2024 FRAN CRIPPEN SWIM MEET OF CHAMPIONS
- April 11-14, 2024
- Marguerite Aquatic Center, Mission Viejo, CA
- Hosted by Mission Viejo Nadadores
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Information
- Livestream
- Live Results available via Meet Mobile: “2024 CA MVN Fran Crippen SMOC”
The third night of the 2024 Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions was a stacked one. The likes of Ryan Murphy, Katie Grimes, and Claire Weinstein were among the competitors in the pool tonight, where we saw finals of the 50 breaststroke, 200 freestyle, 200 backstroke, 50 butterfly, and 400 IM contested.
The women’s 200 free opened the night, where reigning National Champion Claire Weinstein posted a wire-to-wire win. She opened through the first 50m in 28.19 before splitting 29.81, 30.31, and 30.20 on the remaining three 50s. Weinstein’s final time of 1:58.51 was just shy of her season-best 1:58.08 from last month’s Westmont Pro Swim Series stop. Her best time of 1:55.26 was notched during June’s U.S. World Championship Trials, where she out-touched Katie Ledecky by 0.02.
Stanford freshman Rex Maurer topped the men’s 200 free final in a time of 1:49.98. Maurer represented Team USA last summer at the European U23 Championships, where he walked away with a bronze and a personal best time in the 400 freestyle (3:47.63). He represented the only sub-1:50 swimmer in the final, with rising Canadian star Laon Kim, who is still just 15, touching in 1:51.25 for 2nd place. Kim has been as quick as 1:49.62 in this 200m free event.
Maurer added a 2nd win in the men’s 400 IM, where he finished in 4:20.07 to just miss his lifetime standard of 4:19.10. Krzysztof Chmielewski, who collected a silver medal in the 200 fly at the 2023 World Championships, checked-in at 4:24.61 for runner-up status.
Isabelle Stadden got off to a fast start in the women’s 200 back, leading from start to finish. She hit the wall in a time of 2:08.84 to outpace World Junior Champion Teagan O’Dell (2:09.20) by about half a second. 17-year-old O’Dell, a Cal commit, was just over a second shy of her lifetime best (2:08.09) from September, which bodes well for the upcoming Olympic Trials in a few months time.
Splits Comparison:
| Isabelle Stadden: | Teagan O’Dell: | |
| First 50 | 30.08 | 30.38 |
| Second 50 | 1:02.20 (32.12) | 1:03.23 (32.85) |
| Third 50 | 1:35.26 (33.06) | 1:36.48 (33.25) |
| Final 50 | 2:08.84 (33.58) | 2:09.20 (32.72) |
The men’s 200 back was taken out by Cal freshman Keaton Jones, who unleashed a time of 1:57.06 to take down 2016 Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy. Jones’ swim was slightly slower than his prelim effort of 1:56.79, which represented a new best time by 0.14. Murphy’s 2nd place time was 1:57.50, a new season-best for the veteran.
This is not the first time that Jones was able to out-duel Murphy at an in-season meet, as the two posted almost identical results at the Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series stop last May. Jones won that race in 1:57.04, just 0.02 slower than he was in tonight’s final, while Murphy posted the exact same 1:57.50 result.
Splits Comparison:
| Keaton Jones‘ New Best Time in Prelims: | Keaton Jones in Finals: | Ryan Murphy in Finals: | |
| First 50 | 27.89 | 27.74 | 28.02 |
| Second 50 | 56.91 (29.02) | 57.26 (29.52) | 58.04 (30.02) |
| Third 50 | 1:26.79 (29.88) | 1:27.18 (29.92) | 1:28.23 (30.19) |
| Final 50 | 1:56.79 (30.00) | 1:57.06 (29.88) | 1:57.50 (29.27) |
The women’s 400 IM, Katie Grimes posted the 2nd fastest time in the world so far this season. She punched a final time of 4:32.45 to come less than a second shy of her best time (4:31.41) from July’s World Championship meet, where she earned the silver medal. Of note, Grimes was 4:31.81 at this meet last year to scare Katie Hoff‘s legendary 2008 American record of 4:31.12.
Grimes’ back split of 1:07.27 and free split of 1:00.62 was faster than she clocked in the World Championship final.
