The 2012 AT&T Winter Nationals kicked off in Austin Thursday. After a fast prelim session in the morning, finals proved to be no different. The University of Arizona teams got the meet rolling, recording victories in both the men’s and women’s 200 freestyle relays.
In the women’s sprint relay the team of Margo Geer, Megan Lafferty, Katlyn Flederbach, and Alana Pazevic went 1:28.63 to break the meet record set by USC in prelims. Geer’s leadoff leg of 21.82 got them off to a fast start, and all of the girls split under 22.6. The team from University of Texas was also under the previous meet record mark with a time of 1:29.14, and USC–slightly off their morning time–was third in 1:29.47.
Arizona pulled off a double victory in the sprint relay, with their men’s team winning the event as well–just .05 off the meet record time, also set by USC but from 2010. The team of Giles Smith, Mihell Friedemann, Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or, and Nicholas Popov went 1:17.95 to handily defeat USC, who finished second with a 1:19.37. All of the members of Arizona’s relay recorded sub-20 splits.
In the 500 free NCAP’s Katie Ledecky won in a time of 4:34.53, a lifetime best that was just a few tenth’s shy of Katie Hoff‘s National Age Group Record. Ledecky is only 15, however, so the 4:34.21 mark is well within her reach. Fellow Olympian Haley Anderson and Leah Smith, the other youngster in the field, were in a very close race for second with USC’s Anderson getting it at the touch with a 4:36.87 to Smith’s 4:36.90.
Michael McBroom, of Texas, won the men’s 500 in a close race in which all of the top three finishers went 4:16s. McBroom beat Cristian Quintero of USC and Matthew Barber, of Arizona, with a time of 4:16.08. Out of those three, he was last at the 400 but had a strong last 100 to end up getting the win in a race that was close throughout.
A very close race in the women’s 200 IM went to Cal commit Celena Li, who out-touched USC’s Stina Gardell and future teammate Missy Franklin for the title. Li, with a 1:55.08, was only .04 ahead of Gardell. Franklin was third in 1:55.88.
Ryan Lochte ran away with the men’s 200 IM, going 1:40.97 to separate himself from a field that was otherwise very close. Just five tenths separated the second through sixth place finishers, Alex Lendrum getting second in a time of 1:44.24.
The women’s 50 went to veteran Jessica Hardy who finished in a time of 21.83, beating Arizona’s Geer by just .01. Keep in mind however that this was Geer’s second 50 of the night. Christine Magnuson was third in 21.91. Like Geer, Carlson–who took fourth in 22.04–did a lot of sprinting Thursday as well, and though she went sub 22 on two relay leadoffs she couldn’t manage to break the mark a third time. Also notable in this event was Franklin’s 22.41 to win the consol final–an impressive swim for such a short turnaround between that and her IM.
After top seed Nathan Adrian scratched 50 free finals due to a jammed finger, Matt Greversgot the center lane. Grevers won the event in 18.88 which was just two hundredths shy of Adrian’s meet record set Thursday morning. It’s a shame Adrian had two scratch because these two likely would have had a great race here. Also worth a mention in this event is Louisville’s Joao De Lucca, who got scratched in and used the opportunity to move up several spots to take fourth in a time of 19.61.
Missy Im is not that bad. Catlin L didn’t swim that fast in high school. Missy might work a little more on breast but she can be use in both free and back in college. Like to see her go sub 52 in 100 yard back.
Missy is amazing. She is absolutely not a short course swimmer. She hasn’t a good butterfly and she has an awful breaststroke. But she swims 1.55, 1.56 in the 200 IM in SCY. It’s just the natural talent.
However, I don’t understand your satisfaction to see her go only under 52 in the 100 back. She is olympic champion and she has already swum under 51 seconds in SCY. You should like to see her now under 50 seconds. It’s her next goal now. And in the next years with much work on her starts, her turns and her underwaters she will do it. But the very old 49.97 which is an American record and a NCAA record by… Read more »
The Texas swimmers, both male and female, are not swimming super fast. They are fast, but not as fast as I expected. I had thought this was their “earn their NCAA cuts” meet since the Big12 conference meet is now laughable.
Texas swimmers aren’t fully rested. Never have for this meet.
I’m pretty sure that this “Bar-Omrod Shapira” swimming for Arizona is actually Nimrod Shapira Bar-Or. Just FYI.
A few remarks on day 1.
1. I believe I can forget my American records predictions! I’m not a specialist but I have watched the live webcast and when I analyze the results I believe that among the best swimmers, except Texas swimmers, Arizona swimmers, a few young talents and a few older swimmers who don’t go to Istanbul, most of them are not tapered for this meet. They are rested but this meet looks more like a training meet for them. My American records predictions concerned Missy Franklin (it seems another training meet for her), Katie Ledecky (It looks like her taper meet will be as usual the Tom Dolan Invitational) and Nathan Adrian (he looked very ready… Read more »
It is a long way to June’s World Championships. Letting these swimmers do “new” events keeps them emotionally and psychologically fresh. Most are not tapered. Most are in their first prelims/finals meet of the season. Most care about their results at World Champ Trials in June. Let them race. Let them learn. Let them go back excited about training when this meet concludes.
Bobo GiGi – “Janet Hu, Missy Franklin and Ryan Murphy must give up the IM races or work very seriously breaststroke. It’s in short course and much easier with all the walls for no specialists but it has hurt to see their breaststroke legs.”
Then close your eyes if it is too hard too watch.
The only way their going to get better is if the race it. Their times are far from something to be embarrassed about. Give me a break.
Please, give me a break. I like this english expression.
Seriously. You can’t deny the fact these incredible swimmers have really suffered during their breaststroke leg. It’s not a critic. It’s a fact. And I have suffered for them. I’m a big fan of Missy and Ryan Murphy. And I’m very happy to see another great young talent with Janet Hu. Ask them whether they are efficient on breaststroke and they will answer no. They know that. If they want to continue IM races they will work harder. And I will support them to do it. And same thing with Elizabeth Pelton. She has 3 big strokes but she is awful on breaststroke. If she works very hard her… Read more »
And excuse me but I’m probably not a huge specialist like you. So if it’s hard for you to read me, close your eyes and don’t read my comments. Please, give me a break.
Many people would say our last 2 400 IM Olympic Champions have “awful” breaststrokes too. Good thing Bob Bowman and Greg Troy didn’t take advice from our blog experts.
Swim multiple events is an American tradition. The excitement is part of tradition ever been to a top HS State Meet or a College Conference or NCAA champs? Noise has been going on for decades.
sufhoff did great today especially with the beard
picture please!
saw it on the live feed, maybe braden?
I believe he’s now beardhoff