Andrew Seliskar Scratches 100 Breast on Day 1 of U.S. Nationals

2015 U.S. Nationals

• Thursday, August 6 – Monday, August 10
• Northside Swim Center – San Antonio, Texas
• Prelims 9AM/Finals 6PM (Central Daylight Time)
• Full coverage
• Psych sheet
• Live stream link
• Live results

Start lists have been released for the first day of the 2015 USA Swimming National Championships in San Antonio, Texas, and there’s two big scratches.

The first is 18-year old star Andrew Seliskar, who has dropped one of his two first-day events at the meet. He’ll swim the 400 IM, but has scratched out of the 100 meter breaststroke, where he was the 8th seed coming into the meet.

Seliskar’s best time in the race is a 1:01.19, done at the NCSA Junior National Championships in the spring. He’s currently the 4th-fastest American 17-18 in history, chasing Kevin Cordes’ National Age Group Record of 1:00.47.

Instead in the 400 IM, while he’s likely giving up a chance at a record (Michael Phelps’ 4:09.0 seems untouchable), the battle for National Team spots and a National Championship seems less crowded.

Top 4 seeds:

1. Max Litchfield, 4:14.97 (UK/Sheffield)
2. Travis Mahoney, 4:14.99 (AUS)
3. Gunnar Bentz, 4:15.24 (Georgia)
4. Andrew Seliskar, 4:16.05 (NCAP)
5. Max Williamson, 4:16.91 (Stanford)
6. Michael Meyer, 4:17.62 (South Africa/Arizona)

The other big scratch is Minnesota’s Kiera Janzen, who was seeded 4th coming into the women’s 400 free with a 4:10.25. This is worrisome as she was a last-minute scratch from the NCAA Championships in March.

She did, however, swim well at the Pan Am Games, timing a 4:11.32 in the 400 free – the second-best time of her career.

She’s the 7th seed in the 200 free and 6th in the 800 free later in the meet. She’s about two seconds away from qualifying for the National Team in the 400 free, depending on what happens at Nationals, and while she’s ranked just 22nd among Americans in the 800 free so far, she hasn’t swum that race rested so far this year.

See all of the day 1 start lists here.