 8:04.79 8/7/2016 Katie Ledecky
• American: 8:04.79 8/7/2016 Katie Ledecky
• U.S. Open: 8:06.68 1/17/2016 Katie Ledecky
• World: 8:11.00 6/22/2014 Katie Ledecky
• Pro Swim: 8:06.68 2016 Katie Ledecky
• Trial Cut: 8:48.09

Top 3

1. Leah Smith (Tuscon Ford) – 8:29.12
2. Hali Flickinger (Athens Bulldogs) – 8:29.96
3. Kaersten Meitz (Boilermaker Aquatics) – 8:38.98

Leah Smith pulled ahead to hit the top time in the world this year in the 800 free with her time of 8:29.12, though Hali Flickinger had a fantastic swim and chased Smith down to within a second by the final touch. The two swimmers were virtually tied for the first few 100s, before Smith pulled away but gave in a bit over the last 25-30 meters or so.

While Smith has gone the top time in 2019, she actually ranks 5th when considering times done in fall of 2018.

That’s a best time for Flickinger by over a second, coming down from 8:31.03, as she actually out-split Smith on the final three 50s. Boilermaker Aquatics’ Kaersten Meitz was 8:38.98 for 3rd.

MEN’S 800 FREE – FINALS

• World: 7:32.12 7/29/2009 Lin Zhang
• American: 7:43.60 7/31/2013 Michael McBroom
• U.S. Open: 7:44.57 7/29/2018 Zane Grothe
• Jr World: 7:45.67 8/28/2013 Mack Horton
• Pro Swim: 7:49.96 2014 Michael McBroom
• Trial Cut: 8:12.99

Top 3

1. Zane Grothe (Boulder City) – 7:54.28
2. Jordan Wilimovsky (Team Santa Monica) – 7:55.71
3. Anton Ipsen (Wolfpack Elite) – 7:58.23

Zane Grothe shot out to the lead in this one, going out in a 1:54.75. He held his lead down the race, while Jordan Wilimovsky and Anton Ipsen chased.

Wilimovsky made up some ground on the final 100 meters, but Grothe held strong, going 7:54.28 ahead of Wilimosvky’s 7:55.71 and Ipsen’s 7:58.23. They are now the top 3 swimmers in this race in 2019, with Grothe getting in at 4th including the whole 2018-19 season. Willimovsky improved upon his time of 7:56.88 from Winter Nationals.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

• World: 58.00 7/28/2018 Kathleen Baker
• American: 58.00 7/28/2018 Kathleen Baker
• U.S. Open: 58.00 7/28/2018 Kathleen Baker
• Jr World: 58.83 7/28/2018 Regan Smith
• Pro Swim: 58.96 2016 Emily Seebohm
• Trial Cut: 1:02.69

Top 3

1. Kathleen Baker (Team Elite) – 59.17
2. Olivia Smoliga (Athens Bulldogs) – 59.35
3. Ali Deloof (Team Elite) – 1:00.10

Kathleen Baker was out quick (28.2) and held on in a tight race that came down to the touch with Olivia Smoliga. The top two 100m backstrokers in the country went 1-2 tonight, with Baker (59.17) just getting ahead of Smoliga (59.35). Baker now owns the top time in the 2018-19 season in the world, with Smoliga 3rd.

Of note, showing off her range was Melanie Margalis. Primarily an IM’er and mid-distance freestyler, and then secondarily a breaststroker, Margalis popped a 1:02.69 to match the Olympic Trials cut and place 7th in the A final.

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINALS

• World: 51.85 8/13/2016 Ryan Murphy
• American: 51.85 8/13/2016 Ryan Murphy
• U.S. Open: 51.94 7/8/2009 Aaron Peirsol
• Jr World: 52.53 8/6/2018 Kliment Kolesnikov
• Pro Swim: 52.40 2016 David Plummer
• Trial Cut: 56.59

Top 3

1. Michael Andrew (Race Pace Club) – 53.98
2. Ryosuke Irie (Unattached) – 54.03
3. Grigory Tarasevich (Cardinal Aquatics) – 54.17

Finishing strong was Michael Andrew against Japanese record holder Ryosuke Irie, as the young American topped the field in 53.98. Irie finished out in 54.03, with Grigory Tarasevich right behind him at 54.17.

