Nathan Adrian, Breeja Larson Nearly Break American Records on Night Three of AESC Pro-Am

Note: there are two fantastic Pro-Am meets this week in Oklahoma City; we’ll identify them by their host teams: KMSC (King Marlin Swim Club) and AESC (American Energy Swim Club). This release is about the AESC Pro-Am.

Edmond, OK – Night 3 of the 2014 American Energy Swim Club Pro-Am in Edmond, Oklahoma saw a slew of pool and meet records go down, on both the men’ and women’s side of the meet.

PRIZE STRUCTURE

Individual events: top 3 professional athletes will receive a cash prize based on their ABSOLUTE FINISH as follows:

1. $800
2. $500
3. $300

The 1650 freestyles have double cash prizes, and the 50 freestyles (swum as a bracket-style shootout) will award $5,000 to the champion, $1,000 to the runner-up, and $600 to the 3rd-place finisher.

Men’s Meet Recap

The men’s session started with a meet and pool record for NY Athletic Club’s Darian Townsend in the 200 IM with 1:42.03. Club Wolverine’s Kyle Whitaker was second with 1:43.23, while Bolles’ Rez Wong went 1:52.59 for third. American Energy fielded the top two amateurs, Joseph Short (1:56.46) and Jonathan Ye (1:56.77). Ian Bidwell (1:56.89) and David Bravo (2:00.20), both of Badger Swim Club, rounded out the A final after a DQ for Razorbacks’ Jared Crosby.

The men’s 50 free shootout lived up to its expectations, maybe even exceeding them, when Nathan Adrian won in 18.67. That is within .01 of his lifetime best, when he set the American record swimming for Cal at 2011 NCAAs. It ties Fred Bousquet (Auburn/France) at sixth on the all-time list, and is fully .14 faster than his winning time at AT&T Winter Nationals earlier this month. NYAC’s Josh Schneider finished second with 18.96 (.03 off his lifetime best). Badger Swim Club’s Derek Toomey came in third with 19.13. Club Wolverine post-grad Miguel Ortiz went a lifetime best 19.19 for fourth, followed by Dax Hill (19.72), CW’s Zach Hayden (19.88), Indie Swimming’s Michael Andrew (19.89), and Keiser Witte (20.06). American Energy’s Josh Davis won the B final with 20.67, his fastest time since 2008, and the third-best performance of his career.

The 200 breast featured another great showdown between Cody Miller of Badger Swim Club and Greater Philadelphia’s Brendan McHugh. Miller’s winning 1:51.23 was only .20 off his lifetime best, and nearly 2 seconds under the meet/pool record, earning him a $200 bonus. McHugh, who has been tearing it up this year in all breaststroke distances, dropped 3.6 seconds off his lifetime best and jumped to sixth on the all-time list with 1:51.84. Another great performances came from Club Wolverine’s Whitaker, whose 1:54.58 for third was nearly two seconds better than his lifetime best. Carl Mickelson of Scottsdale Aquatic Club came in fourth (1:55.19); Mike Alexandrov of NYAC was fifth in 1:57.95; Minnesota and SwimSwam’s very own Jared Anderson, sixth with 1:58.87. Greg Penny, representing Westminster Academy, took seventh in 2:02.10, and Razorback’s Crosby rounded out the A final with 2:11.11.

Post-grad Bobby Hurley of Club Wolverine led the field in the 100 back with a meet record of 45.33, only .01 off his lifetime best. Teammate Ortiz finished second in 45.97, just a tick off his 45.94 at the Arena GP in Minneapolis last month. Badger Swim Club’s James Wells (46.27) was third, just ahead of NYAC’s David Plummer (46.48). Indie Swimming’s Andrew led the next wave of finishers with 48.34. SwimMAC’s Nathaniel Murray (49.37), American Energy’s Joseph Short (52.93), and Central Arkansas’ Joseph Sullivan (54.12) rounded out the final.

In the final men’s individual event of the night, Mike McBroom of The Woodlands held off Club Wolverine’s Michael Klueh to win the 500 free, 4:13.06 to 4:14.43, with both men coming in under the meet record. Badger’s Ryan Feeley was third in 4:16.12, less than a second off his best. Although he finished with a heroic 23.61 (.19 faster than his first 50), Hurley just missed eclipsing Feeley for third, finishing fourth in 4:16.18. The rest of the final consisted of Michael Flach from Bolles (4:24.47), Pinecrest post-grad Zack Chetrat (4:26.55), Antonio Thomas of Razorback Aquatics (4:34.42), and Badger’s Josh Hendell (4:40.34).

