2019 Pro Swim Series – Knoxville: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2019 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• January 9-12, 2018
• Alan Jones Aquatic Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
• 50m (LCM) pool
• Meet information
• Live stream (B-finals)
• Live stream (A-finals)
• Live results
• Psych Sheets

Tonight, Katie Ledecky is the top seed in both the 200 free and 400 IM. Meanwhile, Michael Andrew will challenge his meet record in the 50 back, Luca Urlando will make a push for two podium finishes, and Annie Lazor will try to improve upon her great swim in the 100 breast this morning.

Thursday Finals Heat Sheet

WOMEN’S 200 FREE

• Olympic Trials Cut: 2:01.69

1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP) – 1:55.78
2. Simone Manuel (Alto Swim Club) – 1:58.52
3. Melanie Margalis (St. Petersburg Aquatics/Georgia) – 1:58.68

Katie Ledecky got out to a lead and just ran away with this one with nobody coming close. She finished at the wall at 1:55.78, far ahead of the field. She was about a half second off of her season best, a 1:55.32 from Winter Nationals.

Alto Swim Club’s Simone Manuel held off Melanie Margalis by just over a tenth for 2nd, 1:58.52 to 1:58.68. Also under 2:00 were Hali Flickinger of Athens Bulldogs (1:59.54) and Gabby Deloof of Club Wolverine (1:59.77).

Riptide’s Regan Smith, 16 years of age, was 2:00.36, taking three more tenths off of her best time after breaking 2:01 for the first time this morning.

Kayla Sanchez of HPC – Ontario dominated the B final with a 1:59.79, a time that would’ve been second this morning only to Ledecky.

MEN’S 200 FREE

• Olympic Trials Cut: 1:50.79

1. Joao De Lucca (Cardinal Aquatics) – 1:49.48
2. Luca Urlando (DART Swimming) – 1:49.51
3. Chase Kalisz (Athens Bulldogs) – 1:50.47

Cardinal Aquatics’ Joao De Lucca flew out to a lead with a 53.05 going out, and had a huge lead coming down the final 50. Luca Urlando absolutely careened down the stretch in the final 50. Over 1.2 seconds behind De Lucca at the 150 mark, Urlando came back with a field-best 27.12 on the last 50, with De Lucca just being able to hold on, 1:49.48 to 1:49.51. Chase Kalisz, meanwhile, was the only other person under 1:51 with a 1:50.47.

That time is Urlando’s first sub-1:50 swim ever, and he improves upon his previous best from this past summer’s Jr Pan Pacs. He moves to #6 all-time in the 15-16 age group, just behind Ian Crocker and just ahead of Maxime Rooney.

U.S. 15-16 RANKINGS – 200 FREE

1. Carson Foster – 1:48.57
2. Caeleb Dressel – 1:48.64
3. Jake Magahey – 1:48.65
4. Drew Kibler – 1:49.04
5. Ian Crocker – 1:49.48
6. Luca Urlando – 1:49.51

Lakeside Swim Team’s Hunter Tapp was 1:52.71 for the B final win.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST

• Olympic Trials Cut: 1:10.99

1. Annie Lazor (Mission Viejo) – 1:06.89
2. Micah Sumrall (Chattahoochee Gold) – 1:07.78
3. Kierra Smith (HPC – Ontario) – 1:08.21

Annie Lazor just keeps getting better. After going a lifetime best this morning, Lazor continues to find success, winning the event here with a 1:06.89, her first time under 1:07. She was out in 32.18, then came back in a blazing 34.71. In her interview post-race with NBC, she mentioned taking a break from the sport and going forward with no expectations as factors leading to her success thus far. Lazor is training right now with the IU Pro group in Bloomington, IN.

Micah Sumrall clocked a 1:07.78 for 2nd, holding off a charging Kierra Smith (1:08.21). Also under 1:09 were Calgary Swim Club’s Rachel Nicol (1:08.89) and Tennessee Aquatics’ Molly Hannis (1:08.98).

Rachel Bernhardt of Gamecock Aquatics dropped almost eight tenths from this morning to win the B final at 1:09.69.

MEN’S 100 BREAST

• Olympic Trials Cut: 1:03.29

1. Andrew Wilson (Athens Bulldogs) – 1:00.57
2. Nic Fink (Athens Bulldogs) – 1:00.61
3. Josh Prenot (Cal Aquatics) – 1:00.76

It was a tight field stacked with some of the U.S.’s best breaststrokers, but Andrew Wilson hung on with a 1:00.57. It was a good preview for what may well be the final at the 2020 Trials, with Wilson, Nic Fink (1:00.61), Josh Prenot (1:00.76), and Kevin Cordes (1:01.28)

Wilson, who has been training with Athens Bulldogs, edged his teammate Fink by just four hundredths, with Prenot really close behind the two of them. Wilson was out first to the 50 wall, and held on against Fink and Prenot, who were charging hard.

Connor Hoppe of Cal Aquatics was 1:03.05 to take the B final.

WOMEN’S 50 BACK

1. Olivia Smoliga (Athens Bulldogs) – 27.85
2. Kayla Sanchez (HPC – Ontario) – 28.13
3. Kathleen Baker (Team Elite) – 28.37

After a beautiful underwater, Olivia Smoliga held strong and posted a 27.85, the only finisher under 28. She’s the American Record holder in this event, and she looked very quick.

