2021 Pro Swim Series – Richmond: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – RICHMOND

• January 14-17, 2021
• Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Richmond, VA
• Start Times (Eastern Time): Women’s Prelims: 9:00 a.m. / Men’s Prelims: 90 minutes after women’s prelims (between 11:30-12:00) / Finals: 7:00 p.m.
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Info (Both Sites)
• Schedule/Initial Timelines
• Live Stream (USA Swimming)
• Psych sheets
• Heat sheets
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2021 TYR Pro Swim Series – Richmond”

Tonight in Richmond, young standouts Aiden Hayes (Sooner Swim Club) and Letitia Sim (TNT Swimming) are two big names to watch. Hayes dusted his old best by a full second to lead the 100 fly prelims this morning, while Sim will challenge pros Emily Escobedo (Condor Swim Club) and Miranda Tucker (Unattached) in the 100 breast. Sim put up the #2 100 breast and #4 100 fly this morning in a back-to-back event effort.

The men’s 100 fly is shaping up to be the race of the night. In prelims, Hayes (52.92) was just ahead of a slew of big names, including Coleman Stewart (Wolfpack Elite), Justin Wright (NCAC), Jack Saunderson (Wolfpack Elite) and fellow NC State ’25 commit Arsenio Bustos (Woodbridge Aquatic Club).

After putting down the top time in the 100 fly and the #2 time in the 200 free this morning, 16-year-old Tess Howley (Long Island Aquatic Club) will focus on just the fly tonight. She’ll battle Sim, ISL breakout star Maddy Banic (Tennessee Aquatics), National Team-er Aly Tetzloff (Wolfpack Elite) and more in that race.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINALS

• PSS Record: 1:54.43, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2016
• Olympic Trials Cut: 2:01.69

1. Erin Gemmell (NCAP) – 1:59.69 OT
2. Cavan Gormsen (LIAC) – 2:00.00 OT
3. Macky Hodges (MVN) – 2:01.47 OT

Erin Gemmell held strong against a charging Cavan Gormsen, claiming the win at 1:59.69 with a new lifetime best by .16. Gormsen, meanwhile, took over a second off of her old best, and Macky Hodges of Mission Viejo dropped time, too, for third.

Kayla Wilson (Tide Swimming) was fourth in 2:01.63, followed by Claire Weinstein (2:01.96). Gormsen, Hodges and Wilson all register new lifetime bests and OT cuts with their swims, while Weinstein, just 13, was within three-tenths of the cut.

In the B-final, Paige Hall of Machine Aquatics won in 2:03.57, improving on her 2:05.11 swim from prelims and hitting a lifetime best by seven-tenths.

MEN’S 200 FREE FINALS

• PSS Record: 1:44.82, Sun Yang (CHN), 2016
• Olympic Trials Cut: 1:50.79

1. Jeff Newkirk (TXLA) – 1:50.12 OT
2. Billy Swartwout (LIAC) – 1:52.70
3. Anders Aistars (MVN) – 1:52.93

Jeff Newkirk took this out ahead of the field and held a sizable lead, cruising to a win at 1:50.12. There was no B-final as only seven swimmers swam in prelims.

18-year-old Billy Swartwout was second in 1:52.70 and 16-year-old Anders Aistars was very close behind at 1:52.93. Swartwout dropped almost a full second from his old best, set in prelims, and Aistars took about a half-second off of his previous best (also from prelims).

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST FINALS

• PSS Record: 1:05.57, Rebecca Soni (USA), 2011
• Olympic Trials Cut: 1:10.99

1. Emily Escobedo (COND) – 1:07.11
2. Miranda Tucker (Unattached) – 1:07.94
3. Letitia Sim (TNT) – 1:08.31

ISL swimmers Emily Escobedo and Miranda Tucker battled it out, both dipping under 1:08. Escobedo, at 1:07.11, reaches a new lifetime best by over three-tenths. She also beats out the time WR-holder Lilly King just went in San Antonio, a 1:07.14.

In third was TNT’s Letitia Sim, a Michigan ’25 commit, with a new lifetime best of 1:08.31. Her old best was the 1:08.97 she swam this morning in prelims, and this is just her second time under 1:09.