Meet host American Energy won the men’s 400 medley relay in 3:32.58 behind Davis (52.62), Quinn Bunnag (1:01.11), Short (51.09), and Ye (47.82). Central Arkansas touched second (3:35.25); Razorback Aquatics, third (3:39.37).

Women’s Meet Recap

The women’s contest provided some great excitement of its own, beginning with a great 200 IM matchup between St Petersburg’s Melanie Margalis and Stanford Swimming’s Maya DiRado. Margalis controlled the race from the onset, outsplitting DiRado on every leg except the free. Margalis looks to have made particular progress in the backstroke, where she successfully kept DiRado at bay. Both women finished a couple seconds off their times from their showdown at the 2014 NCAA final, and this time it was Margalis with the victory, 1:54.28 to 1:55.41. Laura Sogar of Bluefish Swim Club (2:02.83) placed third. Rochester Swim Club’s Kallyn Barkey led the amateurs with a fourth-place finish in 2:04.74. Alexandra Robertson of Extreme Aquatics (2:05.71), Razorback’s Luciana Thomas (2:06.14), Kansas City’s Cailey Grunhard (2:08.66) and Taylor Ballard of Mississippi Mako (2:08.90) rounded out the A final.

American record-holder Lara Jackson of Auburn Swimming won a fairly-uncontested 50 free in a meet-record time of 21.77. Jackson, while .50 off her best time, was the only sub-22 second woman in the field. Second place went to Pinecrest’s Sandrine Mainville with 22.18. Her teammate Michelle Williams went 22.15 to take third over Stanford Swimming’s Felicia Lee (22.33). Longhorn Aquatics’ Lisa Boyce was fifth (22.29). Megan Romano of NYAC placed sixth in 22.71. SwimMAC’s Alyssa Marsh was the fastest amateur in 23.14, while Rochester Swim Club’s Barkey was eighth overall in 23.74.

Breeja Larson of Aggie Swim Club tied her lifetime best of 2:04.48 to win the women’s 200 breast, setting the meet record with the third-fastest time in history. Larson was .42 off the American record. Pinecrest post-grad Martha McCabe picked up second place with a lifetime best of 2:07.47. Badger’s Emily McClellan was 2:12.12 for third, just ahead of Minnesota’s Haley Spencer (2:12.48). The next wave finished 25 yards behind the leaders: Ballard (2:24.09), Razorback’s Corinne Despain (2:24.45) and Thomas (2:25.09) and Delaney Haralson of Central Arkansas (2:26.42).

Stanford’s Lee won the 100 back with a meet record time of 50.75, a lifetime best for her by .16 and the seventh-fastest swim of all time. NYAC’s Romano touched second in 52.43, just edging Stanford’s DiRado (52.48) with a strong back half. Longhorn Aquatics’ Boyce (53.50) was fourth, just ahead of Margalis (53.66). SwimMAC’s Stephanie Nelson (55.42) out-touched teammate Marsh (55.84) for sixth. Lindsey Butler of Central Arkansas finished eighth (58.13).

Badger Swim Club post-grad Lindsay Vrooman won the women’s 500 free with a comfortable 4:41.15. Ohio State Swim Club’s Sam Cheverton held off Club Wolverine’s Emily Brunemann to take second, 4:45.06 to 4:45.71. 12-year-old Hayley Pike of Razorback Aquatics, who had already dropped nearly 10 seconds in prelims, took another 1.7 off her time by belting out a 27.6 final 50 and passing two swimmers en route to a fourth-place finish of 5:01.26. Nathalie Eid from Badger Swim Club touched next in 5:01.46, followed by Durango Swim Club’s Haley Benjamin (5:01.84, a PB by 7 seconds). Charger Aquatics’ Chrysten Pacheco beat teammate Sarah Lott, 5:03.77 to 5:04.86, for seventh.

The 400 medley relay went to Central Arkansas Swim Club with 3:58.15. Charger Aquatics finished second in 4:04.35, while American Energy was third in 4:06.01.

Full Meet Results available on Meet Mobile under “2014 Oklahoma Elite Pro-Am”.