Pro Swim Series: Mission Viejo – Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2022 TYR Pro Swim Series – Mission Viejo

• June 1 to 4, 2022
• LCM (50m)
• Marguerite Aquatics Center, Mission Viejo, CA
• Meet Central
• Pre-Scratch Psych Sheets
• Livestream

Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet

Day 2 of the Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series is underway and will feature the 100 free, 100 breast, 200 fly, and 400 free. 

Ryan Held and Justin Ress are the top seeds in the men’s 100 free. 2016 Olympian and U.S. Open record holder Held is ranked first with a .31 lead over the field. He is fresh off a silver medal win in the 100SCM free at the 2021 World Short Course Championships in December. On the women’s side, Tokyo Olympians Anika Apostalon of Trojan Swim Club and Anicka Delgado from Evolution Racing Club lead the women’s 100 free. #3 seed Teagan O’Dell of Irvine Novaquatics is looking to better the lifetime best 100 free time she swam at this pool in March which ranks her #67 out of the all-time fastest 15-16-year-olds in the event.

In the men’s 100 breast, U.S. National Team member Will Licon of Longhorn Aquatics is seeded first with his lifetime best time from the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials. Brandon Fischer is ranked second and he notched a best time in the short course version event in December at 32 years old. In long course, his best time is sub-1:00 from summer 2019. They both just raced this event in the B final of the U.S. World Championship Trials in April. USC rising junior Kaitlyn Dobler and Turkish national record holder Viktoria Gunes top the heat sheets of the women’s 100 breast. Dobler also swam this at the U.S. Worlds Trials where she finished 3rd by .07.

French Olympian and rising Arizona State sophomore Leon Marchand is gearing up to race the men’s 200 fly at World Championships in about two weeks, but he’ll do it first at the Pro Swim Series today. He hasn’t raced it since the Tokyo Olympics, so this will be a great indicator of where he is at. The women’s 200 fly is led by Sun Devils Swimming’s  Lindsay Looney and U.S. National Teamer Justina Kozan of Mission Viejo. Suburban Seahawks Lainey Mullins is seeded 3rd and her recent best time ranks her #68 out of the all-time fastest 15-16-year-olds in the event (a list that Looney and Kozan claimed spots #7 and #9 on, respectively, a few years ago.) 

The women’s 400 free will be a Sandpipers showdown made up of Erica Sullivan, who is now at Texas, and current team members Bella Sims, Katie Grimes, and Claire Weinstein. They are seeded 1st through 4th place, separated by about 3 seconds. The latter three all posted lifetime best times in this event at U.S. Worlds Trials in April. Out of the all-time fastest 15-16-year-olds, Sims is #3, Grimes is #4, and Weinstein is #14, .04 ahead of Sullivan’s age group time in spot #15. Egyptian Olympian Marwan Aly ElKamash of Indiana Swim Club is the top seed in the men’s 400 free after placing 2nd in 1500 free final Wednesday. But many eyes will be on rising high school senior Rex Maurer who became the fastest 17-year-old American man in the 500 yard free at CIF last season. How will his speed translate to long course?

Women’s 100 Free

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel (2019)
• US Open Record: 52.54 – Simone Manuel (2018)
• JR World Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak (2016)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 53.12 – Sarah Sjostrom (2016)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Bella Sims (SAND) – 55.89
2. Lindsay Looney (SUN) – 56.23
3. Katarzyna Wasick (TRA) – 56.23
4. Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 56.36
5. Kyla Leibel (TEX) – 56.52
6. Anicka Delgado (EVO) – 56.70
7. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 56.75
8. Anika Apostalon (UN-TROJ) – 56.82

It was about 60 degrees and overcast in Mission Viejo when the meet started this morning, but the gloomy weather didn’t stop Bella Sims of Sandpipers. In heat three, she shaved .10 off her lifetime best from 2020 with a time of 55.89. Sun Devil Swimming’s Lindsay Looney was right on her best time from last year, coming within .04 of it to secure the second spot going into finals.

Finals still could be anyone’s race, though. Katarzyna Wasick of Poland has broken the 55.00 mark before in 2019 while 15-year-old Teagan O’Dell of Irvine Novaquatics broke 56.00 in August 2021.