MEN’S 100 BREAST FINALS

• PSS Record: 58.86, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Olympic Trials Cut: 1:03.29

1. Ethan Browne (Unattached) – 1:03.70
2. Aiken Do (FISH) – 1:03.82
3. Luke Rodarte (Unattached) – 1:03.96

The men’s 100 breast was very close, but it was 24-year-old Ethan Browne first at the wall at 1:03.70. He was just ahead of The Fish’s Aiken Do (1:03.82), a Virginia Tech ’26 commit. That’s Do’s first time under 1:04 ever, and a 1.5-second drop from prelims.

22-year-old Luke Rodarte, also unattached, nabbed third in 1:03.96.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY FINALS

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

1. Aly Tetzloff (WOLF) – 59.45
2. Maddy Banic (TNAQ) – 1:00.44
3. Tess Howley (LIAC) – 1:00.67

Wolfpack Elite’s Aly Tetzloff was the only finisher under a minute, posting a 59.45 to nab the win.

Fighting for second were Maddy Banic of Tennessee Aquatics, LIAC’s Tess Howley and NCAC’s Bailey Nero. They all hit the wall in 1:00’s: Banic was 1:00.44, Howley 1:00.67 and Nero 1:00.82. Also getting under 1:01 was Nikki Venema was 1:00.85.

In the B-final, Josephine Fuller of NOVA of Virginia hit a lifetime best 1:01.98.

MEN’S 100 FLY FINALS

• PSS Record: 50.92, Caeleb Dressel (USA), 2020
• Olympic Trials Cut: 54.19

1. Coleman Stewart (Wolfpack Elite) – 52.19
2. Aiden Hayes (Sooner Swim Club) – 52.81
3. Jack Saunderson (Wolfpack Elite) – 52.96

Wolfpack Elite’s Coleman Stewart dropped a 52.19 to take the men’s 100 fly, just .08 off of his lifetime best 52.11 from the 2019 World University Games.

Sooner Swim Club’s Aiden Hayes (NC State ’25) posted another best, shaving a tenth off of his prelims swim for second (52.81). Wolfpack Elite’s Jack Saunderson was also under 53, hitting a 52.96, while Woodbridge Aquatic Club’s Arsenio Bustos was 53.25 for fourth. Bustos is also part of NC State’s monster class of 2025 incoming this fall.

In the B-final, Mecklenburg Swim Association’s Garrett Boone (NC State ’25) dropped a 53.97. That’s a huge best for him, dropping from his old PR of 55.33.

WOMEN’S 400 IM FINALS

• PSS Record: 4:31.07, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015
• Olympic Trials Cut: 4:51.79

1. Zoe Dixon (NOVA) – 4:43.01
2. Summer Smith (ABF) – 4:48.03
3. Samantha Tadder (TIDE) – 4:48.15

Halfway through this race, it was Bluefish’s Summer Smith at 2:14.53, just ahead of NOVA of Virginia’s Zoe Dixon at 2:15.26. Smith (Tennessee ’25) took it out fast tonight, while Dixon (Florida ’26) was more conservative the front-half.

Dixon parlayed her breaststroke leg into a huge lead, though, and her strategy to hold energy for the back-half paid off. She won it tonight in 4:43.01, taking down her old best of 4:45.18 by over two seconds.

Smith wound up second, after dueling with Tide Swimming’s Samantha Tadder (4:48.15). Tadder is an incoming freshman at Stanford. Smith got the touch, posting a 4:48.03. Both were off of lifetime bests by a little over two seconds.

In the B-final, NCAP 16-year-old Eleanor Sun dismantled her prelims swim of 4:59.98, swimming to a 4:53.15.

MEN’S 400 IM FINALS

• PSS Record: 4:08.92, Chase Kalisz (USA), 2018
• Olympic Trials Cut: 4:25.99

1. Joshua Parent (ABF) – 4:23.89
2. Baylor Nelson (MAC) – 4:28.17
3. Tommy Bried (ACE) – 4:28.29

Coming in with a lifetime best of 4:26.17 from November’s U.S. Open, just off of the OT cut, Bluefish’s Josh Parent stormed to the win here with a 4:23.89. This performance well clears the OT standard (by over two seconds), another great swim after he notched an OT cut in the 800 free last night, his first OT cut ever.

SwimMAC’s Baylor Nelson was just off his best for second (4:28.17), while Ace Aquatic Club’s Tommy Bried (Louisville ’25) broke 4:30 for the first time ever to nab third (4:28.29).