2016 Arena Pro Swim Series – Indianapolis: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2016 ARENA PRO SWIM SERIES AT INDIANAPOLIS

• Friday, June 3 – Sunday, June 5, 2016
• IUPUI Natatorium / Indianapolis, IN
• Prelims 9AM / Finals 6PM (U.S. Central Time)
• Meet website
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap

Women’s 200 Fly – Prelims

1. Kelsi Worrell, Unattached (Louisville): 2:09.53
2. Christina Bechtel, Kentucky Aquatics: 2:09.91
3. Hali Flickinger, Athens Bulldogs: 2:10.46
4. Andrea Pinto, Gator: 2:12.45
5. Hannah Kukurugya, Crown Point: 2:12.60
6. Kaitlyn Jones, Unattached (Virginia): 2:14.31
7. Asia Seidt, Lakeside: 2:14.31
8. Bailey Pressey, Indiana: 2:14.66

Tonight’s race will be a three-way showdown among short course American record holder and NCAA defending champion Kelsi Worrell, 2015 NCAA runner-up (to Worrell) Christina Bechtel, and this year’s NCAA fourth place finisher Hali Flickinger. 

This morning, the two Kentucky-based swimmers lead the way, with Louisville’s Worrell hitting the wall in the top time of 2:09.53 and UK’s Bechtel coming in less than half a second behind with 2:09.91. Flickinger finished under a second behind the two in 2:10.46.

Absent from this meet is 2012 Olympic fifth-place finisher Cammile Adams, who will challenge Worrell and company at Trials at the end of this month.

Gator Swim Club’s Andrea Pinto took the fourth slot in 2:12.45, closely followed by Crown Point’s Hannah Kukurugya in 2:12.60.

Virginia’s Kaitlyn Jones, Lakeside’s Asia Seidt, and Indiana’s Bailey Pressey will round out the championship final tonight.

Men’s 200 Fly – Prelims

1. Zheng Wen Quah, Singapore: 1:58.09
2. Michael Klueh, Club Wolverine: 1:58.99
3. Gunnar Bentz, Athens Bulldogs: 1:59.40
4. Dylan Bosch, Club Wolverine: 2:00.20
5. Cameron Brodie, SCOT: 2:00.77
6. Kyle Whitaker, Club Wolverine: 2:00.85
7. Mack Darragh, OAK: 2:00.91
8. Michael Flach, Club Wolverine: 2:00.95

The men of Club Wolverine made their mark on the men’s 200 fly, taking up four of eight slots in the championship final tonight.

However, the leader by nearly a second this morning was Zheng Wen Quah, who finished 21st in this event at last year’s FINA World Championships. He finished the prelim swim in 1:58.09.

Earlier this week, Quah was one of two male swimmers to be added to Singapore’s Olympic squad, alongside Texas NCAA star Joseph Schooling. Quah will swim the 100 back, 100 fly, and 200 fly in Rio. He currently sits 15th in the world in this event with a 1:56.26 from November.

Club Wolverine’s Michael Klueh took the second spot in 1:58.99 this morning, coming in just under a second behind Quah. Gunnar Bentz of Georgia will be the third qualifier, the only other swimmer to come in under a minute with 1:59.40.

Klueh’s CW teammate Dylan Bosch, who represents South Africa internationally but missed the Olympic team earlier this spring, came up fourth in 2:00.20, followed by Cameron Brodie, Kyle Whitaker, Mack Darragh, and Michael Flach. 

Women’s 50 Free – Prelims

1. Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, SwimMAC: 25.03
2. Olivia Smoliga, Athens Bulldogs: 25.10
3. Kelsi Worrell, Unattached (Louisville): 25.36
4. Ivy Martin, Wisconsin: 25.64
5. Anyamaria Goeders, MAKO: 25.77
6. Chase Kinney, Wisconsin: 25.90
7. Alexandra Deloof, Club Wolverine: 25.94
8. Amanda Lim, SIN: 25.99

2008 and 2012 Olympian Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace of SwimMAC and the Bahamas was the top swimmer in a tight women’s 50 free field this morning, clocking 25.03. That swim doesn’t quite hit her season best, a world 21st-ranked 24.80, but we can expect her to go even faster tonight. Vanderpool-Wallace was a championship finalist in this event in London in 2012, finishing eighth and becoming the first Bahamian woman to make Olympic swimming finals.