Kayla Sanchez, the 200 free B final victor, carried that momentum into this race. She broke up what could’ve been an all-American podium, going 28.13. Team Elite teammates Kathleen Baker and Ali Deloof went 28.37 and 28.38, respectively.

16-year-olds Jade Hannah of HPC – Victoria, Isabelle Stadden of Aquajets, and Phoebe Bacon of NCAP went 5-6-7 in this event at 28.45, 28.50, and 28.55, respectively.

Madison Broad of Swim Ontario won the 50 back in 29.10 ahead of Simone Manuel‘s 29.31.

MEN’S 50 BACK

1. Michael Andrew (Race Pace Club) – 24.73
2. Ryan Murphy (Cal Aquatics) – 24.95
3. Daniel Carr (Unattached) – 25.18

After breaking Junya Koga’s meet record this morning, Michael Andrew was the champion tonight. Though he was a touch off of his time this morning, Andrew fought back against a great start from Murphy, and finished on top, 24.73 to 24.95.

Daniel Carr, like Murphy, had a bit of a drop from prelims, and Carr was 3rd with a solid 25.18. Another Cal swimmer, Bryce Mefford, was 26.04 to grab 4th, though the top three were a class above the rest in this race.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY

• Olympic Trials Cut: 1:00.69

1. Kelsi Dahlia (Cardinal Aquatics) – 57.86
2. Kendyl Stewart (Team Elite) – 58.25
3. Penny Oleksiak (HPC – Ontario) – 58.33

Kelsi Dahlia of Cardinal Aquatics is really learning how to back-half. Out in 28.09, she came back in a 29.77, out-splitting everyone else by a second, to clock a 57.86.

Not far behind was Team Elite’s Kendyl Stewart at 58.25. HPC – Ontario’s Penny Oleksiak had a really great swim, going 58.33 and taking nearly two seconds off of her prelims time.

Also under 59 seconds were Farida Osman at 58.68 and Riptide’s Regan Smith at 58.85. Cal Aquatics’ Dana Vollmer, on her comeback tour, was 59.27. That’s a tenth faster than she was at her first meet back, the 2018 Winter Nationals last month. Meanwhile, Athens Bulldogs’ Natalie Hinds was 59.67 for another new personal best, and HPC – Vancouver’s Haley Black was also under a minute at 59.84.

MEN’S 100 FLY

• Olympic Trials Cut: 54.19

1. Marius Kusch (Unattached) – 52.06
2. Luis Martinez (Guatemala) – 52.14
3. Giles Smith (Phoenix Swim Club) – 52.40

Marius Kusch was out hard in 24.23, and he held strong to clock the win at 52.06, just ahead of Luis Martinez at 52.14. For Martinez, that’s a new personal best, which means it’s also a new Guatemalan national record.

Giles Smith of Phoenix Swim Club was the top American finisher at 52.40, just ahead of Cal Aquatics’ Tom Shields (52.55).

Despite coming home in a solid 27.89, Luca Urlando was unable to get onto the podium. The DART swimmer was 52.96, still a .02 drop from the prelims, to take 5th. Michael Andrew was out with the field in a 25.03, but tanked hard with a 29.89 coming home for a 54.92 finish.

Zheng Quah had a strong 53.47 to take the B final.

WOMEN’S 400 IM

• Olympic Trials Cut: 4:51.79

1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP) – 4:39.39
2. Hali Flickinger (Athens Bulldogs) – 4:39.80
3. Melanie Margalis (St. Petersburg Aquatics/Georgia) – 4:40.31

Hali Flickinger, as expected, was out very well in the front half. She’s a 200 fly and 200 back specialist, so it was no wonder she had a huge lead halfway through. Katie Ledecky and Melanie Margalis reeled her way back into the mix, and Ledecky just did her thing on freestyle to break past her.

Ledecky had an immense 1:00.09 freestyle leg, including a 29.27 final 50, to clock a 4:39.39. Flickinger, who was 4.5 seconds ahead of Ledecky and over 6 seconds ahead of Flickinger at the 200 mark, had a strong enough final 100 to place 2ndin 4:39.80, while Margalis was 4:40.31 for 3rd. Margalis also had a strong last 50 (29.64). All three women took at least seven seconds off of their morning times.

Emily Overholt of HPC – Vancouver dropped five seconds from prelims to go 4:46.32 for 4th, while 15-year-old Mariah Denigan of Northern KY Clippers dropped several tenths for 5th (4:47.67).

NCAP’s Phoebe Bacon clocked a 4:52.34 to win the B final, earning a nice two-second drop from her old PR.

MEN’S 400 IM

• Olympic Trials Cut: 4:25.99

1. Josh Prenot (Cal Aquatics) – 4:18.74
2. Carson Foster (Mason Manta Rays) – 4:20.27
3. Anton Ipsen (Wolfpack Elite) – 4:20.72

Josh Prenot blew by the field in the breaststroke, and it was all him the rest of the race. The Cal Aquatics swimmer, who placed 3rd in the 100 breast earlier, had a strong swim and finished on top in 4:18.74.

Carson Foster of Mason Manta Rays and Jay Litherland of Dynamo were neck and neck at halfway, but Foster faded behind Prenot, and Litherland really faded. Foster held on for 2nd in 4:20.27, with Wolfpack Elite’s Ant0n Ipsen coming back in a 59.22 to finish in third (4:20.72).

Litherland settled for 4th at 4:22.57, while Foster’s brother Jake Foster took 5th in 4:24.36.