Splits Comparison:
| Katie Grimes‘ Winning Time: | Katie Grimes‘ Best Time From The 2023 World Championships: | |
| 50m | 28.73 | 28.49 |
| 100m | 1:01.49 (32.76) | 1:00.38 (31.89) |
| 150m | 1:35.47 (33.98) | 1:34.80 (34.42) |
| 200m | 2:08.76 (33.29) | 2:08.20 (33.40) |
| 250m | 2:50.08 (41.32) | 2:49.01 (40.81) |
| 300m | 3:31.83 (41.75) | 3:30.38 (41.37) |
| 350m | 4:02.62 (30.79) | 4:01.39 (31.01) |
| 400m | 4:32.45 (29.83) | 4:31.41 (30.02) |
*Note: the World Rankings will take a bit to update:
2023-2024 LCM Women 400 IM
McINTOSH
4:24.34 WR
| 2 | Kaylee MCKEOWN | AUS | 4:28.22 | 04/18 |
| 3 | Katie GRIMES | USA | 4:32.45 | 04/13 |
| 4 | Freya Colbert | GBR | 4:34.01 | 04/04 |
| 5 | Anastasia GORBENKO | ISR | 4:34.87 | 06/01 |
46-year-old Gabby Rose touched the wall in 31.92 to win the women’s 50 breast. Rose, who attended Stanford University, helped Team USA to a world title in the 4×100 free relay at the 2003 World Championships. SwimSwam caught up with Rose last December when she qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials, and you can listen to the full podcast episode here.
In the men’s 50 breast, 27-year-old Ben Cono (28.19) touched the wall just 0.07 ahead of newly-minted NCAA 100-yard breast record holder Liam Bell (28.26). Cono’s best time in this sprint distance stands at 27.87 from the 2021 U.S. Olympic Trials, which was recorded en route to placing 7th in the 100 breast prelims. He ultimately placed 7th in the Olympic Trials final, but his best time of 1:00.18 was produced during the heats. Bell’s lifetime best is 27.60 from the 2022 U.S. International Team Trials.
Cal representative Morgan Brophy touched 1st in the women’s 50 fly (27.00). She obliterated her previous best time of 28.14 in prelims with a time of 27.16. 18-year-old Edward Huang scored the only sub-25 outing in the men’s race at 24.84.
Earlier in the day, Brooks Curry posted a swift 48.86 in a time trialed 100 freestyle. His training partner, Marcos Rico Peng, was 2nd at 49.39. Quin Seider, 18, touched in 49.84 to break 50-seconds for the first time and qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials. Seider is slated to compete for the Arizona State Sun Devils in the fall.
Grimes’ problem is breaststroke
Quit complaining about her breaststroke and start working your backstroke Sally.
Jones will be a threat at Trials
There was a timing error in Maurer’s heat. One swimmer posted a 1:41.
That was fun to watch. Katie Grimes obliterated the competition.
Katie Grimes starting to awaken from the winter doldrums like a bear out of hibernation.
I like that she swam the prelims fast at this meet, as she would need to do at the Olympics and followed it up at night.
Wow. I’d privately wondered if Grimes would swim this event at Trials given he’s is on the team in the open water event and the 400 IM is on the first day of Trials + also at the Olympics. That’s 2 extended tapers in less than 7 weeks. But this time sure changes the odds.
She’s a strong bet for silver if she swims it so I would hope so as it would be throwing away her best medal opportunity if she skips it
Would agree that she is:
What colour medal is yet to be established. McIntosh has to be a prohibitive favourite but as yet, we have 0 data on Forrester (AUS), last year’s bronze medallist and a 4.32 low performer. Similarly, very little to go on out of CHN. A second American or maybe Colbert (GBR) could enter the equation.
Vivien Jackl (HUN) also just ripped a 4:34 the other day and is only 15, wouldn’t be shocked to see her find more time to drop into Paris.
Thanks for that; thought there was another significant time out of Europe but couldn’t put a name to it.
Open water is after the pool events in Paris which should help her vs. it being before in Fukuoka. Should be better off.
I’m curious if she sticks around for the 800 at the tail end of Trials, with the 400 IM and 1500 both being earlier in the schedule. She could realistically swim the 400 IM Monday, 1500 Tuesday (prelims)/Wednesday (finals), and head out, or wait to swim the 800 on Friday (prelims)/Saturday (finals). Cox has been on form in the 800 so that one feels like less of a sure bet than the 400 IM or 1500, and it could give Grimes some time to get back into her training regimen leading into the Games.
Obviously Ron knows… Read more »
She was 4:31 while having a terrible meet at last Worlds, so she is due under 4:30 this sumner, without a big stretch. That should make her the fave for silve. McIntosh is out of reach unless she really bonks, but Grimes and Forrester have a pretty good gap on the rest of the firld, IMO.
The pool competition precedes the open water competition at the Summer Olympics.
2024 Summer Olympics schedule
W 400 IM – Jul 29
W 1500 FR – Jul 30/31
W 800 FR – Aug 2/3
W 10 km open water – Aug 8
It’s not a given Katie Grimes swims let alone qualifies for the W 800 FR.