2019 SPEEDO GRAND CHALLENGE
- Friday, May 24 – Sunday, May 26, 2019
- William Woollett Jr Aquatics Center – Irvine, CA
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
- Meet Preview
- Friday Prelims Recap
- Friday Finals Recap
- Saturday Prelims Recap
- Saturday Finals Recap
Maintaining consistency at the NOVA Grand Challenge is Cal post-grad Ryan Murphy. Murphy threw down a 53.59 during the 100 back prelims, just half a second off his Knoxville season best of 53.17. Both Murphy’s times fall in the top 10 times in the world, frightening the #1 time of 52.27 from China’s Jiayu Xu.
Teammate Jacob Pebley finished second with a 55.24, a little over a second behind his 2018 US Winter Nationals time of 53.99, which ranks #21 in the world this season.
After winning the 200 free, 200 IM, and 100 fly, Andrew Seliskar has decided to focus on the 100 free tonight instead of the 200 fly. Taking the top spot in the 200 fly is Cal’s Zheng Quah (1:59.60).
Seliskar touched second in the 100 free prelims with a 50.14, just over a second behind his 48.99 Pan Pacs personal best. Leading the super-final is USC Trojan Cristian Quintero, clocking in at 50.00. Quintero, along with #3 qualifier Jesse Novak (50.15), are right at their sub-50 PBs. Saturday’s 50 free champ Michael Chadwick (50.26) will also swim the super-final.
After swimming an impressive 200 free on Saturday, Cal’s Katie McLaughlin could foreshadow more fire performances tonight. McLaughlin currently leads the women’s 200 fly with a 2:12.34, just 2 seconds behind her 2018 best time of 2:10.40 from Santa Clara. Right behind her is Cassidy Bayer‘s 2:13.19, which is faster than her Sun Devil Spring Open time of 2:13.87.
McLaughlin also remains the top seed next to Cal teammate Abbey Weitzeil in the 100 free, both touching in at 55.53. Weitzeil won the 50 free on Saturday, and her in-season best is at 54.72 from the Sun Devil Spring Open. However, McLaughlin’s 200 free continues to promise a great challenge next to her Olympian training mate.
More Prelims Highlights:
- Leading the women’s 200 breast is Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko (2:31.54). Touching in second behind the 15-year-old is Aggie Jorie Caneta (2:33.36). Earlier in the 100 breast, Caneta touched out Gorbenko 1:09.63 to 1:10.04.
- Aiming for a breaststroke double on the men’s side is Cal rookie Reece Whitley, who clocked in the top men’s 200 breast time of 2:13.68. Whitley’s personal best remains a 2:10.82 from 2017 Jr Worlds.
- Loving the one-minute mark in the women’s 100 back is Ali DeLoof, swimming the top 100 back time of 1:00.99. DeLoof’s in-season best is 1:00.10 from Des Moines, ranking #20 in the world.
i thinks 53.59 to slow , he must swim under 52.5
“I really view 2019 as kind of a setup year. We have trained incredibly hard, I know so far, in setting me up to be really good in 2020,” Murphy said. “I want to be good this summer, but my focus has stayed on the Olympics.
“So, that’s my target and the things that we’re doing (are) trying to set up for that. Going into the Olympics, I want to be the best and whatever events we decide to focus on I want to be the best at those events.”
How is a 53.59 frightening a 52.27?
yes i loved that one too …..
I dig those goggles Murphy is wearing. They look like speed socket 2.0s but I can’t see that color on the speedo website?
Guessing Murph is stratching finals
Any info on KT K in the 100br and 100 fly…listed as swimming for Cal?
Seliskar is done with 200fly
200free and 200 IM LC at a push
100fly and brs when it suits him.
Give 100free ago…. why not.
Splits for Seliskar’s 2fky. He isn’t showing up on meet mobile. Thanks