Men’s 100 Free

• World Record: 46.91 – Cesar Cielo Filho (2009)
• American Record: 46.96 – Caeleb Dressel (2019)
• US Open Record: 47.39 – Ryan Held/Caeleb Dressel (2019)
• JR World Record: 47.30 – David Popovici (2021)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 48.00 – Nathan Adrian (2016)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Ryan Held (NYAC) – 49.04
2. Justin Ress (MVN) – 49.28
3. Carter Swift (SUN) – 50.24
4. Grant House (SUN) – 50.37
5. Patrick Sammon (SUN) – 50.39
6. Jesse Novak (NOVA) – 50.61
7. Xander Skinner (SUN) – 50.82
8. David Curtiss (WOLF) – 50.85

No one in the top 8 finishers of prelims outswam their entry time on the men’s side, but Ryan Held of New York Athletic Club is entering finals as the top seed with a solid lead of .24 over the field. This isn’t quite a season-best time for him, but it is .16 faster than what he swam at the San Antonio Pro Swim Series in April.

The final will be a showdown between former or current Wolfpack Elite members (Held, Ress, and Curtiss) and former or current ASU swimmers (Swift, House, Sammon) alongside Sun Devils’ Skinner.

Skinner and Curtiss came the closest to their entry times. Curtiss’ lifetime best of 50.57 is from April at the San Antonio Pro Swim Series while Skinner’s best time of 50.44 is from the 2019 World Championships.

Women’s 100 Breast

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
• American Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
• US Open Record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy (2009)
• JR World Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte (2013)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 1:05.32 – Lilly King (2021)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Kaitlyn Dobler (TROJ) – 1:08.66
2. Isabelle Odgers (TROJ) – 1:10.12
3. Viktoria Gunes (UN-MVN) – 1:10.47
4. Iza Adame (SUN) – 1:11.80
5. Channing Henley (TEX) – 1:11.87
6. Eva Carlson (UCLA) – 1:12.97
7. Emma Davidson (UN-CAL) – 1:13.63
8. Riley Courtney (TEX) – 1:13.91

Trojan Swim Club’s Kaitlyn Dobler crushed heat three to claim the top spot in finals with a commanding lead. Her teammate Isabelle Odgers came within one second of her lifetime best time to secure 2nd while Gunes was about two seconds off her entry time to win heat two.

The only swimmer to beat their entry time going into finals was Cal’s Emma Davidson who shaved .01  to claim the 7th finals spot. She set her lifetime best time at 1:13.00 in 2017. Sun Devil Swimming’s Iza Adame may have a great battle with the top 3 tonight, she has cracked 1:10.00 before in 2021.

Men’s 100 Breast

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty (2019)
• American Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• US Open Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• JR World Record: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi (2017)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 58.67 – Michael Andrew (2021)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Will Licon (TXLA) – 1:02.63
2. Brandon Fischer (UN-PC) – 1:03.52
3. Ethan Hansen (SUN) – 1:04.15
4. Baylor Lewis (UTAH) – 1:04.99
5. Peter Paulus (UN-CO) – 1:05.14
6. Matthew Lou (NOVA) – 1:05.15
7. Noah Snyder (CSTE) – 1:05.23
8. Noah Sech (MVN) – 1:05.52

Brandon Fischer had the fastest opening split of 29.44 but Will Licon finished in a blistering 32.99 compared to Fischer’s 34.08 to take the top spot going into finals.

This was a great swim for Coronado Swim Association’s Noah Snyder who took half a second off his entry time to secure a spot in the ‘A’ final. Sun Devil Swimmings’ Ethan Hansen crushed his lifetime best time of 1:06.35 from the 2019 Irish Championships.

Women’s 200 Fly

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Zige Liu (2009)
• American Record: 2:04.14 – Mary Descenza (2009)
• US Open Record: 2:05.85 – Hali Flickinger (2021)
• JR World Record: 2:06.29 – Suzuka Hasegawa (2017)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 2:06.11 – Hali Flickinger (2020)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Lindsay Looney (SUN) – 2:10.58
2. Lainey Mullins (SSC) – 2:12.76
3. Justina Kozan (MVN) – 2:13.73
4. Krystal Lara (BAD) – 2:13.82
5. Abby O’Sullivan (MVN) – 2:15.77
6. Jade Foelske (SUN) – 2:15.88
7. Maggie Schalow (NOVA) – 2:17.40
8. Summer Stanfield (UTAH) – 2:19.57

Less than an hour after her 2nd place finish in the 100 free, Looney snagged the top spot in the 200 fly final. 16-year-old Lainey Mullins. of the Suburban Seahawks, who made the 100 free ‘C’ final, came within .01 of her entry time to place 2nd. Her lifetime-best time from the U.S. Trials in April ranks her #68 out of the all-time fastest 15-16 year-olds in the event.

