Grand Prix Day 2- Picks, Previews, and Predictions

Live results from the 2010 Columbus Grand Prix

Day 1 at the Columbus Grand Prix was an exciting one. On the women’s side, the young swimmers were the story of the day, as the finals were loaded with high school swimmers. On the men’s side, the Collegians fared much better, given that they are only 1 week off of their big taper meet. I’d look for more of the same on the second day of competition at the Columbus Grand Prix.

Women’s Picks

400 Meter IM

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Dagny Knutson (ASK)
• Runner-Up: Justine Mueller (MAC)
• Dark-horse: Emily Creran (swimming unattached)
• Comments: There is no way that Knutson will lose this event, but Justine Mueller will definitely put up a good fight.  Along with that, look for Emily Creran to work her way up to the A final here.

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Justine Mueller (SwimMAC)
• Runner-Up: Dagny Knutson (ASK)
• Darkhorse: Lauren Puger (Greenwood Memorial Swim Club)
• Comment: I like Mueller, a former All-American at Michigan, to use her experience in the longer distance to hold off young Knutson. Puger, who is just 14, has swum a 4:55 in SCY converted, and should be able to drop her seed time of 5:02.90.

50 Meter Freestyle

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Erika Erndl (Swim Florida)
• Runner-Up: Vanessa Garcia (PUR)
• Dark-horse: Megan Detro (swimming unattached out of OSU)
• Comments: Detro may, in fact, have the ability to take this event if she is able to get off the block quickly.  Make sure you watch out for her!

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Vanessa Garcia (Puerto Rico)
• Runner-Up: Erika Erndl (Swim Florida)
• Darkhorse: Megan Detro (Ohio State)
• Comment: Do predictions in the 50 freestyle really mean anything? Garcia, who is a Puerto Rican record holder, and Erika Erndl are my picks, for no reason other than a gut feeling. Detro, who swims collegiately at Ohio State, might be more used to the pool than some of her competition. In a 50 meter race with no turns, getting a good start can be huge, and being comfortable on the blocks could be big for her.

200 Meter Breaststroke

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Adriana Marmolejo (swimming unattached)
• Runner-Up: Corrie Clark (swimming unattached)
• Dark-horse: Catherine Eitel (swimming unattached out of OSU)
• Comments: Again, my dark-horse is coming out of a yard time seed which is somewhat a cheap way to pick a dark-horse, but she is the best one that has the chance (outside of the top 8 ) to get in there for a win.  Adriana Marmolejo has the experience and will take this event with Corrie Clark touching in second and continuing a good meet.

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Lysi Halkides
• Runner-Up: Raminta Dvariskyte (SMU)
• Darkhorse: Abigail Ortmayer (Kentucky)
• Comment: Halkides is a very fast, very young swimmer, and I expect her to have a great showing. Ortmayer, who is a Kentucky commit, is a very powerful swimmer, and she could surprise some people.

100 Backstroke

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Elizabeth Pelton (NBAC)
• Runner-Up: Caroline Rodriguez (RSCA)
• Dark-horse: Madeline Schaefer (Palo Alto)
• Comments: Pelton, I think, can take this event, but Caroline Rodriguez is going to definitely fight for that first place finish.  Madeline Schaefer has the best chance to step up and challenge for a top spot when you look through the rest of the seeding.

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Elizabeth Pelton (NBAC)
• Runner-Up: Kylie Stewart (Marietta Marlins)
• Darkhorse: Madeline Schaefer (Palo Alto)
• Comment: Pelton looks solid to take the win in this event. Kylie Stewart, a 14-year old, is the national AG record holder in the 200 yard distance of this event. We like her to step up and place and start to place in the shorter distances. Madeline Schaefer, who is officially swimming unattached, has been training at Palo Alto with Jasmine Trosky and Sarah Liang She is more of a sprinter than Stewart or Pelton, both of who are better at the 200, which gives Schaefer a puncher’s chance of sneaking into the top 2 or 3.

400 Meter Freestyle

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo)
• Runner-Up: Dagny Knutson
• Dark-horse: Justine Mueller (MAC)
• Comments: Sutton will definitely take this event, but Knutson is the obvious second place finisher.