Also under 55 seconds was Jacob Pebley of Team Elite at 54.39.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINALS

• World: 2:19.11 8/1/2013 Rikke Moeller Pedersen
• American: 2:19.59 8/2/2012 Rebecca Soni
• U.S. Open: 2:20.38 7/11/2009 Rebecca Soni
• Jr World: 2:19.64 8/30/2015 Viktoria Gunes
• Pro Swim: 2:21.41 2016 Yuliya Efimova
• Trial Cut: 2:33.29

Top 3

1. Annie Lazor (Mission Viejo Nadadores) – 2:22.99
2. Kierra Smith (HPC – Ontario) – 2:24.41
3. Bethany Galat (Unattached) – 2:25.66

If we’re going to talk about any breaststroker right now on the women’s side who isn’t Lilly King, it’s Annie Lazor. Part of the IU pro group, and with her NCAA swimming days behind her, she seems to be getting better with each swim. Tonight was no different, as she’s 3-for-3 this weekend in breaststroke best times with her 2:22.99 win tonight, her first swim under 2:23 and a half-second drop from her old best.

She jumps ahead of Japan’s Runa Imai for the world’s top time.

HPC – Ontario’s Kierra Smith had a nice 2:24.41 for 2nd tonight, while Bethany Galat looked good in 2:25.66 for 3rd.

MEN’S 200 BREAST – FINALS

• World: 2:06.67 1/27/2017 Ippei Watanabe
• American: 2:07.17 6/30/2016 Josh Prenot
• U.S. Open: 2:07.17 6/30/2016 Josh Prenot
• Jr World: 2:09.39 7/27/2017 Qin Haiyang
• Pro Swim: 2:08.95 2018 Andrew Wilson
• Trial Cut: 2:17.89

Top 3

1. Will Licon (Longhorn Aquatics) – 2:09.90
2. Nic Fink (Athens Bulldogs) – 2:09.93
3. James Wilby (GBR) – 2:10.78

It was a great race between two of the U.S.’s top 200 breaststrokers, as Will Licon lunged to the wall to edge Nic Fink, 2:09.90 to 2:09.93. Fink came back better in the 2nd 100, but Licon was out too fast to be caught (1:02.37 to Fink’s 1:03.04).

Great Britan’s James Wilby clocked a 2:10.78 to take 3rd, while Fink’s ABSC teammate Andrew Wilson placed 4th in 2:11.70.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

• World: 55.48 8/7/2016 Sarah Sjostrom
• American: 55.98 7/29/2012 Dana Vollmer
• U.S. Open: 56.38 1/15/2016 Sarah Sjostrom
• Jr World: 56.46 8/7/2016 Penny Oleksiak
• Pro Swim: 56.38 2016 Sarah Sjostrom
• Trial Cut: 1:00.69

Top 3

1. Kelsi Dahlia (Cardinal Aquatics) – 57.86
2. Amanda Kendall (Mission Viejo) – 58.66
3. Farida Osman (Pinnacle Racing) – 59.13

Kelsi Dahlia got under 58 seconds tonight with a big win, clocking a 57.86, well ahead of the field after going just a 59 this morning in prelims.

Amanda Kendall was 58.66 for 2nd. Kendall, part of the IU pro group, was the only other person under 59 seconds, with Farida Osman of Pinnacle Racing at 59.13 for 3rd.

MEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

• World: 49.82 8/1/2009 Michael Phelps
• American: 49.82 8/1/2009 Michael Phelps
• U.S. Open: 50.22 7/9/2009 Michael Phelps
• Jr World: 50.62 7/29/2017 Kristof Milak
• Pro Swim: 51.00 2018 Jack Conger
• Trial Cut: 54.19

Top 3

1. Caeleb Dressel (Gator Swim Club) – 51.51
2. Marius Kusch (Unattached) – 51.58
3. Luis Martinez (Guatemala) – 52.17

Caeleb Dressel was 52.78 this morning, lurking back in 4th after prelims settled. Tonight, Marius Kusch, who was 51.35 this morning and within two tenths of the German national record, was out quick in 23.53 to Dressel’s 24.26.

