Anna Hopkin Blasts 21.48 50 FR, Danny Kovac 45.81 100 Fly at Mizzou Invite

2019 MIZZOU INVITATIONAL

  • Wednesday-Friday, November 20th-22nd
  • Mizzou Aquatic Center, Columbia, MO
  • Short Course Yards
  • Live Results Link

TEAMS COMPETING

  • Mizzou
  • Arkansas (women’s only)
  • BYU
  • San Diego State (women’s only)
  • Drury
  • Wyoming
  • Oklahoma Baptist
  • Truman State
  • Nebraska (women’s only)
  • Boise State (women’s only)

The first day of yards competition at Mizzou kicked off this morning, featuring the 100 fly, 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free in this morning’s prelims session. Mizzou  sophomore Danny Kovac made a splash this morning in the men’s 100 fly. Kovac roared to a field-leading and nation-leading 45.81 this morning. Kovac swam exhibition this morning, meaning he won’t be swimming the 100 fly in finals tonight in finals. Instead, he’ll likely be putting his focus into the 200 IM. In his absence tonight, Mizzou teammates Daniel Hein and Micah Slaton are the top 2 qualifiers, swimming 46.13 and 46.33 respectively this morning. Hein and Slaton are 3rd and 4th nationally this season with their performances this morning.

Kovac went on to clock a 1:43.18 in the men’s 200 IM, leading a 1-2-3-4-5 charge by Mizzou this morning. Kovac’s time came in just .08 seconds off his personal best of 1:43.10 from earlier this year, and marks the top time in the NCAA this season. Nick Alexander was 2nd into the wall this morning touching in 1:43.47, also just off his personal best of 1:43.04. Alexander is now at #2 in the 200 IM nationally this season. The pair was followed into the finish by teammates Ben Patton (1:45.99), Will Goodwin (1:46.37), and Carter Grimes (1:47.02) this morning.

San Diego State’ Courtney Vincent was stellar in the women’s 100 fly this morning, earning the top spot for tonight with a 52.00. That time was a personal best for Vincent by .04 seconds, and gave her the top seed tonight by a whopping 1.89 seconds. Her time also stands 5th in the NCAA this season for DI swimmers. Arkansas star Anna Hopkin was the 2nd fastest swimmer this morning, clocking a 52.31, for a best time by .30 seconds. Two other would-be A finalists swam exhibition: Mizzou’s Haley Hynes and Sarah Thompson. Hynes touched in 52.87 this morning, with Thompson right behind in 52.91. Hyne’s time was a personal best by nearly a second, coming in well under her previous mark of 53.80. Thompson dropped even more, coming in way under her previous best of 54.44. Hopkin, Hynes, and Thompson all swam exhibition this morning to focus on the 50 free tonight.

Anna Hopkin went on to post a lifetime best in the 50 free en route to taking the top seed for tonight over Thompson and Hynes respectively. Hopkin blasted a 21.48 to take .03 seconds off her lifetime best and take the top time in the NCAA this season by a huge margin. Sarah Thompson posted a gigantic best time this morning, clocking a 21.81, taking .32 seconds off her personal best. Thompson’s time makes her the #2 50 freestyler in the NCAA so far this season, behind Hopkin. Haley Hynes was just off her personal best of 22.13, coming in at 22.16 for 3rd this morning.

Nebraska picked up a top seed for finals tonight, with senior Victoria Beeler finishing first this morning with a 2:00.03. Beeler was a second off her lifetime best, which sits at 1:59.02 from back in February of 2018 (2018 Big Tens). Arkansas’ Peyton Palsha was a dominant force in teh women’s 500 free this morning, racing to a 4:41.29 to take the top seed for tonight by 4 seconds. Palsha scared her best time this morning, coming in well within a second of her top mark of 4:40.54, which she swam at SECs back in February. The time puts Palsha 4th in the NCAA this season, sitting .13 seconds off #3 Isabela Patino (4:41.16) going into tonight. Paige Madden holds the top mark this season at 4:38.67 currently.

