2014 Bulldog Grand Slam: Phelps Swims World’s Second Fastest 100 Butterfly

 

Athens Bulldog Grand Slam

  • Thursday, July 10-Sunday, July 13
  • Gabrielsen Natatorium, University of Georgia, Athens Georgia
  • Thursday finals 4PM, Friday-Sunday Prelims 9AM/Finals 6PM
  • Psych Sheets
  • Meet Website
  • Results only available on Meet Mobile

 

Womens 200 Free – FINALS

NBAC’s Allison Schmitt is back in her old Athens stomping grounds for this meet, and she pulled off a win in the first final of the night with a 1:58.16 in the women’s 200 free.

She was part of a top four that was made entirely of current or former Georgia Bulldogs, and further, current or former Georgia Bulldogs who have been on U.S. National Teams.

Schmitt sat just ahead of her former teammate Shannon Vreeland for the majority of this race. Every time Vreeland pushed, Schmitt pushed back, and ultimately the margin of victory for Schmitt was about two-tenths of a second: the same as it was throughout the race. Allison Schmitt has been having a great season; arguably one of the best seasons she’s had in a few years. She is one of the few NBAC swimmers who hasn’t hit a season best time this weekend.

Vreeland was 2nd in 1:58.34, which is her first time under two minutes this year, and Melanie Margalis was 3rd in 1:58.96. Jordan Mattern took 4th in 1:59.60, and Becca Mann swam a lifetime best of 2:00.18 for 5th.

NBAC’s Cierra Runge won the B-Final in 1:59.82. Becca Mann won a coin flip over Runge to break a tie for 8th and get into the A-Final, but it was Runge who was faster in the evening.

Mens 200 Free – FINALS

NBAC-based frenchman Yannick Agnel is the defending Olympic and World Champion in the men’s 200 free, and as of today, he’s the defending Bulldog Grand Slam champion as well. He was a 1:47.27 to win the men’s 200 free, beating out teammate Conor Dwyer (1:47.44) and Club Wolverine’s Connor Jaeger (1:47.94).

None of the three pushed the pace early, with Agnel turning halfway in 52.1, Dwyer in 52.4, and Jaeger in 53.0. Jaeger closed strong as one might expect from one of the top milers in the United States, but Agnel showed a little different strategy than we usually get from him by easing off of the front-half of this race.

Ryan Lochte looked a little rusty in prelims after once again battling knee problems that cost him a couple of meets, but in finals things started to come together for him again. Swimming in the B Final, he was a 1:48.69, which was the 4th-best time overall. He really didn’t need to push it this morning. He knew he would get a night swim either way and he needed to be cautious before his better event, the 100 butterfly.

Women’s 100 Breast – FINALS

SwimMAC was out in force for the women’s breast; half the lanes in the “A” final were filled by their swimmers. Micah Lawrence put up a decisive 1:08.50 for the win ahead of teammate Emma Reaney’s 1:09.57. Auburn’s Annie Lazor, who had been top seed out of prelims, was third in 1:09.84. SwimMAC’s Katie Meili came in fourth in 1:10.09, just ahead of Emily Cameron and Maija Roses.

It was Lazor’s best time of the season and Reaney’s first time under 1:10 this year, but both Lawrence and Meili were about a second off their best in-season times.

Mens 100 Breast – FINALS

Nicolas Fink of Athens Bulldogs shaved about a second off his season best time, winning with a 1:01.69. He and second-place Anton Lobanov of Bolles School Sharks qualified within .19 of each other in prelims and were alone in the middle of the pool during tonight’s finals. Both went out faster than they were this morning, but Fink beat Lobanov at his own game by coming home with a strong 32-mid. Lobanov went 1:02.15 in finals, about 1.5 seconds off his 1:00.68 from Russian Nationals in May.

Michael Duderstadt of Auburn was third in 1:03.11, his best time for the season so far. Fourth place Andrew Wilson of Dynamo also dipped under 1:04 for the first time this year, going 1:03.61.

Who knew Tyler Clary could pop out a 1:06 100 breast? Especially after a 1:09.44 in prelims. The SwimMAC backstroker won the “D” final by 2 seconds with a 1:06.34. Even he was surprised. He tweeted out, “Wow, just went a lifetime best in the 100 breaststroke (1:06.3), I guess old dogs can learn new tricks?” That should help his IM. He was just over 1:12 during his 400 IM at the 2012 Olympic Trials where he bravely challenged Phelps and Lochte.

