Dwyer Posts Surprise Lifetime Best; Cordes Makes LC Debut on Friday Morning

Day 2’s prelims session at the 2013 Santa Clara Grand Prix started off with perhaps the two best races of the meet: the men’s and women’s 100 freestyles, and California Aquatics’ Natalie Coughlin continued to show good things in her new freestyle-focus.

Coughlin took the top seed in the women’s 100 meter free with a 54.93, followed by future Cal Bear Missy Franklin, who was 55.13.

Those two will both likely be able to drop some in finals, if history serves, and they should be challenged by Georgia’s Megan Romano and Australian 18-year old Brittany Elmslie, who tied for 3rd in 55.32.

Elsmlie made the A-Final, while her countrymates Ellese Zalewski (55.78) and Emily Seebohm (55.84) slid down to a B-Final that will be just as yoked, with names like Olympians Dana Vollmer, Shannon Vreeland, Jessica Hardy, and Chantal van Landeghem (Canada) all down there as well.

Lia Neal made the C-Final in 56.63.

In the men’s race, a surprising Conor Dwyer took the top seed in 49.59, with Nathan Adrian (49.61) and Jimmy Feigen (49.82) not too far behind.

That’s Dwyer’s first time ever under 50 seconds in this event. He’s been training with Bob Bowman at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for the last two weeks; this is something we often saw from Phelps training with Bowman, coming down from altitude and putting up really good times. That’s a phenomenal swim, and maybe gives him some credibility as a member of the 400 free relay for this summer’s World Championships.

Ryan Lochte is the 6th seed headed into finals in 50.05, which is a solid swim for him as well.

The World Record holder Cesar Cielo from Brazil didn’t swim this race, but two of his teammates made the A-Final: Nicolas Oliveira (49.83) and Fernando dos Santos (50.43.)

Anthony Ervin and Matt Grevers sit 5th and 9th, respectively.

Later in the session, Dwyer would take the 2nd seed in a more traditional event for him: the 400 free. There, he was a 3:53.38 to sit 2nd behind Canadian Ryan Cochrane, who in 3:49.81 had a better swim than he did in the 800 on Thursday night. Behind Dwyer in the 3-4-5 positions are a trio of Michigan-based swimmers: Connor Jaeger, Club Wolverine post-grad Michael Klueh, and Anders Nielsen. All were 3:53’s.

In the women’s 200 breaststroke, Olympian Micah Lawrence took the top seed in 2:28.32. This is a race where the Americans haven’t been as good in-season as some of their counterparts this year. Kaitlin Freeman was 2nd seed in 2:29.11, Canadian Martha McCabe sits 3rd in 2:29.15, and Laura Sogar was 4th in 2:29.81.

Caitlin Leverenz, who along with Lawrence and Sogar is expected to be a big contender this summer, is the 5th seed in 2:30.01. Annie Zhu was 6th in 2:30.25.

The American-leader this season is Andrea Kropp at a 2:27.0, and there have been a few 2:27’s in the last month, so expect times to get down a little bit in the final.

The top seed in the men’s 200 breast went to Arizona’s Kevin Cordes, who was a 2:12.99. That’s easily the fastest he’s been in-season (by a second-and-a-half), despite what Arizona sources described as him being in heavy training. His swims, being the first in long course since his record-crushing NCAA Championship meet, probably have the biggest global impact, and this is an impressive first sign. With that swim, and his typically big taper, a 2:09 or 2:08 are well within reach for the summer.

New Zealand’s Glenn Snyders is the 2nd seed in 2:14.35 (he’s training at Trojan with Dave Salo), and Mike Alexandrov sits 3rd in 2:15.49. Alexandrov, who in long course has always been a better 100 than 200 breaststroke, would probably be happy if he can get under a 2:15 in finals.

Chase Kalisz took the 4th seed in 2:15.55, followed by American Olympian Clark Burckle (2:16.36) and Canadian National Champion Richard Funk (2:16.80.)

The other American Olympian, Scott Weltz, was 10th in prelims in 2:18.70.

Nothing too special happened in prelims of the 100 fly; the World Record holder Dana Vollmer took the top seed in 58.77, with Greece’s Kristel Vourna in 2nd with a 59.69. The only other two under a minute were USC sophomore-to-be Kendyl Stewart in 59.71, and Canadian Audrey Lacroix in 59.83. In total, four countries were in the top six prelims swimmers: this is why the meet is called the “Santa Clara International.”