Georgia’s defending NCAA champion Olivia Smoliga scored the second-fastest time this morning with 25.10. She and Vanderpool-Wallace will battle it out tonight.

Kelsi Worrell jumped right back into the pool for 25.36 in the 50 free after her top-qualifying 200 fly. Worrell has been taking on quite a few back-to-back events in her post-NCAA season, so we should be able to see even greater things from her in Omaha when she rest more between events.

Wisconsin’s 2015 NCAA runner-up in this event Ivy Martin (who came in just .01 ahead of Worrell in the NCAA championship race in 2015) finished fourth with 25.64. 15-year-old Anyamarie Goeders took fifth in 25.77, followed by Martin’s Wisconsin teammate Chase Kinney in 25.90.

Ali Deloof, the oldest of Michigan’s three Deloof sisters, and Amanda Lim will also swim the A final tonight.

Men’s 50 Free – Prelims

1. Bruno Fratus, Unattached (Brazil): 22.35
2. Santo Condorelli, Unattached (Canada): 22.38
3. Marcelo Chierighini, Unattached (Brazil): 22.59
4. Paul Powers, Club Wolverine: 22.66
5. Josh Schneider, New York Athletic Club: 22.84
6. Ali Khalafalla, Indiana: 22.88
7. Michael Chadwick, Mizzou: 22.95
8. Joao De Lucca, Louisville: 23.02

A contingent of already-qualified Rio Olympians will battle it out tonight in the men’s 50 free, led by this season’s fastest man in the world Bruno Fratus of Brazil. This morning, Fratus came in about a second behind his world’s-quickest 21.37 relay lead-off from the Brazil Open. His time today was 22.35.

The male frontrunner from Canadian Olympic Trials Santo Condorelli, who took down an eight year old Canadian national record in the 100 fly yesterday, came up second with 22.38. Condorelli will swim the 50 free, 100 free, and 400 free relay in Rio.

Brazil’s Marcelo Chierighini, who will swim the 100 free and 400 free relay in Rio, finished third with 22.59.

Club Wolverine’s Paul Powers was close behind with 22.66. New York Athletic Club’s Josh Schneider finished fifth in 22.84. Powers is our SwimSwam Darkhorse pick to final in this event in Omaha, and we predict Schneider will finish in the top four (see our U.S. Trials Olympic preview here).

Indiana’s Ali Khalafalla (who represents Egypt internationally), Mizzou standout Michael Chadwick, and Brazil’s Joao De Lucca (who will swim the 200 free and 4×100 relay in Rio) round out the final.

Women’s 100 Back – Prelims

1. Olivia Smoliga, Athens Bulldogs: 59.81
2. Hannah Stevens, Mizzou: 59.86
3. Alexandra Deloof, Club Wolverine: 1:00.88
4. Dominique Bouchard, OAK: 1:01.09
5. Clara Smiddy, Club Wolverine: 1:01.22
6. Claire Adams, Carmel Swim Club: 1:01.73
7. Bridgette Alexander & Danielle Galyer, Kentucky: 1:01.87

Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga and Missouri’s Hannah Stevens each posted her fastest time this season this morning, each making her first foray into the 100 back world rankings this season.

Smoliga swam 59.81 this morning, a time which ties Australia’s Belinda Hocking for 13th in the world this season. Notably, only two Americans have been faster this year: Missy Franklin, who went 59.80 at the Arena PSS in Orlando, and Natalie Coughlin, who went 59.72 at the FINA World Cup in Doha. Smoliga is coming back from a disappointing NCAA Championship performance in this event; she had a underwhelming performance in prelims that relegated her to the B final and then came back in the consols to post the second-fastest swim of the meet (50.58). However, she still was only able to score 9th place overall.

Stevens’s performance ranks her 16th in the world, and her speed this morning is much more of a surprise. Stevens finished 14th in the 100 back at NCAAs this year. Her performance is also a signal of the monumental rise that the Missouri program has taken over the past few years.

Both swimmers will pose a threat to Coughlin, Franklin, and company in this hotly-contested event in Omaha.

Club Wolverine’s Ali Deloof came in a second behind the duo, finishing in 1:00.88. Canada’s Dominique Bouchard, who will swim this event in Rio, took fourth in 1:01.09. Deloof’s teammate Clara Smiddy swam 1:01.22, followed by junior world record holder and Texas commit Claire Adams in 1:01.73.