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Chloe Sutton (Mission Viejo)
• Runner-Up: Dagny Knuston (ASK)
• Darkhorse: Rebecca Stoughton (Peoria Area Water Wizards)
• Comment: This is a loaded field, from Sutton and Knutson, down to Kate Ziegler, Tosky, Melanie Klaren from SoCal, and Christine Marshall. Such a wide open field could make for some exciting racing. I like Sutton and Knutson to finish at the top, but the question is in which order. Knutson is the better 200 swimmer, and Sutton is the better 800 swimmer. I think that Sutton takes this one. Stoughton, who was also the darkhorse pick for yesterday’s 800, is very good at the 400, and has a very good chance at moving up and breaking into the very tough top 8.

Men’s Picks

400 Meter IM

Andy and Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Tyler Clary (Michigan)
• Runner-Up: Alex Vanderkaay (Club Wolverine)
• Darkhorse: Todd Patrick (NBAC)
• Comment: Ann Arbor, Michigan is becoming the training grounds for the top 400 IM training in the world. Clary looked simply unstoppable in this race last weekend at NCAA’s, and I expect him to blow away the field. Vanderkaay, similarly, should blow away everyone not named Tyler Clary.

50 Meter Freestyle

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Cesar Cielo (Auburn)
• Runner-Up: George Bovell (Auburn)
• Dark-horse: Guy Barnea
• Comments: Barnea isn’t a far stretch for the dark-horse, but there is also no way that the is winning the event.  However, with a completely stacked field this should be a great (though quick) race!

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Cesar Cielo (Auburn)
• Runner-Up: George Bovell (Auburn)
• Darkhorse: Bobby Savulich (Club Wolverine)
• Comment: Cielo is simply the best sprinter in the meet. I also like Bovell, who is a Trinidad and Tobago National, training with the sprint-geniuses down at Auburn to have a great swim. Savulich, one year removed from the end of his collegiate career at Michigan, seems to be moving more towards sprinting events, and could surprise some folks.

200 Meter Breaststroke

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Henrique Barbosa (Auburn)
• Runner-up: Eric Shanteau (TXLA)
• Dark-horse: Lovro Bilonic (BMS)
• Comments: Bilonic is seeded with a yard time, but there is no reason that he won’t make the A finals and challenge for a top 5 spot.  The bottom line, though, is this is a race between Shanteau and Barbosa.

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Eric Shanteau (Longhorn Aquatics)
• Runner-Up: Matt Elliot (Peoria)
• Darkhorse: Alex Gianino (Badger)
• Comment: Sheanteau should have a problem winning this event. Elliot is much better at the middle-distances, and should do better in the 200 than the 100. Gianino is committed to swim for the rapidly improving North Carolina Tarheel program next year, so they must see something they like in him. Marcus Titus of Arizona also did extremely well in the 100 breaststroke, and has a chance in the 200 (although he wasn’t listed as being entered on the psych sheet in either event, as a late entry we assume he’s swimming both breaststroke events.)

100 Meter Backstroke

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Nick Thoman (MAC)
• Runner-Up: Markus Rogan (USC)
• Dark-horse: Philip Seleskie (OSU)
• Comments: Thoman and Rogan will definitely be going back and forth with this event, but I think that Thoman will be able to touch first with Rogan barely .2 away.  It should be a great race, and look for Seleskie to make his way to the top 5.

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Nick Thoman (MAC)
• Runner-Up: Guy Barnea (Cal)
• Darkhorse: Ellis Miller (NBAC)
• Comment: I like Nick Thoman to have a very good meet in the backstroke races, and his light schedule of only 3 events should allow him to be well rested and focused to swim hard in those 3 events. Barnea, an Israeli who is swimming collegiately at Cal, is really coming into his own as a top backstroker. Miller is an Arizona commit who will join a great line of backstrokers, including our Comeback Swimmer of the Year winner Cory Chitwood.

400 Meter Freestyle

Andy’s Picks:

• Winner: Peter Vanderkaay (CW)
• Runner-Up: Tyler Clary (Michigan)
• Dark-horse: Brent Hitchcock (OSU)
• Comments: Vanderkaay will definitely take this event, but I am looking for Clary to work his way up to the top 2 (yes I know this is not his event), but he is hot right now – even if he is coming off a long season.

Braden’s Picks:

• Winner: Peter Vanderkaay (Club Wolverine)
• Runner-Up: Matt Patton (Club Wolverine)
• Darkhorse: Brent Hitchcock (Ohio State)
• Comment: This is another one of those 400 meter races that Club Wolverine and the Vanderkaay brothers are so good at. I like Peter to take this one, followed by his teammate Matt Patton. I like Brent Hitchcock as my darkhorse. Ohio State is his home pool, and being able to swim both NCAA’s and this meet at home would help him keep his training perfect, avoid fatigue, and be well-prepared to hold that taper for an extra week.