2015 U.S. Nationals: Day 5 Prelims Preview

2015 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 6 – Monday, August 10
• Northside Swim Center – San Antonio, Texas
• Prelims 9AM/Finals 6PM (Central Daylight Time)
• Full Coverage
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream Link
• Live Results

Women’s 100m Freestyle

American record holder Amanda Weir comes into the 100m freestyle holding the top seed of 54.36. Weir holds the American record of 53.02 established in 2009. She had a solid swim in the 50 free final on day 3  finishing 2nd in 24.85.  She is followed by Allison Schmitt (54.46), 50m free champion Madison Kennedy (54.72) and Megan Romano (54.79). 5th seed Amy Bilquist is the top seeded 18 and under swimmer with a time of 54.85. Kennedy will swim in heat 9 of 11 along with Kotuku Ngawati of Australia, Schmitt and Bilquist will swim in heat 10 along with Felicia Lee and Amanda Kendall, and Weir and Romano will swim in the 11th and final heat along with Katie Drabot and Karlee Bispo.

Men’s 200m Backstroke

After top seed Arkady Vyatchanin pulled out of the meet due to shoulder issues, Jacob Pebley of California now comes into the event with the top seed time of 1:56.29. Pebley swam that time on the way to a gold medal at the World University Games in early July. That swim lowered Pebley’s personal best from the 1:56.68 he swam at last years Summer Nationals. Pebley will be followed by 6th place finisher in this event at the 2013 World Championships Craig McNally (1:57.58), Connor Green (1:57.60) and Joe Patching (1:58.17). 6th seed Carter Griffin is coming off a silver medal performance in this event at the Pan Ams in July. Michael Meyer of South Africa will swim in heat 9 of 13, and Travis Mahoney of Australia will swim in heat 10. The first circle seeded heat will feature Connor Green along with Robert Owen and Hennessey Stuart, heat 12 will feature McNally and Griffin along with Austin Surhoff, and the final heat will feature Pebley and Patching along with Jonathan Roberts and Jack Conger. Both Michael Andrew and Andrew Seliskar have scratched the event after originally being entered in it.

Women’s 200m Breastroke

Annie Lazor of Auburn University holds the top seed in the women’s 200 breastroke with a time of 2:26.23. That’s the time Lazor swam at the Pan Am Games on the way to a bronze medal finish. She will be followed closely by Laura Sogar (2:26.75), Molly Hannis (2:26.80) and Jessica Hansen (2:26.88). Sogar is coming off a strong bronze medal performance in the 100 breast, while Lazor had a disappointing swim missing the B final finishing 26th overall in the heats. 6th seed Georgia Bohl of Australia is the top 18 and under seed in 2:27.33, and 16th seed Lilly King is coming off a fantastic 100 breast performance where she placed 2nd. 200 IM silver medalist Madisyn Cox will swim in heat 8, King and Hannis will swim in heat 9, and Sogar and Bohl will swim in heat 10. The final heat will feature Lazor, Hansen and Annie Zhu. 3rd seed coming into the meet Chloe Tutton of Great Britain has scratched out of all of her events here in San Antonio.

Men’s 200m Breastroke

2012 Olympic silver medalist Michael Jamieson of Great Britain is the top seed in the men’s 200 breast with a time of 2:08.40. Jamieson will be looking for a statement swim here, as he was very disappointed he missed the British World Championship team. Jamieson will look to put up a time that would have been competitive in Kazan at the World Championships. Fellow Brit Craig Benson holds the 2nd seed in 2:09.10. Those two are the only ones seeded under 2:10. They will be followed by Americans BJ Johnson (2:10.77), Will Licon (2:11.02) and Samuel Tierney (2:12.70). Johnson competed for the United States two years ago at the World Championships, and Licon famously dethroned two-time defending champion Kevin Cordes at the NCAA Championships earlier this year. Also entered in this event is Reece Whitley (2:12.92), Gunnar Bentz (2:14.93), Michael Phelps (2:15.46), 100m breast champ Andrew Wilson (2:15.76) and Michael Andrew (2:16.76). Mike Alexandrov will swim in heat 8, Andrew will swim in heat 9, and heat 10 will feature Johnson, Tierney and Wilson, along with Andrew Seliskar and Chuck Katis. Phelps will swim in heat 11 with Benson, Bentz and Brad Craig, and Jamieson will swim in the 12th and final heat with Licon, Whitley and Cody Taylor. It will be interesting to see what kind of performance Phelps puts forward in the 200 breast after his spectacular performances at this meet.