U.S. Winter Nationals: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2017 U.S. WINTER NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• November 29th-December 2nd
• Bill and Mae McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, OH
• Short Course Yards
• Omega Results
• Live stream (USA Swimming Homepage)
• Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet

Day 3 action gets underway in Columbus this morning in the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 back. Notable names swimming include Mallory Comerford, Chase Kalisz, Ryan Murphy, Olivia Smoliga, Kelsi Worrell and Nathan Adrian.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• American Record: 3:57.57, Ella Eastin, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 3:56.54, Katinka Hosszu, 2012
• Meet Record: 4:00.03, Katinka Hosszu, 2010
• Pool Record: 4:00.03, Katinka Hosszu, 2010

1. Melanie Margalis (SPA) – 4:08.17
2. Emma Muzzy (GATR) – 4:09.22
3. Rachel Braford-Feldman (UofL)- 4:10.08
4. Meg Bailey (OSU) – 4:11.00
5. Kathrin Demler (OSU)- 4:13.63
6. Bailey Bonnett (UN-UK)- 4:14.95
7. Molly Kowal (OSU)- 4:15.08
8. Margaret Jahns (UofL) – 4:16.47

Melanie Margalis cruised to a victory in prelims, posting a 4:08.17. Margalis’ best time in the event comes in under the meet and pool records held by Katinka Hosszu, 3:59.85. 17 year-old Emma Muzzy took the 2nd seed going into tonight, posting a 4:09.22, which is just off her best time she set at Winter Nationals last year (4:08.37). Collegians Rachel Bradford-Feldman, Meg Bailey, Kathrin Demler, Bailey Bonnett, Molly Kowal, and Margaret Jahns round out the rest of the top 8.

MEN’S 400 IM

• American Record: 3:33.42, Chase Kalisz, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 3:33.42, Chase Kalisz, 2017
• Meet Record: 3:37.88, Ryan Lochte, 2007
• Pool Record: 3:38.89, Tyler Clary, 2010

1. Reece Whitley (PCAC) – 3:44.71
2. Chase Kalisz (ABSC) – 3:46.86
3. Casey Storch (MACH) – 3:47.45
4. Jason Louser (LIAC) – 3:49.19
5. Sean Conway (NCAP) – 3:49.60
6. Phillip Meffert (MSU) – 3:49.68
7. Jarrett Jones (UofL) – 3:49.96
8. Christopher Jhong (PLS) – 3:50.26

Reece Whitley battled with Chase Kalisz the whole the 3rd and final prelims heat, before he pulled away at the end to beat Kalisz by over 2 seconds. Reece Whitley‘s time of 3:44.71 was a best time by nearly 2 and a half seconds, coming in well under his previous mark of 3:47.15. There are 5 swimmers 18 and Under who made it into the top 8: Reece Whitley (17), Casey Storch (18), Jason Louser (16), Sean Conway (16), and Christopher Jhong (17). Chase Kalisz was 13 and a half seconds off his personal best, which sets up another interesting race between he and Reece Whitley for tonight.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

• American Record: 49.43, Kelsi Worrell, 2016
• U.S. Open Record: 49.43, Kelsi Worrell, 2016
• Meet Record: 50.10, Rachel Komisarz, 2007
• Pool Record: 50.70, Christine Magnuson, 2008

1. Kelsi Worrell (CARD) – 50.32 (POOL RECORD)
2. Mallory Comerford (UofL) – 51.18
3. Amanda Kendall (UN-IN) – 51.66
4. Grace Oglesby (UofL) – 52.35
5. Aliena Schmidtke (UN-OH) – 52.53
6. Alexa Cuomo (MAKO) – 52.89
7. Joyce Kwok (TS) – 53.48
8. Nastja Govejsek (UofL) – 53.50

Kelsi Worrell smashed the 9-year-old pool record of 50.70 with her prelims performance of 50.32. Worrell was less than a second off her personal best time, and has set herself up nicely to potentially break the meet record of 50.10 tonight, and possible go sub-50. Mallory Comerford came in 2nd with a best time and NCAA ‘A’ cut (the first in the 100 fly of the season). Comerford also dropped well over 2 seconds from her previous best time of 53.32.