Mizzou had another big finish in the men’s 500 free, touching 1-2-3 this morning. Jack Dubois swam a 4:17.89 to finish first this morning. That time makes Dubois the fastest 500 freestyler in the NCAA so far this season, unseating UVA freshman Jack Walker (4:18.46). Jack Dahlgren was 2nd this morning in 4:22.38, with teammate Giovanny Lima right behind in 4:22.99.

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RenéDescartes
4 years ago

For the love of Caeleb Dressel, put the splits on the live results link.

2 Cents
Reply to  RenéDescartes
4 years ago

Haha, I see what you did there… God=Caeleb Dressel…. love it!

2Cents
4 years ago

Noooo these times don’t count… she was probably wearing a suit so it shouldn’t count. She’s just wasting her season because if you wear a suit and it’s not the olympics then you will swim slower at the end of the year… at least that’s what a large part of you commenters believe….

Wow
Reply to  2Cents
4 years ago

If you wear a tech suit all season you obviously aren’t going to drop much at the end of the year…. especially compared to most people who swim most meets unsuited and have significant drops at the big meets

Frank the Tank
Reply to  2Cents
4 years ago

The intellectually stunted are caught up in times that are slightly faster than average and are lackluster compared to end of the season times. The suits have nothing to do with times. Grevers needed to create a buzz around the program to make everyone forget that Mizzou lost one of the best coaching staffs the nation. Guess what? You have been playing his game.

Swimmuh
4 years ago

I’m glad hopkin is bringing attention to an overlooked arkansas program, amidst SEC powers like Florida, Mizzou, TAMU, TN, etc.

Sapnu puas
4 years ago

Omg miss Hopkin has come to slay

Bambi
Reply to  Sapnu puas
4 years ago

She fast but not so fast as Erika Downtown Brown…Grrrr bring her on I says

Jeff
4 years ago

Might be GBs biggest medal contender on the women’s side for the olympics next year. Could be good for the mixed medley relay as well because we need someone who can split well to keep up with the Americans and Australians.

Jeff
Reply to  Jeff
4 years ago

Not trying to throw shade at Freya Anderson. Just suggesting that I don’t think that she would split as well as Anna by next year and anyway she would probably still get a swim in prelims.

Dee
Reply to  Jeff
4 years ago

Two proven 52s split swimmers is a real luxury. The boys have been carrying the team for a while now – It’s just nice to have some female swimmers with realistic finals chances coming through.

Jeff
Reply to  Dee
4 years ago

Give Tamryn Van Selm a couple of years to grow up. Get O Connor into good shape again. Keep Anderson and Hopkin consistent. If Great Britain can do all of then they have a pretty solid relay to work with.

Dee
Reply to  Jeff
4 years ago

Big ask, but long term we have a nice crop with potential. Van Selm’s teammate, Evelyn Davis, looks every bit as good as Van Selm for me – She has a beautiful long stroke and a lot of speed. I expect her to catch up with Van Selm in the 100 next year.

I noticed so far this SCM season we have had five young girls, all born 2004-2006, within a few tenths of the national junior SCM 50 free record. We’re making great strides in the sprint free events, with both men and women, and having swimmers like Hopkin to look up to will be invaluable.

Coach in UK
Reply to  Dee
4 years ago

GB has had good young female swimmers “coming up” for years and British Swimming generally manages to screw them up. Freya is the exception while Anna has thrived because she’d been ignored most of life and allowed to improve in the environments that worked for her. To often BS has forced teenage girls out of their home clubs and then screwed their careers. Word is they’ve stepped in again with Tamryn. Why not let kids continue to develop in programs that got them to where they are? Let them make the choice to move to a senior program when they are actually ready. You know, kind of like high school kids moving on to the University system in the US.… Read more »