Dressel, who looked well back for most of the race, charged back in a frenzy and wound up getting to the wall just ahead of Kusch, 51.51 to 51.58. For a meet that’s just for training, as Dressel has said, that’s a very good time for him. He’s now 3rd in the world for 2018-19.

A fully bearded Ryan Coetzee (Tennessee Aquatics) popped a 52.95 to win the B-final.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINALS

• World: 2:06.12 8/3/2015 Katinka Hosszu
• American: 2:06.15 7/27/2009 Ariana Kukors
• U.S. Open: 2:08.32 7/29/2018 Kathleen Baker
• Jr World: 2:09.98 1/29/2017 Rikako Ikee
• Pro Swim: 2:08.66 2015 Katinka Hosszu
• Trial Cut: 2:17.39

Top 3

1. Melanie Margalis (St. Petersburg Aquatics) – 2:10.88
2. Kayla Sanchez (HPC – Ontario) – 2:12.93
3. Kathleen Baker (Team Elite) – 2:13.27

Few can hold pace with Melanie Margalis on the back half of a 200 IM, and she crept into the lead on breaststroke tonight before blowing the race wide open on the free leg. She won it in 2:10.88, ahead of Kayla Sanchez (2:12.93) and Kathleen Baker (2:13.27).

MEN’S 200 IM – FINALS

• World: 1:54.00 7/28/2011 Ryan Lochte
• American: 1:54.00 7/28/2011 Ryan Lochte
• U.S. Open: 1:54.56 7/10/2009 Ryan Lochte
• Jr World: 1:57.06 7/27/2017 Qin Haiyang
• Pro Swim: 1:56.32 2012 Michael Phelps
• Trial Cut: 2:04.09

Top 3

1. Gunnar Bentz (Athens Bulldogs) – 2:01.45
2. Jay Litherland (Dynamo Swim Club) – 2:02.29
3. Leonardo Coelho (Pinheiros) – 2:02.73

Jay Litherland had by far the quickest closing speed of anyone, as expected, coming home in 28.35. Still, he couldn’t catch Gunnar Bentz, who would win this in 2:01.45.

Brazilian swimmer Leonardo Coelho was 2:02.73 to take 3rd, with Gator Swim Club’s Mark Szaranek and Kenneth To going 4th and 5th, respectively, in 2:03.03 and 2:03.39.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – FINALS

• World: 23.67 7/29/2017 Sarah Sjostrom
• American: 23.97 7/30/2017 Simone Manuel
• U.S. Open: 24.10 7/29/2018 Simone Manuel
• Jr World: 24.33 9/16/2017 Rikako Ikee
• Pro Swim: 24.17 2016 Sarah Sjostrom
• Trial Cut: 25.99

Top 3

1. Natalie Hinds (Athens Bulldogs)- 25.26
2. Margo Geer (Mission Viejo)- 25.29
3. Kayla Sanchez (Hpc-Ontario)- 25.31

After finishing 3rd in the 50 fly and 4th in the 100 free and 100 fly, Natalie Hinds picked up her first Des Moines PSS win in the 50 free. She out-touched 100 free champ Margo Geer by 0.03. Canadian Kayla Sanchez took 3rd place behind the duo.

Olivia Smoliga, Lia Neal, and Madison Kennedy all finished within one-tenth of each other in the top 6.

MEN’S 50 FREE – FINALS

• World: 20.91 12/18/2009 Cesar Cielo Filho
• American: 21.15 7/29/2017 Caeleb Dressel
• U.S. Open: 21.14 7/9/2009 Cesar Cielo
• Jr World: 21.75 8/25/2017 Michael Andrew
• Pro Swim: 21.56 2015 Nathan Adrian
• Trial Cut: 23.19

Top 3

1. Michael Andrew (Race Pace)- 21.94
2. Caeleb Dressel (Gator Swim Club)- 22.08
3. Ali Khalafalla (Mission Viejo)- 22.33

Michael Andrew remains on top with his 4th win of the meet over American record holder Caeleb Dressel. Andrew is now tied for the 2nd fastest time in the world to date behind Brit Ben Proud.

Ali Khalafalla and Bradley Tandy finished just ahead of Americans Michael Chadwick and Blake Pieroni.