MEN’S 100 FLY

• American Record: 43.58, Caeleb Dressel, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 43.58, Caeleb Dressel, 2017
• Meet Record: 43.84, Tom Shields, 2016
• Pool Record: 44.91, Tom Shields, 2010

1. Josh Prenot (CAL) – 46.15
2. Michael Salazar (OSU) – 46.41
3. Noah Lense (OSU) – 46.52
4. Michael Andrew (RPC) – 46.75
5. Bryce Bohman (TXLA)/Khalil Fonder (GATR) – 46.91
6. –
7. Zach Harting (OSU) – 47.31
8. Nicolas Albiero (UofL) – 47.38

In some pretty tight prelim heats of the 100 fly, Josh Prenot came out on top with a personal best time of 46.15. His previous best was 47.39. Ohio State and Louisville each got 2 swimmers into the A Final tonight, Michael Salazar and Noah Lense from OSU, and Zach HArting and Nicolas Albiero from Louisville. The fastest best time in the field is from Noah Lense at 45.71, the rest of the field has a best time of 46.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

• American Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin, 2015
• U.S. Open Record: 1:39.10, Missy Franklin, 2015
• Meet Record: 1:41.40, Missy Franklin, 2013
• Pool Record: 1:41.90, Simone Manuel, 2016

1. Mallory Comerford (UofL) – 1:43.37
2. Isabel Ivey (GSC) – 1:44.75
3. Melanie Margalis (SPA) – 1:45.87
4. Ashley Neidigh (UN-IN) – 1:46.56
5. Arina Openysheva (UofL) – 1:46.84
6. Sophie Cattermole (UofL) – 1:46.87
7. Ali Galyer (UN-KY) – 1:46.92
8. Miranda Heckman (PLS) – 1:46.95

Mallory Comerford cruised to a 1:43.37 for the top seed going into finals tonight. Her fastest flat-start 200 this season was is 1:41.70, and she split 1:41.67 on the 800 free relay on the first night of competition, so she could potentially break both the pool and meet records. 17-year-old Isabel Ivey came in a comfortable 2nd with her 1:44.75. Ivey and Melanie Margalis both have best times of 1:43 so they’ve set up a battle in the middle of the pool as well. 16-year-old Miranda Heckman got into the top 8 by .02 seconds over 15-year-old Paige Hetrick (1:46.97).

MEN’S 200 FREE

• American Record: 1:30.46, Townley Haas, 2016
• U.S. Open Record: 1:30.46, Townley Haas, 2016
• Meet Record: 1:31.65, Joao De Lucca, 2013
• Pool Record: 1:31.31, Conor Dwyer, 2010

1. Zane Grothe (UN-MR) – 1:34.07
2. Andrea D’Arrigo (GSC) – 1:34.28
3. Joshua Fleagle (UN-OH) – 1:34.41
4. Matias Koski (UN-GA) – 1:34.65
5. Corey Main (GSC) – 1:35.25
6. Ryan Murphy (CAL) – 1:35.49
7. Andrej Barna (UofL) – 1:36.10
8. Samuel Steele (UofL) – 1:36.55

Zane Grothe continued his hot streak from last night with a best time and top seed for finals performance of 1:34.07. Coming off a 4:07.25 in the 500 last night, it’s hard to guess exactly how fast he could go tonight, but he has his work cut out for him regardless, as finals tonight will feature a field of very fast 200 freestylers who all have the potential to come away with the win. Matias Koski has a SCY best time of 1:31.54 and a LCM best of 1:46.98, so he very well may be the favorite going into tonight, even though he is seeded 4th.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST

• American Record: 56.30, Lilly King, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 56.30, Lilly King, 2017
• Meet Record: 57.62, Alia Atkinson, 2013
• Pool Record: 58.41, Jessica Hardy, 2010

