2018 Santa Clara Pro Swim Series: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2018 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – SANTA CLARA

• Santa Clara, CA
• June 7-10, 2018
• Meet page
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Friday Finals Heat Sheet

We’re set for the first night of finals from the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series in Santa Clara, with some of the sport’s biggest stars taking centre stage.

Among the highlights, we’ll see a stacked field including Ryan Murphy, Jacob Pebley, Ryan Lochte and Ryosuke Irie go to battle in the men’s 200 back, Caeleb Dressel swim his first PSS final this year in the men’s 100 fly, and arguably the best female backstroker in the world Kylie Masse go up against rising American Regan Smith in the women’s 200 back. We’ll also see Katie Ledecky in the women’s 200 free, Lilly King in the women’s 200 breast, and Chase Kalisz in the men’s 400 IM.

WOMEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• PSS Record: 4:31.07, Katinka Hosszu, 2015

1. Ella Eastin, STAN, 4:38.99
2. Leah Smith, FORD, 4:39.37
3. Sarah Darcel, UN, 4:44.79

Stanford’s Ella Eastin managed to fend off a hard charge from Leah Smith to win the women’s 400 IM in a time of 4:38.99, with Smith less than four tenths back in 4:39.37.

Eastin’s time is about half a second off her season best (4:38.43) which ranks her 11th in the world. Smith, who went a season best 4:40.53 this morning, dropped another second-plus to move into 19th in the world. She trailed Eastin by three seconds heading into the free, but came home in 1:00.76 to make the race real close.

Cal’s Sarah Darcel took 3rd in 4:44.79, and Meaghan Raab of Nashville was 4th in 4:48.13. Darcel has been as fast as 4:39.43 this year, done at the Commonwealth Games with a full taper, while Raab’s swim was a season best.

MEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• PSS Record: 4:08.92, Chase Kalisz, 2018

1. Chase Kalisz, ABSC, 4:11.62
2. Takeharu Fujimori, PSC, 4:19.09
3. Mark Szaranek, GSC, 4:20.70

Chase Kalisz of the Athens Bulldogs extended his unbeaten medley streak in tonight’s 400, leading the entire way to clock a time of 4:11.62. Kalisz is currently the #1 ranked swimmer in the world in this event with his time from the Atlanta stop of 4:08.92.

His training partner Jay Litherland touched 2nd in 4:17.27, but ended up being DQed for a butterfly kick during the breast leg, per the live results. That bumped Takeharu Fujimori of the Phoenix Swim Club up to 2nd, and Mark Szaranek of the Gator Swim Club into 3rd. Both swimmers are fairly high in the world rankings, with Szaranek 7th and Fujimori 13th.

Sean Grieshop (4:22.65) out-touched Charlie Swanson (4:22.87) in the race for 4th.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY FINAL

• PSS Record: 56.38, Sarah Sjostrom, 2016

1. Kelsi Dahlia, CARD, 57.55
2. Katie McLaughlin, CAL, 58.33
3. Hellen Moffitt, TE, 58.39

Kelsi Dahlia of Cardinal Aquatics produced a very solid 57.55 to win the women’s 100 fly, coming within less than two tenths of her season best time from Indianapolis (that ranks her 6th in the world).

Cal’s Katie McLaughlin had the 2nd fastest swim of her life – her best being from 2015 – to take 2nd in 58.33, edging Team Elite’s Hellen Moffitt by a few one-hundredths. Moffitt’s 58.39 was her fastest this year as well, while Regan Smith and Sarah Gibson tied for 4th in 59.07 and Swim Ontario teammates Penny Oleksiak and Maggie MacNeil tied for 6th in 59.29.

MEN’S 100 FLY FINAL

• PSS Record: 51.00, Jack Conger, 2018

1. Caeleb Dressel, BSS, 52.20
2. Andrew Seliskar, CAL, 52.81
3. Tripp Cooper, UN, 53.02

Caeleb Dressel used a blazing back half of 27.26 to take a big win in the men’s 100 fly, touching in 52.20 for a new season best. He improves his 52.45 from last week at Mel Zajac, and is .09 faster than he was at this meet last year. The reigning world champ also moves past Tripp Cooper and is now the 2nd fastest American this year.

Cal’s Andrew Seliskar tied his all-time best for 2nd in 52.81, with Cooper (53.02) clipping Luis Martinez (53.05) at the wall for 3rd. Jack Conger, who is 2nd in the world with his 51.00 from Atlanta, was 5th in 53.12.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

• PSS Record: 2:06.36, Taylor Ruck, 2018

1. Regan Smith, RIPT, 2:09.60
2. Kylie Masse, SO, 2:10.68
3. Olivia Smoliga, ABSC, 2:10.70

16-year-old Regan Smith won a close battle with Kylie Masse and Olivia Smoliga in the women’s 200 back, using a 32.62 final 50 to pull away and win by over a second in 2:09.60. Smith has been as fast as 2:08.64 this year, which ranks 10th in the world.

