2014 LA Invite
- Thursday, July 17th-Sunday, July 20th
- Thursday 4PM, Friday-Sunday Prelims 8:30AM/Finals 5PM (Pacific Time)
- Uytengsyu Aquatics Facility, University of Southern California
- Psych Sheets
- Live Results
Day Four
Sunday was a single-flighted prelims session and it featured some great racing, notably from the Pac-12 athletes and the Australians. (Note that “A” “B” and “C” finals are open; “D” is reserved for 18-and-unders swimmers.)
100 Fly Prelims
In the women’s 100 fly, Stanford Swimming’s Felicia Lee turned in the top prelims time of 59.58. She and Kendyl Stewart of North Coast Aquatics (59.67) were the only sub-minute butterfliers of the morning. Australia’s Marieke D’Cruz (1:00.12) and Yolane Kukla (1:00.95) made top-eight, as did Cal’s Caitlin Leverenz (1:00.86), Kelly Naze (1:00.90), and Pleasanton’s Celina Li (1:00.93). Rounding out the “A” final qualifiers was Noelle Tarazona of Bruins, with 1:01.12.
All-Americans Tom Shields of Cal (52.68), Giles Smith of Phoenix Swim Club (53.38) and Seth Stubblefield of Cal (53.55) earned the middle lanes for the “A” final, although most of the Cal men’s team left after prelims. Alex Valente of Buenavista (54.10), Australians Nathaniel Romeo (54.33) and Alexander Graham (54.58), Maclin Davis (54.65) and Tucson Ford’s Brian Stevens (54.77) completed the top eight.
100 Back Prelims
Perhaps the most-anticipated final of the night was set up in the morning prelims session when Holly Barratt of Australia (1:02.14), Cal’s Missy Franklin (1:02.15) and Elizabeth Pelton (1:02.35), Stanford’s Felicia Lee (1:02.37), Mikkayla Sheridan (1:02.59) and Shani Burleigh (1:03.15) of Australia, Crown Canyon’s Madison White (1:02.97), and Tucson Ford’s Taylor Schick (1:03.24) qualified for the top eight. Unlike the Cal men’s team, the women stayed in Los Angeles to contest the final session and we are looking forward to some really great swims tonight. This event is first and foremost among them.
In the men’s back Ryan Murphy of Cal broke Matt Grevers’ 2011 meet record of 54.15 in the penultimate heat of prelims. Murphy went 54.05 which is only .67 off his best time. Australia’s Ashley Delaney qualified second with 55.01. Jacob Pebley of Cal and Tucson Ford’s Grevers went head-to-head in the final heat; Pebley clocked a 55.06; Grevers, 55.16. Charlie Boldison of Scotland went 56.01 for the fifth-fastest time. Trojans’ Luca Spinazzola (57.00), Chase Bloch of CLASS Aquatics (57.19), and Bryce Bohman of Tucson Ford (57.36) rounded out the top eight.
With the departure of the Cal men, Tucson Ford’s Austin Ringquist and Stanford’s Jack Descombes (both 58.32) will participate in the championship final as well.
100 Breast Prelims
Jessica Hansen of Australia, who won the 200 breast on Saturday, was the top qualifier in the woman’s 100 with 1:08.41, a .09-second drop for her. Jessica Hardy of Trojans (1:09.41), Stanford Swimming’s Sarah Haase (1:10.44), Katie Olsen (1:10.82), and Heidi Poppe (1:11.20), Samantha Marshall of Australia (1:10.99), Andrea Kropp of Canyons (1:11.97), and Scotland’s Hayley Monteith (1:12.41) will make up the rest of the “A” final.
The Aussies led the field of qualifiers on the men’s side, too, with Jake Packard (1:01.32) and Nicholas Schafer (1:01.98) out front. Anton McKee, the men’s 200 titlist and new meet record holder, and Kosuke Kitajima, the former meet record-holder in the 200, tied for the third-fastest time out of prelims, 1:02.27. Tucson Ford’s Kevin Cordes (1:02.28), Cal’s Josh Prenot (1:02.38), Azad Al-barazi of Trojans (1:02.91), and Australia’s Buster Sykes (1:02.97) rounded out the top eight.
The men’s 100 breast is another much-anticipated event in tonight’s final session.
Women’s 200 Free Prelims
The three fastest qualifying times in the women’s 200 free all came in the last heat: Katie Goldman of Australia, Cal’s Missy Franklin, and Terrapins’ Chelsea Chenault were lined up in the middle of the pool trading stroke for stroke. Franklin came off the last wall and accelerated, her stroke looking long and smooth. She finished in 2:00.61 to Palmer’s 2:01.06 and Chenault’s 2:01.11.
Three more Cal teammates made the top eight: Camille Cheng (2:01.47), Caroline Piehl (2:01.54), and Elizabeth Pelton (2:02.10). The last two qualifiers were with Team Australia: Leah Neale (2:02.07) and Carla Buchanan (2:02.49).
Another exciting final to watch tonight. Four Bears, Three Koalas and a Terrapin.
Men’s 200 IM Prelims
The last event before the non-Olympic distance events was the men’s 200 IM. Australia’s Justin James led the qualifiers with a 2:03.61. Stanford’s Jeff Garnier (2:06.14) was second and Tucson Ford’s Andrew Porter (2:07.09), third. Mark Szaranek of Scotland (2:07.62) qualified fifth.
A quartet of swimmers came up with nice drops to make the “A” final: Swim Pasadena’s Garrett Chin (2:07.50, -1.82), Hayden Duplechain of Fullerton (2:07.64, -5.10), Roger Kriegl of Conejo Simi (2:07.79, -2.33), and Benjamin Ho of Peak Swimming (2:07.96, -.19).
Distance Events
The fastest heat of the women’s 1500 and men’s 800 will run in finals. The fastest times to come out of the earlier heats belonged to Erin Emery of Sandpipers (16:46.96) and her teammate Logan Houck (8:13.81). Tucson Ford’s Christopher Webb (8:17.09) and Ty Fowler (8:21.69) had nice drops.
The top seeds in tonight’s final are Megan Rankin of Golden West (seed time 16:38.89) and Australia’s Jack McLoughlin (seed time 8:02.27).