2016 Georgia Invite: Weitzeil Leads Nation with 47.2 100 Free in Day 3 Prelims

2016 GEORGIA FALL INVITATIONAL

• Friday, December 2nd-Sunday, December 4th
• Hosted by University of Georgia
• 25 yards
• Invite format
• Live results

Day 3 prelims of the 2016 Georgia Fall Invitational saw fast swimming in the 200 back, 100 free, 200 breast, and 200 fly. While many athletes have faced a post-Olympic slump at some point in their careers, the NCAA swimmers at this meet who competed in Rio seem to be in top form. That includes the likes of Ryan Murphy, Abbey Weitzeil, and Chase Kalisz among others.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK

• Top seed: Amy Bilquist, Cal, 1:52.05

Cal’s Amy Bilquist and Kathleen Baker are lined up to race in tonight’s 200 back final. Bilquist was the fastest through prelims with a 1:52.05, while Baker took the 2nd slot in 1:53.24. Their freshman teammate Keaton Blovad made a big drop this morning, taking 4th in 1:54.77 behind Georgia’s Kylie Stewart (1:54.56). Before today, Blovad’s best was a 1:57.38 from 2015.

MEN’S 200 BACK

• Top seed: Ryan Murphy, Cal, 1:42.67

Olympic champ Ryan Murphy cruised to a 1:42.67 for top seed in the men’s 200 back this morning. Murphy, who won the 100 back last night with a nation-leading 44.61, has been swimming the fastest times he’s ever put up at a midseason invite in his career. We’ll likely see a sub-1:40 swim from the Cal senior tonight.

Taking 2nd by a narrow margin Florida State’s Connor Kalisz, who was just a tenth behind Murphy in 1:42.78. Also in the mix tonight will be Auburn’s Joe Patching (1:43.29), the regining SEC champ in this event, and Georgia’s Jay Litherland (1:43.17), who joined Murphy on the U.S. Olympic team this summer.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE

• Top seed: Abbey Weitzeil, Cal, 47.22

Cal freshman Abbey Weitzeil blasted a 47.22 to top 100 free prelims on the way to an NCAA ‘A’ cut and the fastest time in the NCAA this year. She’ll be joined in tonight’s final by All-American teammate Farida Osman, who took 4th in 48.65. Georgia’s reigning NCAA champ Olivia Smoliga (48.10) and Canadian Olympian Chantal Van Landeghem (48.26) rounded out the top 3 seeds to set themselves up in either side of Weitzeil tonight.

MEN’S 100 FREE

• Top seed: Justin Lynch, Cal, 43.07

The Cal men put 3 freshman into the 100 free final tonight, as well as junior Justin Lynch, who took top seed in 43.07. The freshman class wil likely play a big role for the Bears as they compete for an NCAA title this season. Michael Jensen (43.17), Pawel Sendyk (43.56), and ‘Aukai Lileikis (43.74) have been looking strong at this meet so far. It’ll be interesting to see what Jensen can do in the final after his blazing 41.64 split on the medle relay.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST

• Top seed: Laura Simon, Virginia, 2:08.33

Virginia’s Laura Simon, who won the 100 breast last night, was the fastest swimmer through the 200 breast heats with a 2:08.33. Also under 2:10 was Cal’s Marina Garcia with a 2:09.36 for 2nd. That’s just 2 tenths shy of Garcia’s personal best, which she swam at this meet in 2014.

MEN’S 200 BREAST

• Top seed: Hunter Cobleigh, Cal, 1:54.76

Hunter Cobleigh picked up to seed in the 200 breast for the Bears, clocking a personal best 1:54.76. Behind him, Florida State All-American Jason Coombs, who holds the FSU school records in both breaststrokes, picked up 2nd in 1:55.08. Reigning SEC champ Michael Duderstadt, an Auburn senior, also got in with a 1:57.22 for 8th.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY

• Top seed: Kaitlyn Jones, Virginia, 1:52.93

Virginia’s Kaitlyn Jones threw down a personal best 1:52.93 to lead a 1-2 finish in the 200 fly prelims with teammate Jenn Marrkand (1:54.22). That time ranks her 2ndd in the NCAA this season behind Stanford’s Ella Eastin, who swam a 1:52.62 at the Ohio State Invite, but Jones will have a chance to surpass that in tonight’s final. Cal’s Noemie Thomas will also be in the title hunt. After a spectacular showing in last night’s 100 fly, Thomas picked up 3rd this morning with a 1:54.40.

MEN’S 200 FLY

• Top seed: Chase Kalisz, Georgia, 1:42.11

Georgia’s Chase Kalisz will get one more matchup with Cal’s Andrew Seliskar tonight, this time in the men’s 200 fly final. This morning, Kalisz was within tenths of his best time, taking top seed with a speedy 1:42.11. Seliskar picked up 3rd in 1:43.78, just behind Virginia’s Zach Fong (1:43.64).

Interestingly, Georgia’s Pace Clark, an NCAA All-American in this race, was absent from the event this morning. Clark and freshman teammate Javier Acevedo haven’t been swimming much at this meet. Clark’s only indiviudal race was the 500 free on day 1, and he swam on the 200 free and 400 medley relays. Acevedo’s only swims have been on those relays.