1. Melanie Margalis (SPA) – 58.77
2. Andrea Cottrell (CARD) – 59.17
3. Danielle Herrmann (CLOV) – 59.41
4. Breeja Larson (NYAC) – 59.48
5. Mariia Astashkina (UofL) – 1:00.25
6. Rachel Bernhardt (GAME) – 1:00.27
7. Hanna Gresser (OSU) – 1:00.43
8. Bailey Bonnett (UN-KY) – 1:00.93

Melanie Margalis swam her 3rd event of the day and picked up her 2nd top seed for tonight. If she doesn’t scratch an event (it would likely be the 200 free if she did), then she’ll be swimming a tough triple of the 400 IM, 200 free, and 100 breast. Margalis’ best time in the 100 breast comes in at 58.09, which she swam at Winter Nats last year. Breeja Larson came in 4th, but has the fastest best time in the field, coming in at 57.23, well under the pool and meet records.

MEN’S 100 BREAST

• American Record: 50.04, Kevin Cordes, 2014
• U.S. Open Record: 50.04, Kevin Cordes, 2014
• Meet Record: 51.10, Kevin Cordes, 2012
• Pool Record: 51.35, Mike Alexandrov, 2010

1. Cody Miller (SAND) – 51.04
2. Nicolas Fink (ABSC) – 51.80
3. Michael Andrew (RPC) – 52.24
4. Nick Zito (WEST) – 52.63
5. Josh Prenot (CAL) – 52.70
6. Reece Whitley (PCAC) – 52.79
7. Carlos Claverie (UofL) – 53.33
8. Nicholas Leshok (MSU) – 54.30

Cody Miller out of Sandpipers of Nevada raced to a pool and meet record of 51.04 to take the top seed for tonight by a comfortable margin. Miller’s best time on the event is 50.82, so he has set himself up nicely to go a lifetime best in finals tonight. Nobody is going to have an easy time winning this race though, as it features huge breaststroke names like Nicolas Fink, Michael Andrew, Reece Whitley, Carlos Claverie,and Josh Prenot.

WOMEN’S 100 BACK

• American Record: 49.69, Ally Howe, 2017
• U.S. Open Record: 49.69, Ally Howe, 2017
• Meet Record: 50.64, Natalie Coughlin, 2007
• Pool Record: 50.73, Courtney Bartholomew, 2013

1. Isabel Ivey (GSC)  -52.27
2. Olivia Smoliga (ABSC) – 52.30
3. Bridgette Alexander (UN-KY) – 52.77
4. Phoebe Bacon (NCAP) – 52.79
5. Alina Kendzior (UofL) – 53.20
6. Rebekah Bradley (UN-OH) – 53.32
7. Ashlyn Schoof (UofL) – 53.35
8. Emma Muzzy (GATR) – 53.41

17-year-old Isabel Ivy put on a show this morning, dropping a second and a half from her best time and beating Olivia Smoliga. Smoliga was a ways off her best time of 50.04, and is still the favorite to win tonight, as she came into the meet with the fastest best time by 2 seconds. Another great swim came from 15-year-old Phoebe Bacon, who came in 4th with a new best time of 52,79. 17-year-old Emma Muzzy was 8th with her 53.41.

MEN’S 100 BACK

• American Record: 43.49, Ryan Murphy, 2016
• U.S. Open Record: 43.49, Ryan Murphy, 2016
• Meet Record: 44:07, Nick Thoman, 2013
• Pool Record: 44.82, Matt Grevers, 2010

1. Grigory Tarasevich (CARD) – 46.61
2. Bryce Bohman (TXLA) – 46.63
3. Corey Main (GSC) – 46.90
4. Ryan Murphy (CAL) – 47.00
5. Jacob Pebley (CAL) – 47.10
6. Nikolaos Sofianidis (UofL) – 47.35
7. Brendan Burns (UMLY) – 47.53
8. Nicolas Albiero (UofL) – 47.74

The post-grads had a handle on his event, taking the top 5 spots. Grigory Tarasevich took the top seed for tonight, but was still a ways off his personal best time, as was the American Record holder, Ryan Murphy, who got 4th. The field consists of Olympians Ryan Murphy, Grigory Tarasevich, Corey Main, and Jacob Pebley. 16-year-old Brendan Burns also made it into the A final tonight, posting a best time of 47.53.