The Virginia Cavaliers are among the teams that started out swimming very well at the 2013 Ohio State Invitational, a meet that includes Florida, Purdue, and Kentucky as well.
UVA freshman Leah Smith took the top seed in the 500 free in 4:38.64, bettering Florida’s Lindsey McKnight, who took 2nd in 4:42.97.
Her teammate Ellen Williamson took the top seed in 1:56.97, but Williamson was followed very closely by another very good Virginia freshman: Kaitlyn Jones. Jones was a 1:57.16 after going out very hard (52.77), and Shaun Casey took the 3rd seed in 1:57.30. For Jones, that fast start implies that she’s got a very good 100 fly or 100 back in her later in this meet.
They were all ahead of Elizabeth Beisel, who was the 4th seed in 1:59.22.
Purdue senior Carly Mercer took the top seed in the 50 free with a 22.69, followed by Michelle Williams in 22.81 and Ellese Zalewski a 22.85. Virginia’s Emily Lloyd took the 4th seed in 22.95, and freshman Ellen Thomas was 5th in 23.07. Thomas’ swim might be the most exciting: after the graduation of Lauren Perdue, Virginia needs sprint help in a hurry, and that’s a season-best for the British freshman.
Florida’s Brad deBorde took the top seed in the men’s 50 free with a 19.75. Former Clemson All-American Eric Bruck has emerged as a member of the Kentucky team, and he’s the 2nd seed in 19.92. Ohio State freshman Josh Fleagle is the 3rd seed in 19.93.
Ohio State’s lone top seed of the day came in the 500 free, where he was a 4:20.97. That bettered Virginia’s Brad Phillips (4:22.32) and Florida’s Mitch D’Arrigo (4:22.92) in the race for the middle lane.
And finally, Virginia senior Parker Camp was a 1:44.50 in the men’s 200 IM. That just surpassed the prelims time of Georgia’s Chase Kalisz in Auburn, also done on Friday morning, as the best time in the country thus far. Kalisz is expected to be faster in finals though, so Camp will have to continue to improve to hold that ranking.