Womens 100 Fly – FINALS

As her SwimMAC teammate, Dax Hill, Tweeted after the race, Kathleen Baker wasn’t “playin” in the women’s 100 fly final. For the first time in her career, the #3-ranked recruit in the class of 2014 broke a minute in the 100 meter fly, going 59.69. That betters her previous best of 1:00.22 from the Austin Grand Prix.

The difference was all on the front-half of this race for Baker, where she split 28.29.

Finishing 2nd was Georgia swimmer Lauren Harrington (1:00.34), with Shannon Vreeland stepping a little outside of her comfort zone to clear her own personal best by a second with a 1:00.61 for 3rd place. Lauren Case of Chattahoochee Gold, the youngest swimmer in the A-Final, took 4th in 1:01.15.

There was quite an exciting finish in the “B” final as NBAC’s Easop Lee and Haley McInerny tied with 1:01.48, and SwimMAC’s Alyssa Marsh was only .06 back in 1:01.54.

Mens 100 Fly – FINALS

“Stagnant” doesn’t feel like the right word for Michael Phelps’ performances so far in the 100 fly since returning to competition in April at the Mesa Grand Prix. The connotation of the word doesn’t feel right for a swimmer ranked top 10 in the world this year.

But his times up until Friday had been flat. In his three Grand Prix meets, he’s been 52.13, 52.13, and 52.11. Today in Athens, he broke through with a 51.67: a statement swim by all accounts. That puts Phelps 2nd in the world so far this year, and makes him faster than any American swimmer he’s going to have to face at Nationals next month.
 

2014 LCM Men 100 Fly TYR World Ranking

2Chad
LE CLOS
RSA51.2907/28
2Tom
SHIELDS
USA51.2908/08
4Konrad
CZERNIAK
POL51.3808/23
5Tim
PHILLIPS
USA51.4908/08
View Top 51»
Ryan Lochte, who beat Phelps the last time they raced head-to-head in this event in Mesa, was 2nd in 53.08 – not looking nearly the same as he did in Mesa. As encouraging as Phelps’ performance is, Lochte’s is equally unnerving for American fans. With Nationals only three weeks away, a 53.0 is going to be a tough time to build on.
Queens University swimmer and NCAA Division II National Champion, Matthew Josa, fininshed 3rd in 53.64. Geoff Cheah, in one of his better swims since joining Club Wolverine a few months ago, was 4th in 53.67.
Cheah’s time was just off Tim Phillips B-final winning time of 53.64. Caeleb Dressel took 2nd in the “B” final in 54.41. That’s an in-season best for him.

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10 years ago

looks like lochte is back on time for the nationals. with three weeks to prepare i dont see any problems him making the pan pac team in at least two individual events (200 im and back).
no doubts on phelps making the team in the 100 fly and certainly all three relays.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
10 years ago

Conor Jaeger is really rocking on that 200 free ; very promising !

10 years ago

Yay for all this good news

TheTroubleWithX
10 years ago

Just read the article again…are we really sure that the 100 fly is Lochte’s “better event?” I get that he was seeded higher in that today than the 200 free, but still…debatable terminology.

Bossanova
Reply to  TheTroubleWithX
10 years ago

Hopefully his knee is healthy and tomorrow’s 100 back will be an awesome race between him and Phelps!

TheTroubleWithX
10 years ago

Zanna — Dressel is mentioned in the article.

Zanna
10 years ago

Anybody know if Dressel swam today and what his results were?

bobo gigi
Reply to  Zanna
10 years ago

He swam 1.56.40 in the 200 free prelims.
He was second in the 100 fly B-Final in 54.41.

Josh
10 years ago

Kathleen Baker is the second coming of Tracy Caulkins.

Lisa
10 years ago

Any chance of a video of MPs 100 fly?? *crossing fingers*

About Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant

Anne Lepesant is the mother of four daughters, all of whom swam in college. With an undergraduate degree from Princeton (where she was an all-Ivy tennis player) and an MBA from INSEAD, she worked for many years in the financial industry, both in France and the U.S. Anne is currently …

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