2019 Pro Swim Series – Greensboro: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2019 USA SWIMMING PRO SWIM SERIES – GREENSBORO

• November 6th-9th, 2019
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• 50m (LCM)
• Prelims at 9:00AM Eastern Time/Finals at 6:00PM Eastern Time (4:00 Eastern for Wednesday timed finals)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Saturday Prelims Heat Sheet

The final preliminary session from Greensboro will be a busy one, as there are five different events on the schedule followed by the early heats of the 800 freestyles shortly after.

Highlighting the field this morning are current world champions Kylie Masse, Maggie MacNeil and Simone Manuel taking on the women’s 100 back, 100 fly and 50 freestyle respectively.

Canadians Masse and MacNeil have yet to race here in Greensboro, but they were only entered in today’s events to begin with. Manuel, however, has been in action the last two days and has looked very good, winning the women’s 100 free and placing second to Katie Ledecky in the 200 free.

Manuel is also entered in the 100 back and 100 fly, and MacNeil will also contest the 50 free.

Ledecky, who has two wins under her belt thus far in Greensboro, is slated to race the 200 IM this morning before taking on the 800 free with the fastest heat at finals.

Also of note for Saturday’s prelims is Ryan Lochte entered in the men’s 200 breaststroke along with his customary 200 IM.

Women’s 100 Back Prelims

• PSS Record: 58.73, Olivia Smoliga (2019)
• Trials Cut: 1:02.69

1. Kylie Masse, TSC, 59.80
2. Ali Deloof, TE, 1:01.17
3. Katharine Berkoff, NCS, 1:01.59
4. Isabelle Stadden, AQJT, 1:01.82
5. Simone Manuel, ALTO, 1:02.04
6. Claire Curzan, TAC, 1:02.08
7. Kennedy Goss, GGST, 1:02.25
8. Anastasia Gorbenko, UN, 1:02.84

Kylie Masse ripped through the final heat of the women’s 100 back to easily take the top seed for tonight’s final, qualifying first by well over a second in 59.80. Masse was the fastest swimmer on both the opening (29.14) and closing 50s (30.66) in the field. The swim puts the 23-year-old sixth in the world this season.

Per our findings, Masse’s swim was her 54th under one minute.

Team Elite’s Ali Deloof was the #2 qualifier out of the final heat alongside Masse in 1:01.17, while the other heat winners, Katharine Berkoff and Isabelle Stadden, were the two others sub-1:02. Stadden was the winner of the 200 back last night.

In fifth, Simone Manuel put together a solid 1:02.04, the fourth-fastest performance of her career and less than a second off of her best time (1:01.11).

Men’s 100 Back Prelims

• PSS Record: 52.40, David Plummer (2016)
• Trials Cut: 56.59

1. Justin Ress, WOLF, 54.60
2. Jacob Pebley, TE, 55.61
3. Joey Reilman, TNAQ, 55.63
4. Mark Nikolaev, GCU, 55.84
5. Dean Farris, HARV, 55.87
6. Christopher Reid, WOLF, 55.90
7. Coleman Stewart, NCS, 55.95
8. Paul Le, WOLF, 55.98

Wolfpack Elite’s Justin Ress threw down the fastest time of the morning in the final heat of the men’s 100 back, becoming the only swimmer sub-55 in a quick time of 54.60. The swim puts the 22-year-old inside the world’s top-10 at ninth.

Overall it took 55 or better to make the A-final, as three others joined Ress under 56 in the last heat to make qualifiers two through eight very bunched up, separated by just 0.37 seconds.

Jacob Pebley and Mark Nikolaev both had heat wins for second and fourth overall in 55.61 and 55.84, and then Joey Reilman, Dean Farris and Christopher Reid all hit 55-highs alongside Ress in heat seven. Reid edged out Pebley to win the 200 back on day three.

Omar Pinzon won a swim-off with Michael Laitarovsky in 55.76 after the two of them tied for 10th in the heats in 56.54. This makes Pinzon the second alternate for the A-final behind Javier Acevedo.

Women’s 200 Breast Prelims

• PSS Record: 2:20.77, Annie Lazor (2019)
• Trials Cut: 2:33.29

1. Madisyn Cox, TXLA, 2:29.71
2. Esther Gonzalez Medina, MEX, 2:30.38
3. Rachel Bernhardt, GAME, 2:30.46
4. Laura Morley, BAH, 2:30.49
5. Sophie Hansson, NCS, 2:31.27
6. Byanca Rodriguez, MEX, 2:31.49
7. Anna Keating, MACH, 2:32.11
8. Emma Barksdale, GAME, 2:34.11

Madisyn Cox of Longhorn Aquatics held off Rachel Bernhardt down the stretch of the final heat of the women’s 200 breast to establish the morning’s top time in 2:29.71, good for 12th in the world early in the season.

