Michigan Recruit Hannah Bellard Clocks PB 2:00.97 to Open Eric Namesnik

2022 ERIC NAMESNIK MEMORIAL OPEN

• July 1-3, 2022
• Canham Natatorium, Ann Arbor, MI
• Hosted by Club Wolverine
• LCM (50m)
• Web Results

The 2022 Eric Namesnik Memorial Open hosted by Club Wolverine kicked off yesterday at Canham Natatorium in Ann Arbor, MI. The Eric Namesnik Open was created as a replacement for the former Ann Arbor Grand Prix, an annual high level USA Swimming meet hosted at Canham.

This year’s meet is playing host to approximately 400 swimmers, made up of a mix collegiate and club. Some of the college teams in attendance include Michigan, Purdue, Penn State, and Oakland, while big clubs such as Club Wolverine, Carmel Swim Club, Dayton Raiders, Marlins of Raleigh, and Badger Swim Club are competing as well.

The first day of the meet was electric, seeing Club Wolverine 17-year-old and Michigan recruit Hannah Bellard get the ball rolling. In the first event of Friday’s finals, the women’s 200 free, Bellard led wire-to-wire, racing to a new person best. She got after it from the start, splitting 28.30 on the first 50 and following it up with a 30.33, for a 58.63 on the first 100. Pulling away from the field, Bellard then broughit the swim home in 1:02.34 on the final 100, getting her hand on the wall in 2:00.97. The marks a new personal best for Bellard by half a second, as she inches closer to breaking the 2:00 barrier.

Bellard pulled a tough double on Friday night as well, swimming in the women’s 100 fly as well. She put up a strong performance there as well, taking 2nd in finals with a 1:00.24. That swim was just 0.39 seconds off her personal best of 59.85.

Winning the women’s 100 fly was Carmel 15-year-old Alex Shackell, who threw down a formidable 58.91 to win the race handily. Shackell was on top of her game, taking the swim out in 27.75 and coming home in 31.16. She was just a hair off her personal best of 58.78.

Shackell would go on to pull her own double, racing the 400 IM as well. She took 3rd, clocking a 4:52.73. According to USA Swimming’s database, yesterday was the first time Shackell has swum the LCM 400 IM officially. Therefore, her 4:52.73 in finals stands as her personal best. She’s been 4:15.19 in the SCY 400 IM.

Michigan’s Kathryn Ackerman won the 400 IM going away, speeding to a 4:47.02. It was a little off her personal best of 4:44.09, Ackerman put together a solid front half, splitting 1:06.36 on fly and 1:11.42 on back, for a 2:17.78 on the first 200.

Taking the women’s 100 breast was Purdue’s Mason Folcik in 1:11.01, getting her hands on the wall first in a thriller with Carmel’s Devon Kitchel (1:11.30). The pair was virtually tied at the 50m turn, with Folcik splitting 33.80 and Kitchel 33.82. Folcik would just ever so slightly out-split Kitchel on the 2nd 50 as well, earning her the win.

Michigan’s Jared Daigle was dominant in the men’s 400 IM, swimming a 4:25.37. It was a really strong performance from Daigle, who just swam his personal best of 4:22.75 in late April at the U.S. International Team Trials. Daigle was strong across the board, splitting 1:01.40 on fly, 1:08.32 on back, 1:14.00 on breast, and 1:01.65 on free. Marlins of Raleigh 16-year-old Hudson Degroote had a notable performance as well, taking 2nd in 4:32.59. That swim shattered his previous best before yesterday, which stood at 4:37.95. He closed fast, splitting 1:00.51 on the final 100 last night.

Michigan’s Juan Ceresa took the men’s 200 free in a new personal best of 1:51.62. He put together a great swim, splitting 26.06/28.16/28.87/28.53 on each 50 respectively.

The men’s 100 breast saw an exciting race between Michigan’s Jack McCurdy and Oakland’s Christian Bart. McCurdy was put faster, splitting 29.84 on the first 50, while Bart was back at 30.44. Bart closed the race exceptionally well, however, splitting 33.12 on the final 50 to McCurdy’s 33.64. In the end, McCurdy got his hands on the wall first, posting a 1:03.48, just ahead of Bart’s 1:03.56. McCurdy notably was a bit faster in prelims, swimming a new personal best of 1:03.18.

Michigan’s Bence Szabados was victorious in the men’s 100 fly, swimming a 54.57. Szabados was a tick faster in prelims, clocking a 54.43.