Kentucky swimmers Bridgette Alexander and Danielle Galyer tied for seventh this morning with 1:01.87.

Men’s 100 Back – Prelims

1. David Plummer, New York Athletic Club: 53.24
2. Robert Glover, Indiana: 55.61
3. Arkady Vyatchanin, New York Athletic Club: 55.70
4. Luke Papendick, Club Wolverine: 55.85
5. Corey Main, Gator Swim Club: 55.89
6. Rex Tullius, Saint Thomas Swim Academy: 56.04
7. Zheng Wen Quah, Singapore: 56.05
8. Aaron Greene, Unattached (Louisville) / Brett Pinfold, Wisconsin: 56.53

New York Athletic Club’s David Plummer was over two seconds ahead of the field this morning in the men’s 100 back, clocking 53.24, a time that would have grabbed fifth at the London Olympics. Plummer currently sits second in the world in his signature event with a 52.51 from the FINA World Cup. Plummer has been a staple of the national (and world) backstroke scene for over a decade.

However, all of that said, Plummer is far from a shoe-in for the Rio Olympic team. The U.S. has dominated the international backstroke scene for years, and, to make the cut, he will have to take on defending Olympic champion Matt Grevers and young NCAA star Ryan Murphy, who came close to hitting Aaron Piersol’s world record in Kazan last summer (for more on Plummer’s Olympic chances, check our men’s 100 back Olympic preview).

The fight in this race tonight will be for second, and it’s anyone’s game. Robert Glover of Indiana, Plummer’s NYAC teammate Arkady Vyatchanin (who is currently searching for a country to represent internationally), Club Wolverine’s Luke Papendick, Gator Swim Club’s Corey Main, Saint Thomas Swim Academy’s Rex Tullius, and Singapore’s already-Rio-qualified Zheng Wen Quah all finished within about half a second, with Glover coming in at 55.61, and Quah hitting in 56.05.

However, there will be some more backstroke competition this morning, as Louisville’s Aaron Greene and Wisconsin’s Brett Pinfold tied for eighth in 56.63, necessitating a swim-off for the final slot in the championship final tonight.

Women’s 200 Breast – Prelims

1. Lilly King, Indiana: 2:28.11
2. Annie Lazor, Auburn: 2:29.60
3. Melanie Margalis, St. Petersburg: 2:29.69
4. Miranda Tucker, Indiana: 2:29.90
5. Andrea Cottrell, Unattached (Louisville): 2:30.38
6. Abigail Duncan, Mizzou: 2:30.58
7. Micah Lawrence, Unattached: 2:30.85
8. Emma Reaney, Irish Aquatics: 2:31.53

We can all breathe a sigh of relief that reigning NCAA champion and short course American record holder Lilly King is back after no-showing the 100 breast yesterday. She swam a 2:28.11 this morning, pounding out the first 100 (1:09.36) and then hitting the brakes on the second (1:18.75).

Second seed Annie Lazor of Auburn swam a much more even race, splitting 1:12.87 and 1:16.73. Melanie Margalis of St. Petersburg Aquatics was third, very close behind in 2:29.69. Margalis took on a killer double yesterday, first challenging Leah Smith for the 200 free title and hitting a personal best, then winning the 100 breast. She could be dangerous tonight.

Also in the mix tonight will be Indiana’s other breaststroking rising sophomore, Miranda Tucker (2:29.90), who has had an incredible breakout year herself, scoring an NCAA silver and bronze as a freshman. Tucker, though often overshadowed by her record-smashing classmate, certainly has the potential for some huge swims in Omaha.

Louisville’s Andrea Cottrell, Mizzou’s Abigail Duncan, Micah Lawrence, and former short course American record holder Emma Reaney will also be in the championship final tonight.

Men’s 200 Breast – Prelims

1. Nic Fink, Athens Bulldogs: 2:11.23
2. Kevin Cordes, Unattached: 2:14.27
3. Carlos Claverie, Unattached (Louisville): 2:14.74
4. Moises Loschi, BUZZ: 2:16.51
5. Cody Miller, Badger: 2:16.68
6. Sam Tierney, Mizzou: 2:16.97
7. Calum Tait, SCOT: 2:18.15
8. Kieran Preston, SCOT: 2:18.63

Athens Bulldog Nic Fink posted the fastest time this morning by three seconds, swimming the event in 2:11.23. Fink currently sits seventh in the world in the men’s 200 breast with a 2:08.89 from the FINA World Cup meet in Chartres in back in August. Josh Prenot is the only American in the rankings ahead of Fink right now, fifth in the world with a 2:08.58 from Canadian Trials.

