2021 Atlanta Classic: Day 2 Men’s Prelims Live Recap

2021 ATLANTA CLASSIC

• May 14-16, 2021
• McAuley Aquatic Center @ Georgia Tech
• Atlanta, GA
• Hosted by SwimAtlanta
• LCM Format (50m)
• Top 40 Finals: A, B, C, D (18&U)
• Meet Site
• Meet Packet
• Psych Sheets
• Wave I & II Olympic Trials Cuts
• FINA Olympic Qualifying Standards

Saturday AM Live Stream

Saturday AM Prelims Heat Sheet

On the slate for this morning’s preliminaries session on the men’s side will be the 200 fly, 50 free, 100 back, 200 breast, and 400 free (which has a separate check-in on deck and is not on the heat sheet). Rio Olympian Tom Shields, 2019 World junior champion Luca Urlando, and Trenton Julian will open in the men’s 200 fly prelims.

Puerto Rican representative Erik Risolvato, NCAA Champion Ryan Hoffer, breakout NCAA freshmen Adam Chaney and Matt King, Brazilian Bruno Fratus, and the Caeleb Dressel will headline the men’s 50 free. Again, the top 40 swimmers advance to finals. Chaney will return to the 100 back prelims alongside Florida teammate Clark Beach, SwimAtlanta’s Jack Aikins, (Caeleb Dressel), and Cal Bears Daniel Carr, Destin Lasco, Bryce Mefford, and Ryan Murphy.

Rio Olympians Josh Prenot and Kevin Cordes will then kick off the circle-seeded men’s 200 breast heats followed by Brazilian Caio Pumputis, yesterday’s 100 breast champion Nic Fink, Cal’s Reece Whitley, and World finalist Andrew Wilson. Into the men’s 400 free, NCAA Champions Kieran Smith (3:48.78 season best) and Jake Magahey (3:49.16 season best) will put up their morning bids for the championship final here in Atlanta as well as UGA’s Andrew Abruzzo, Florida’s Trey Freeman, Cal’s Zach Yeadon, Andrew Seliskar, and Dare Rose, and Jordan’s Khader Baqlah.

Men’s 200 Fly — Prelims

• Meet Record: 1:56.29, Caeleb Dressel (GSC), 2019
• Wave II Cut: 1:59.63
• Wave I Cut: 2:01.19

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Trenton Julian (Unattached), 1:57.14
2. Luca Urlando (DART), 1:57.21
3. Chase Kalisz (Athens Bulldog), 1:57.67
4. Jace Crawford (Florida), 1:59.09
5. Jay Litherland (Dynamo), 2:00.21
6. Tom Shields (Cal Aquatics), 2:00.58
7. Andrew Abruzzo (Plymouth), 2:01.08
8. Christian Ferraro (BUZZ), 2:02.52
9. Mason Wilby (Kentucky), 2:02.55
10. Khader Baqlah (Gator), 2:02.60

The top three prelims times in the men’s 200 fly all were under 1:58, led by Cal’s Trenton Julian at 1:57.14. DART Swimming’s Luca Urlando hit 1:57.21 to land lane five next to Julian into the championship final. Meanwhile, IMer Chase Kalisz hit 1:57.67 to grab lane three. Florida’s Jace Crawford (1:59.09) was the fourth sub-2:00 time this morning.

Dynamo’s Jay Litherland (2:00.21) and Cal’s Tom Shields (2:00.58) hit the 2:00 mark while UGA’s Andrew Abruzzo grabbed seventh at 2:01.08. Italian native Christian Ferraro (2:02.52), Kentucky’s Mason Wilby (2:02.55), and Jordanian native Khader Baqlah (2:02.60) all swam 0.08s within one another to round out the top 10 qualifiers.

Men’s 50 Free — Prelims

• Meet Record: 21.73, Michael Andrew (RPC), 2018
• Wave II Cut: 22.71
• Wave I Cut: 23.19

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Bruno Fratus (Coral Springs), 22.21
2. Caeleb Dressel (Gator), 22.41
3. Cristian Quintero (NOVA), 22.56
4. Quintin McCarty (Pikes Peak), 22.73
5. Will Davis (Florida), 22.85
6. Ryan Hoffer (Unattached), 22.89
7. Matt King (Alabama), 22.96
8. Santiago Grassi (Unattached), 22.99
9. Dillon Downing (SwimAtlanta), 23.03
10. Macguire McDuff (Bolles), 23.11

Topping the morning heats of the men’s 50 free was Brazilian Olympian Bruno Fratus, hitting 22.21. American record-holder Caeleb Dressel cruised to a 22.41 to land lane five beside Fratus in the championship final. Taking third was Venezuela’s Cristian Quintero, clearing the FINA Olympic B standard of 22.56.

Pikes Peak 17-year-old Quintin McCarty swam 22.73 to place fourth overall. McCarty now moves up to No. 24 all-time in the 17-18 age group. The Wave II cut sits at a 22.71, which will be the cut to get during tonight’s final. Florida’s Will Davis (22.85), Cal’s Ryan Hoffer (22.89), and Alabama’s Matt King (22.96) will all be aiming for the Wave II cut tonight as well.