17-year-old Abby O’Sullivan of Mission Viejo finished especially strong with a 34.97, staying within .26 of her first 50 split.

Men’s 200 Fly

• World Record: 1:50.73 – Kristof Milak (2019)
• American Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps (2009)
• US Open Record: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps (2008)
• JR World Record: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak (2017)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 1:53.84 – Luca Urlando (2019)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Leon Marchand (SUN) – 1:57.21
2. Ilya Kharun (SAND) – 2:00.95
3. Colby Mefford (UN-CAL)- 2:01.04
4. Tyler Kopp (UN-PC) – 2:02.36
5. David Johnston (TST) – 2:03.73
6. Harry Homans (UN-NE) – 2:03.88
7. David Arias Gonzales (UN-US) – 2:04.50
8. Isaac Fleig (TST) – 2:05.68

Fresh off his 1500 free win last night, The Swim Team’s David Johnston tied his lifetime best 200 fly time from last summer to secure a spot in the ‘A’ final.

Sun Devil Swimming’s Leon Marchand and 17-year-old Ilya Kharun of Sandpipers are setting up a great race in finals. They had nearly-identical first-50 splits of 26.24 and 26.27, respectively. But Marchand’s middle 50 splits of 29.66 and 30.32 gave him a lead that Kharun couldn’t surpass despite having the faster final 50. Marchand came within 1.8 seconds of his best 200 fly time from the summer of 2021.

Women’s 400 Free

• World Record: 3:56.40 – Ariarne Titmus (2022)
• American Record: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky (2016)
• US Open Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky (2018)
• JR World Record: 3:58.37 – Katie Ledecky (2014)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky (2018)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Katie Grimes (SAND) – 4:12.47
2. Bella Sims (SAND) – 4:12.74
3. Erica Sullivan (TEX) – 4:16.65
4. Claire Weinstein (SAND) – 4:19.46
5. Sophia Kudryash (UN-TROJ) – 4:20.24
6. JoJo Ramey (FAST) – 4:22.30
7. Olivia McMurray (TEX) – 4:22.42
8. Abby Pfeifer (TEX) – 4:22.76

16-year-old Katie Grimes of Sandpipers and her 17-year-old teammate Bella Sims nearly tied despite being in different heats. Grimes had a more aggressive approach in heat 3 where she held 31’s on the second 100 but fell to 32’s. Sims won heat 2 by holding consistent 32 mid’s and low’s and then dropping a couple of 31’s at the end (including a blistering 31.12 on the final 50).

Top seed Erica Sullivan finished 3rd and 15-year-old Claire Weinstein of Sandpipers 4th. They were both about 10 seconds off their entry times. Fishers Area Swim Team’s JoJo Ramey was the only top-8 finisher to crack her entry time. She dropped 1.4 seconds.

Mission Viejo’s Abby O’Sullivan claimed the top spot in the B final with a 4:23.39, just 20 minutes after her 5th place finish in the 200 fly.

Men’s 400 Free

• World Record: 3:40.07 – Paul Biedermann (2009)
• American Record: 3:42.78 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• US Open Record: 3:43.53 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• JR World Record: 3:44.60 – Mack Horton (2014)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 3:43.55 – Sun Yang (2016)

Top 8 finishers:

1. Marwan Aly ElKamash (ISC) – 3:54.17
2. Rex Maurer (UN-CA) – 3:56.64
3. Brice Barrieault (SAND) – 3:56.78
4. Gabriel Jett (UN-CAL) – 3:57.06
5. Julian Hill (SUN) – 3:57.30
6. Patrick Sammon (SUN) – 3:59.96
7. Paul Retterer (TROJ) – 4:02.97
8. Jack Meehan (UN-CAL) – 4:04.02

Heat three was a sneak peak at the tight race we may see in finals between Marwan ElKamash, Rex Maurer, and Brice Barrieault who finished within 2.5 seconds of each other. Cal’s Gabriel Jett actually took out the race the fastest in heat two with a 26.74 while Maurer and Barrieault flipped with the second-fastest opening split of 27.40. But it was ElKamash’s consistent 29’s that built him an insurmountable lead in the end.

Maurer and Barrieault were neck-and-neck through the end of the race. No one in the top 8 cracked their entry time, but Barrieault came the closest to his, finishing within .30 of it.

They will have to keep an eye on Sun Devil Swimming’s Julian Hill in finals, though. He had the fastest closing speed in the field with a final 50 split of 28.15.