Bernhardt, a member of Gamecock Aquatics, touched in 2:30.46, good for third overall behind Mexico’s Esther Gonzalez Medina. Gonzalez Medina won the first circle-seeded heat in 2:30.38, and NC State’s Sophie Hansson came out on top in the penultimate heat for fifth overall (2:31.27).

Laura Morley, a Bahamian native who trains in Indiana, was less than three-tenths off her national record set at the Pan Ams this past summer (2:30.21) to qualify fourth in 2:30.49.

Men’s 200 Breast Prelims

• PSS Record: 2:08.95, Andrew Wilson (2018)
• Trials Cut: 2:17.89

1. Andrew Wilson, ABSC, 2:13.42
2. Anton McKee, PRVT, 2:14.83
3. Carlos Claverie, UN, 2:16.87
4. Eli Wall, TSC, 2:17.11
5. Jorge Murillo, TAC, 2:17.61
6. Tyler Christianson, NAAC, 2:18.47
7. Jonathan Rutter, PRVT, 2:18.57
8. Ryan Lochte, GSC, 2:19.82

Andrew Wilson and Anton McKee were the class of the field in the prelims of the men’s 200 breaststroke, establishing the top-2 times of the morning from the final two heats.

McKee, a member of Pinnacle Racing, took down the previous top time by almost four seconds in the penultimate heat in 2:14.83, and then Wilson brought that down to 2:13.42 in the last heat. They were the only two men to keep all four of their 50s under 35 seconds. Wilson will go for the sweep tonight after winning the 100 breast earlier in the meet.

Carlos Claverie, Eli Wall and Jorge Murillo qualified third through fifth out of those two heats, ranging from 2:16-high to 2:17-mid.

17-year-old Tyler Christianson of Naval Academy won the first circle-seeded heat in 2:18.47, clipping his PB of 2:18.52, and also taking down his best time was 35-year-old Ryan Lochte. From one of the early heats, Lochte clocked 2:19.82, knocking off his previous best of 2:20.61 from the 2007 Nationals. Though he may scratch this event tonight to focus on the 200 IM, the swim did get him into the A-final in eighth place.

Women’s 100 Fly Prelims

• PSS Record: 56.38, Sarah Sjostrom (2016)
• Trials Cut: 1:00.69

1. Maggie MacNeil, MICH, 58.66
2. Kendyl Stewart, TE, 58.97
3. Hali Flickinger, UN, 59.35
4. Lillie Nordmann, MAG, 59.58
5. Claire Curzan, TAC, 59.61
6. Leah Gingrich, HURR, 59.91
7. Torri Huske, AAC, 59.94
8. Megan Kingsley, ABSC, 1:00.09

Current world champion Maggie MacNeil pulled away from Claire Curzan on the second 50 in the last heat of the women’s 100 fly, producing the top time of the prelims in 58.66. This is the fastest MacNeil has ever been this early on in the season. The fastest in-season swim of her career stands at 57.66 from the Counsilman Classic last June.

The 19-year-old sophomore at Michigan is now tied for sixth in the world with Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen.

Curzan, 15, qualified for her second A-final of the day in 59.61, good for fifth overall.

Team Elite’s Kendyl Stewart joined MacNeil under 59 in 58.97 for second, and 200 fly winner from day two Hali Flickinger won the first seeded heat for third overall in 59.35. Flickinger was the only swimmer to come back sub-31 in 30.80.

Men’s 100 Fly Prelims

• PSS Record: 51.00, Jack Conger (2018)
• Trials Cut: 54.19

1. Luis Martinez, GUA, 52.54
2. Luca Urlando, DART, 53.21
3. Jack Saunderson, TUS, 53.76
4. Josiah Binnema, HPVC, 53.83
5. Ryan Coetzee, TNAQ, 54.18
6. Dylan Carter, UN, 54.22
7. Daniil Antipov, GCU, 54.41
8. Nathan Lile, GAME, 54.73

Guatemalan Luis Martinez put up a quick 52.54 out of the penultimate heat in the men’s 100 fly, earning him the top seed for tonight’s final by close to three-quarters of a second and ninth in the world rankings. Martinez’s swim was also a new pool record.

17-year-old Luca Urlando won the final heat in 53.21 for the second seed, joining Martinez as the only two to come sub-28 (27.94), and Canadian Josiah Binnema won the first circle-seeded heat in 53.83 for fourth overall.

Towson’s Jack Saunderson was the other man to crack 54 seconds, clocking 53.76 for third overall.