Argentinian Santiago Grassi broke 23 seconds to place 8th at 22.99, just ahead of SwimAtlanta’s Dillon Downing (23.03) and Bolles School 18-year-old Macguire McDuff, who took 0.51s off his seed time at 23.11.

Qualifying for the consolation final include Uruguay’s Enzo Martinez (23.14), Kentucky’s Peter Wetzlar (23.15), Florida’s Adam Chaney (23.16), and SwimAtlanta’s Jack Aikins (23.16), all swimming under the Wave I cut of 23.19.

Men’s 100 Back — Prelims

• Meet Record: 53.08, Ryan Murphy (CAL), 2016
• Wave II Cut: 55.51
• Wave I Cut: 56.59

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Daniel Carr (CAL), 54.54
2. Ryan Murphy (CAL), 55.22
3. Destin Lasco (Unattached), 55.41
4. Bryce Mefford (Unattached), 55.48
5. Javier Acevedo (Unattached), 55.71
6. Jack Aikins (SwimAtlanta), 55.77
7. Matthew Menke (Alabama), 55.78
8. Clark Beach (Florida), 56.00
9. Bradley Dunham (SwimAtlanta), 56.21
10. Caleb Maldari (Bluefish), 56.24

That’s 1, 2, 3, 4 Cal Bears at the top of the men’s 100 back prelims results, led by Daniel Carr (54.54) and Ryan Murphy (55.22). Breakout freshman Destin Lasco placed third at 55.41, just seven one-hundredths ahead of Bryce Mefford (55.48).

Canadian Javier Acevedo placed fifth overall at 55.71, six one-hundredths ahead of 18-year-old Jack Aikins (55.77), who was 0.01s faster than Alabama’s Matthew Menke (55.78). Florida’s Clark Beach placed 8th at 56.00 while SwimAtlanta’s Bradley Dunham (56.21) and 16-year-old Caleb Maldari (56.24) rounded out the top ten times. Maldari’s 0.43-second drop now moved him up to No. 33 all-time in 15-16 age group history.

Picking up lane four of the consolation final was Dynamo’s Ian Grum, touching in at 56.27. Olympian Ryan Lochte placed 18th overall at 56.54 while Caeleb Dressel placed 21st at 56.69, a tenth off the Wave I cut of 56.59.

Men’s 200 Breast — Prelims

• Meet Record: 2:09.49, Josh Prenot (CAL), 2016
• Wave II Cut: 2:15.28
• Wave I Cut: 2:17.29

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Josh Prenot (CAL), 2:12.31
2. Kevin Cordes (Athens Bulldog), 2:12.55
3. Nic Fink (Athens Bulldog), 2:13.20
4. Andrew Wilson (Athens Bulldog), 2:13.87
5. Reece Whitley (Unattached), 2:13.89
6. Jonathan Tybur (Gator), 2:18.16
7. Vitauts Silins (Unattached), 2:19.19
8. Zachary Nelson (Air Force), 2:19.33
9. Will Scholtz (Lakeside), 2:20.06
10. Harry Herrera (Bolles School), 2:20.16

Olympic finalists Josh Prenot (2:12.31) and Kevin Cordes (2:12.55) took the top times in the 200 breast this morning, both breaking 2:13. All swimming under 2:14 for the top five times were Nic Fink (2:13.20), Andrew Wilson (2:13.87), Reece Whitley (2:13.89).

Gator Swim Club’s Jonathan Tybur (2:18.16) touched the wall a second faster than TCU’s Vitauts Silins (2:19.19) and Air Force’s Zachary Nelson (2:19.33). Age groupers 16-year-old Will Scholtz of Lakeside (2:20.06) and 17-year-old Harry Herrera of Bolles School (2:20.16) rounded out the top ten times.

Men’s 400 Free — Prelims

• Meet Record: 3:50.40, Anton Ipsen (DEN), 2017
• Wave II Cut: 3:54.21
• Wave I Cut: 3:57.29

Top 10 Qualifiers:

1. Kieran Smith (Florida), 3:49.32 *Meet Record
2. Trey Freeman (Florida), 3:52.40
3. Bobby Finke (Florida), 3:53.72
4. Jake Magahey (SwimAtlanta), 3:53.75
5. Andrew Abruzzo (Plymouth), 3:54.98
6. Zach Yeadon (Unattached), 3:56.04
7. Tyler Watson (Florida), 3:56.11
8. Rafael Ponce de Leon (Tennessee), 3:56.84
9. Zachary Smith (Unattached), 3:59.12
10. Brennan Gravley (Florida), 3:59.25

Picking up his second meet record in Atlanta was Florida’s Kieran Smith, breaking 3:50 at 3:49.32. Joining fellow Gator Smith in the top three were Trey Freeman (3:52.40) and Bobby Finke (3:53.72). SwimAtlanta’s Jake Magahey placed fourth at 3:53.75, just 0.03s behind Finke, while Plymouth’s Andrew Abruzzo stayed under 3:55 at 3:54.98.

Cal’s Zach Yeadon placed sixth at 3:56.11, swimming ahead of Tennessee’s Rafael Ponce de Leon (3:56.84) and Florida State’s Zachary Smith (3:59.12) and Brennan Gravley (3:59.25).