Michael Phelps to Try 5 Events at PSS Santa Clara, Missy Making Pro Debut (Psych Sheets)

USA Swimming has released the psych sheets for the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series at Santa Clara, which begins Thursday, June 18th and runs through Sunday, June 21st.

Psych sheets here.

This meet will conclude the 2015 series, meaning that overall titles, two $10,000 bonus checks, and a year’s lease on two BMW’s are on the line in addition to the usual cash purses.

Conor Dwyer has a commanding 21-point lead ahead of Tyler Clary in the men’s standings for that award, and Katinka Hosszu is 24 points clear of American Caitlin Leverenz. With both Dwyer and Hosszu at this meet, their leads are almost insurmountable (and truthfully, they’d be hard to catch even if they weren’t present).

But, because Hosszu isn’t American, she’s not eligible for the BMW. That leaves a very heated battle between Leverenz and Elizabeth Beisel for the auto lease; Leverenz enters the meet with 39 points to Beisel’s 39.5.

As always when he swims, all eyes will be focused on Michael Phelps. After a performance in Charlotte that left him disappointed in himself,

Phelps will once again enter 5 events in Santa Clara, but he’s made an interesting swap. He dropped the 100 fly, which has been his best event since his return from retirement last year, for the 200 backstroke, an event where he’s had some success historically but one that’s not typically thought of in his primary schedule.

Phelps will again race the 200 fly – an event that he dominated for so long, but one that he didn’t challenge in his first comeback in 2014 before a 6-month suspension.

Ryan Lochte isn’t entered in this year’s Santa Clara Grand Prix, nor is Katie Ledecky (the former is more surprising than the latter).

Aside from those two, most of the expected names will be at the meet, including Missy Franklin. This will be Franklin’s professional debut and the first in which she will have no NCAA amateurism rules governing her acceptance of prize money. She hasn’t raced since the NCAA Championships in March.

That also means that this will be Franklin’s first meet since returning to training under Todd Schmitz with the Colorado Stars, the team with which she first rose to prominence as a prep swimmer.

Franklin will swim a fairly expected schedule, with entries in the 50, 100 and 200 backstrokes, as well as the 100 and 200 freestyles.

Also making her major pro debut is former Wisconsin All-American Ivy Martin, who has completed her NCAA eligibility. Martin quietly swam well at a long course dual between unofficial Minnesota and Wisconsin squads in May (25.52 in the 50 free), but she’ll now see a major step up in competition. In the 50 free, which is her specialty event, she’ll be the 3rd seed behind defending NCAA Champion Simone Manuel, and the Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk (a noteworthy entrant in this meet as well). Also racing there will be Natalie Coughlin, Margo GeerKatinka Hosszu, and Jessica Hardy.

Felicia Lee who trains nearby at Stanford, will be an interesting storyline. Lee took a big competition break between the BHP Aquatic Super Series in January and the Mesa Grand Prix, and then again didn’t race for a month before the Speedo Grand Challenge in late May.

She’s performed fairly well in limited action, however, and enters the meet as the top seed in the women’s 100 fly. She’ll be challenged hard in that race, though, by the likes of Brazil’s best Daynara de Paula, the always-ready Katinka Hosszu, and Cal All-American Farida Osman.

With none of her primary American competition (Kendyl Stewart, Katie McLaughlin, Claire Donahue, Kelsi Worrell, among others) for spots on the Olympic team present, Lee will have a chance to build some confidence in that race – one that is wide open heading into next year’s Olympic Trials.

While we’ll have a full preview out next week, one last schedule we’ll highlight is that of Natalie Coughlin. She used time trials to soften her schedule some in Charlotte, but she’s entered in four races in Santa Clara: the 50 and 100 backstroke, and the 50 and 100 freestyles.

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Danjohnrob
9 years ago

I’m sure not many people will read this comment, because this article is a few days old, but I just wanted to interject that one of the reasons Phelps is probably swimming the 200 backstroke in Santa Clara is that none of the other events in which he has been highly ranked are scheduled for the final day of competition in San Antonio. The 200 back is his best event on that day, and as far as I know he has not yet achieved the QT necessary to enter the event in that meet.

Lane Four
9 years ago

Please oh please oh PLEASE let the live internet stream work without any problems!!!! This meet is stacked and will produce lightning quick times. I do NOT want to miss this because of faulty internet streaming. (Now let us ALL hold hands and pray for perfect reception.)

We Love Phelps
9 years ago

some interesting races to watch at SC…
1- MP vs. Dwyer vs. Kalisz in 200im
2- Franklin vs. Schmitt vs. Hosszu in 200fr
3- Cordes vs. Miller vs. Andrew in 100 breast
4- Grevers vs. Plummer vs. Murphy vs. Thoman in 100bk
5- Coughlin vs. Missy vs. Hosszu vs. Bootsma in 100bk

cant wait!!!

pal
9 years ago

Nolan 400 I’m?

bobo gigi
9 years ago

Very cool to see Feemke Heemskerk swim in Santa Clara. It will push Simone Manuel (and the others) to a greater time in the 100 free. Same in the 200 free with Missy Franklin and Allison Schmitt.
I think that’s her first US meet ever and she makes that long travel to race one time the best American girls on these distances (except Ledecky in the 200 free) before the world championships.

Weirdo
9 years ago

Why would Lochte swim two legs in Europe then next weekend fly across the USA to swim again

Canadian Shark
9 years ago

When was the last time Phelps swam a meet without swimming the 100 fly? Sydney Olympics? :p

bobo gigi
Reply to  Canadian Shark
9 years ago

Charlotte Grand Prix 2012

We Love Phelps
Reply to  Canadian Shark
9 years ago

i was surprised too when i scanned through the psych sheets this am. i think this meet is his 200s training meet…but still the 100fly race is not the same w/out MP! 🙁 🙁

Paul
9 years ago

Should be interesting to see what Michael Andrew can do in his return to US competition of sorts. Right now he’s entered in the 50/100 of Free, Fly and Back, 50/100/200 Breast, and 200IM. Thoughts on what events he chooses and how fast he goes? He could be a big wildcard of this meet

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Paul
9 years ago

Well, I’m known as the optimistic guy on Swimswam, but I’ll make some predictions for MA.

50 Free- 22.85
100 Free- 50.72
50 Fly- 24.10
100 Fly- 53.68
50 Back- 25.7
100 Back- 54.97
50 Breast- 28.5
100 Breast- 1:01.40
200 IM- 2:02.62

Paul
Reply to  bobthebuilderrocks
9 years ago

Uhhh is that for Santa Clara or Summer Nationals? I’d say reasonable for him to achieve all of those by nationals, with maybe 1-3 of them coming this weekend.

But what do I know about how he’s been in training?

bobthebuilderrocks
Reply to  Paul
9 years ago

Well, considering his sub-par nationals (by everyone’s standards) Im guessing MA is hungry for PB’s.

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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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