Masse, who is the #1 ranked swimmer with her 2:05.98 from the Commonwealth Games, did manage to hold off Smoliga for 2nd, as they touched in respective times of 2:10.68 and 2:10.70.

Lisa Bratton of the Aggie Swim Club was in the thick of things as well, cracking 2:11 for the first time this year in 2:10.91 for 4th.

MEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

• PSS Record: 1:55.04, Xu Jiayu, 2017

1. Ryan Murphy, CAL, 1:56.06
2. Ryosuke Irie, TE, 1:56.36
3. Jacob Pebley, CAL, 1:57.34

Three of the world’s best in the men’s 200 back battled it out in the A-final, with Ryan Murphy getting out to the early lead and ultimately holding on to win in 1:56.06. Murphy is ranked 3rd in the world with his 1:55.46 from Atlanta.

Team Elite’s Ryosuke Irie made up nearly six tenths on the last 50, splitting 28.71, but settled for 2nd in 1:56.36, and Murphy’s teammate Jacob Pebley was 3rd in 1:57.34.

Swim Ontario’s Javier Acevedo (1:59.97) cracked 2:00 for the first time in 4th, and Markus Thormeyer (2:00.13) and Ryan Lochte (2:00.82) were 5th and 6th.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST FINAL

• PSS Record: 2:21.41, Yuliya Efimova, 2016

1. Lilly King, IST, 2:24.97
2. Emily Escobedo, COND, 2:26.56
3. Melissa Rodriguez, MEX, 2:27.35

Lilly King of Indiana went wire-to-wire to win the women’s 200 breast, out aggressively in 32.34 before holding 37s the rest of the way to touch in 2:24.97, .02 off her fastest of the season.

Emily Escobedo of Condors used a strong back half to claim 2nd in 2:26.56, and Mexico’s Melissa Rodriguez followed up her personal best from prelims by dropping .01 in 2:27.35 to take 3rd. Annie Lazor (2:27.87) and Allie Szekely (2:28.32) both had season bests for 4th and 5th.

MEN’S 200 BREAST FINAL

• PSS Record: 2:08.95, Andrew Wilson, 2018

1. Josh Prenot, CAL, 2:10.15
2. Daniel Roy, UN, 2:11.08
3. Miguel De Lara Ojeda, TIGR, 2:13.14

Cal’s Josh Prenot is known as a strong closer in the 200 breast, but got out fast tonight to build a lead that Indy winner Daniel Roy couldn’t bridge and took the win in a time of 2:10.15. Prenot, the American Record holder in the event, lowers his season best in the event by a few one-hundredths.

Roy, who won the Indy meet in a 17-18 NAG of 2:09.73, had the fastest final 50 of anyone in 33.17, touching for 2nd in a very solid 2:11.08. Miguel De Lara Ojeda edged out a tight race for 3rd in 2:13.14, with four more behind him coming in 2:13-something.

Cody Miller swam a season best of 2:12.31 in winning the B-final.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

• PSS Record: 1:54.43, Katie Ledecky, 2016

1. Katie Ledecky, STAN, 1:54.56
2. Melanie Margalis, SPA, 1:57.99
3. Leah Smith, FORD, 1:58.20

Katie Ledecky was absolutely dominant in the women’s 200 free, out-splitting the field on all four 50s as she touched in a time of 1:54.56, dropping her season best by nearly a second and moving to the top of the world rankings. Her swim overtakes Taylor Ruck‘s 1:54.81, which previously stood atop the rankings.

Melanie Margalis won a close race with Leah Smith for 2nd, missing her season best by a few one-hundredths in 1:57.99, while Smith lowered her season best from prelims by a tenth in 1:58.20. Katie McLaughlin finished off a solid double with a 4th place finish in 1:59.53, and Abbey Weitzeil cracked 2:00 for the first time this season from the B-final (1:59.65).

MEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

• PSS Record: 1:44.82, Sun Yang, 2016

1. Andrew Seliskar, CAL, 1:48.35
2. Jack LeVant, NTN, 1:49.49
3. Townley Haas, NOVA, 1:49.55

After a best time of 1:49.23 in the prelims, Cal’s Andrew Seliskar had a big swim to break into the 1:48s for the first time and win the men’s 200 free. Out conservatively in 26.10 at the 50, Seliskar held 27s the rest of the way, including a 27.23 coming home to break away from the field and win by over a second in 1:48.35. Seliskar has been very impressive so far in the long course season, and is a threat to qualify for his first major international team in multiple events, including the 4×200 free relay.

Jack LeVant, who posted the top seed in the morning in a best time of 1:48.43, ended up 2nd in 1:49.49, just ahead of NCAA champ Townley Haas (1:49.55). In the B-final, Park Tae Hwan swam a 1:48.22, faster than Seliskar went in the A-final.