Although he went an easy 2:14.27 this morning for the second seed, Kevin Cordes will be a huge 200 breaststroke contender come Omaha (for more on this event, see our U.S. Olympic Trials 200 breast preview).

Louisville’s Carlos Claverie came in about half a second back from Cordes in 2:14.74, followed by Moises Loschi in 2:16.51.

Cody Miller, Sam Tierney, Calum Tait, and Kieran Preston will round out tonight’s final.

Women’s 400 Free – Prelims

1. Leah Smith, Unattached (Virginia): 4:05.21
2. Vien Nguyen, Unattached: 4:09.07
3. Lindsay Vrooman, Badger: 4:09.76
4. Andrea Pinto, Gator: 4:10.44
5. Hali Flickinger, Athens Bulldogs: 4:10.59
6. Brittany MacLean, SO: 4:10.82
7. Allie Davis, Boilermaker: 4:17.15
8. Abigial Jagdfeld, Unattached: 4:18.32

Virginia’s NCAA champion in the 500 distance Leah Smith scored 4:05.21 for an easy first seed tonight. That prelims swim comes within a second of her season-best, a world eighth 4:04.67 from the Arena PSS in Minneapolis. Smith is the favorite to grab the second slot on the Olympic team in this event, with the number one slot set for Katie Ledecky, barring some sort of tragedy. (You can read more about our predictions for this event in our U.S. Olympic Trials women’s 400 free preview.)

This prelims swim puts Smith in incredible shape going into Omaha; excluding her Minneapolis swim, this morning’s performance would set her ninth in the world. 

Like in the men’s 100 back, the battle will be for second tonight, and there are five silver medal contenders. Vietnam’s Athlete of the Year Vien Nguyen scored the second seed with 4:09.07, with Badger Swim Club’s defending U.S. national champion Lindsay Vrooman third in 4:09.76. Gator Swim Club’s Andrea Pinto scored fourth this morning in 4:10.44, just ahead of Georgia’s NCAA bronze medalist in the 500 Hali Flickinger and Canada’s Rio-bound 500 NCAA runner-up Brittany MacClean. MacClean will take on the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, and 4×200 free relay at this summer’s Olympics.

Allie Davis and Abigail Jagdfeld round out the championship final field.

Men’s 400 Free – Prelims

1. Connor Jaeger, Club Wolverine: 3:52.55
2. Matthew Hutchins, Wisconsin: 3:53.16
3. Jay Litherland, Dynamo: 3:53.78
4. Zane Grothe, Badger: 3:53.85
5. Anders Nielsen, Cardinal: 3:55.77
6. PJ Ransford, Club Wolverine: 3:56.18
7. Ryan Feeley, Badger: 3:58.75
8. Ian Rainey, Club Wolverine: 3:58.78

Club Wolverine’s Connor Jaeger clocked in with the top time in the men’s 400 free this morning, hitting the wall in 3:52.55. Despite his loss to Conor Dwyer in Charlotte earlier this month, Jaeger is the favorite to take one of the two spots on the Olympic team in a crowded field in Omaha. Jaeger’s personal best is a 3:44.81 from his fourth place finish at last year’s FINA World Championships in Kazan. (To read more about Jaeger’s Olympic chances, you can look here at our U.S. Olympic Trials men’s 400 free preview.)

The second seed this morning went to Wisconsin’s rising junior Matthew Hutchins, who took 6th place at NCAAs in the 500 earlier this year.

Dynamo and Georgia’s Jay Litherland, who remains the Litherland triplets‘ final chance at making the Rio Olympics after his brothers Kevin and Mick missed the New Zealand Olympic team, swam to third this morning with 3:53.78. Litherland took a pair of wins yesterday, including a huge 4-second victory in his off-event 200 free and a gold in his signature 400 IM.

Badger Swim Club’s Zane Grothe, another Olympic team contender in this event, took fourth very close behind in 3:53.85.

Cardinal’s Anders Nielsen, Club Wolverine’s PJ Ransford, Grothe’s Badger teammate Ryan Feeley, and Ian Rainey will round out the championship final field.