Women’s 200 IM Prelims

• PSS Record: 2:08.66, Katinka Hosszu (2015)
• Trials Cut: 2:17.39

1. Madisyn Cox, TXLA, 2:13.31
2. Leah Hayes, TIDE, 2:14.09
3. Hali Flickinger, UN, 2:14.96
4. Anastasia Gorbenko, UN, 2:15.45
5. Emma Barksdale, GAME, 2:15.86
6. Ella Eastin, ALTO, 2:15.92
7. Lea Polonsky, ISR, 2:16.21
8. Katie Ledecky, NCAP, 2:16.36

Madisyn Cox overtook Leah Hayes in heat 10 of the women’s 200 IM to post the #1 time of the morning in 2:13.31, putting her eighth in the world rankings in the 2019-20 season. Hayes, who is 10 years Cox’s junior at just 14, qualifies second overall in 2:14.09, the second-fastest swim of her career. Hayes was a 2:13.06 at Junior Nationals in August.

Hali Flickinger, who has been an absolute workhorse here in Greensboro, touched first in the final heat in a time of 2:14.96 for third overall, leading former NCAA champion Ella Eastin who sits sixth. Anastasia Gorbenko and Emma Barksdale were 2:15s in heat nine for fourth and fifth.

Katie Ledecky snuck her way into the A-final in 2:16.36 for eighth place.

Men’s 200 IM Prelims

• PSS Record: 1:56.32, Michael Phelps (2012)
• Trials Cut: 2:04.09

1. Carson Foster, RAYS, 2:00.16
2. Abrahm DeVine, UN, 2:01.85
3. Luca Urlando, DART, 2:03.34
4. Ryan Lochte, GSC, 2:04.44
5. Jay Litherland, DYNA, 2:04.47
6. Sheng Jun Pang, UN, 2:04.80
7. Jose Martinez, MEX, 2:05.61
8. Paul Le, WOLF, 2:05.73

Carson Foster was dominant in the opening circle-seeded heat in the men’s 200 IM, sailing to a new pool record by two seconds in 2:00.16. That time held up as the fastest of the session, and also falls just 0.03 shy of Foster’s fastest swim in-season. The 18-year-old now sits ninth in the world rankings, and will be tough to beat tonight after having the fastest split in the field on all four 50s (25.82/30.50/35.00/28.84).

Abrahm DeVine, who hasn’t had a great meet thus far, had a strong performance out of the final heat to clock 2:01.85 and qualify second overall. 17-year-old Luca Urlando and Ryan Lochte went 1-2 in heat nine to advance in third and fourth. Jay Litherland, the winner of the 400 IM earlier, was fifth.

Women’s 50 Free Prelims

• PSS Record: 24.17, Sarah Sjostrom (2016)
• Trials Cut: 25.99

1. Simone Manuel, ALTO, 24.96
2. Catie Deloof, TE, 25.12
3. Ting Wen Quah, SGP, 25.47
4. Maggie MacNeil, MICH, 25.54
5. Bella Hindley, UN, 25.66
6. Torri Huske, AAC, 25.73
7. Claire Curzan, TAC, 25.89
8. Lindsay Flynn, AQUA, 25.95

In her third race of the session, Simone Manuel made it look easy as the 2019 world champion cruised to the top seed in the women’s 50 free in a time of 24.96, good for eighth in the world.

Catie Deloof of Team Elite qualifies second in 25.12, followed by Singapore’s Ting Wen Quah (25.47) and Michigan’s Maggie MacNeil (25.54).

Great Britain native Bella Hindley swam a lifetime best of 25.66 in fifth, and in seventh, Claire Curzan qualified for her third A-final of the day in 25.89.

Men’s 50 Free Prelims

• PSS Record: 21.56, Nathan Adrian (2015)
• Trials Cut: 23.19

1. Michael Chadwick, TE, 22.45
2. Wu Chun Feng, PRVT, 22.54
3. Nyls Korstanje, NCS, 22.58
4. Meiron Cheruti, UNA, 22.62
5. PJ Dunne, UN, 22.67
6. Kyle Decoursey, TNAQ, 22.72
7. Ian Ho, UNA, 22.79
8. Dean Farris, HARV, 22.86

Michael Chadwick blasted a 22.45 out of heat eight to lead a tight men’s 50 free field into tonight’s final. The top-8 qualifiers are all within just 0.41 of one another. Chadwick puts himself into 12th in the world this year.

Pinnacle’s Wu Chun Feng topped the last heat in 22.54 for second overall, and NC State’s Nyls Korstanje won the first circle-seeded heat in 22.58 for third. The top seed coming in, Meiron Cheruti, who held the world’s 12th best time coming into the meet at 22.51, was fourth-fastest in 22.62.

Coming out of nowhere in one of the early heats was PJ Dunne, who torched a 22.67 to blow past his previous best time of 22.96 (from March of 2016) and make the A-final in fifth.

A total of 11 men were under 23 seconds, including a tie for ninth with Brett Fraser and Jacob Molacek at 22.94 which could result in a swim-off.