And finally, the session ended with the men’s 100 fly, where Ryan Lochte swam a 52.69 – another surprisingly-fast Florida swim. That mark is within a second of the time he went at Trials last year, and is easily the fastest that he’s been in 2013. Lochte has talked about disappointment in his results after the last few meets (he didn’t swim the 100 fly in Canada last weekend), but it seems as though he might be singing a more positive tone after his early results in Santa Clara. The Gator guys, at least, may have gotten a little bit of a training reprieve with all of the travel.

Lochte wore a jammer, in stead of his usual brief, so this could be a bit of a “test-and-see” meet for him a month out of Worlds Trials.

Kenya’s Jason Dunford is the 2nd seed in 52.72, just behind Lochte, and Eugene Godsoe is 3rd in 53.31. Giles Smith (53.40) and Nico van Duijn from Switzerland (53.51) were the top collegiate finishers.

Full, live meet results available here. (Should be working now after technical glitches earlier in the session.)

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Jg
10 years ago

That is Ellese Zalewski’s best 100 free time ever or at least since 2007 . So coach Troy must be doing something right. A long climb back but it shows the program works if a swimmer has X & puts in Y= Z.

Josh
Reply to  Jg
10 years ago

Florida has a knack at taking girls who were junior champions believed to be past their prime and bringing them back better than ever. Gemma Spofforth and Stephanie Proud are two examples of this, and now you have Zalewski who all but disappeared after the age of 15, and now has three PBs 25.55/1:59.33/55.25 from an inseason meet with the focus meet for Gator internationals not going to Worlds (The US Open) yet to come.

Her rise has great timing too, because she will be a senior this year. Gators traditionally do better at long course after they finish NCAA competition, so she will have a solid two year block of straight up long course training to work towards a… Read more »

10 years ago

Locthe 52.29 Mcgill 52.42

10 years ago

Anybody know how the men’s 100 fly went? specifically Lynch, Lochte, Shields, and Mcgill

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Devan
10 years ago

Lochte won in 52.4 I think, McGill second.

Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Thanks man. Do you know how lynch did?

Reply to  Devan
10 years ago

53,93 Lynch

Reply to  Rafael Teixeira
10 years ago

Hm… I hope he’s not tapered for this at all

Philip Johnson
10 years ago

3:46.93 new PB for Jaeger, he’s looking real good.

Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Still need to drop 3 seconds at least to have a medal chance.. let´s see Trials..

Jean Michel
10 years ago

Adrian looked fast , powerfull and can drop more before this summer . Sogar and Cordes , great wins too .

pvk
10 years ago

.03 off Cordes’s lifetime best. Maybe 2:08 this summer…

Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Cordes 2:10.95, nothing amazing, but he’s making strides.

Philip Johnson
Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

not to underplay the swim, just relative to what the world is swimming.

NextLevelSwim
Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

It’s Cordes’ first LC meet of the summer – not exactly the trials that the rest of the world has had already. I’ll go ahead and call 2:05 this summer.

Philip Johnson
Reply to  NextLevelSwim
10 years ago

you are aware the world record is 2:07 right? Let’s see if he can break 2:10 first before we spout out ridiculous numbers.

NextLevelSwim
Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Are you aware how ridiculous 1:48.6 and a 49.5 relay split are?

I like breast
Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Ill I ahead and call WR. His taper drops can take are of a second per 50

Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Are you aware that SCY it different from LCM?? VERY DIFFERENT…

Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

Cordes has historically swam as well in Long course as he does in Short course. Search his times for the last several years. If he continues his general pattern from year to year, he will swim a 2:07.9. And I’m not doing the swim calculator.

Klorn8d
Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

At PAC 12s cordes was 1:52.9 in the 200 breast probably without a lot of rest. Probably at a similar spot he was 10.9 so when he tapers in about month logic suggests he goes a 2:06 with a 4 second drop like e had at NCAAs

Reply to  Philip Johnson
10 years ago

When cordes swam a 1:51 last year, he then swam a 2:10.9 in long course. With his 1:48 this year, I would expect a 2:07.9. He has pretty much always followed similar patterns.

jean Michel
10 years ago

Yeahh , Adrian is really going well ! he didn’t make it too tough here . he has defenetly a 47 high for this summer in him . Caughlin’s turn was just fantastic , she has such a long underwater …..Gosh !

Philip Johnson
Reply to  jean Michel
10 years ago

It’s Coughlin not Caughlin. 47 high is a given for Adrian, I think the question is if he can repeat that 47 mid or go lower.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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