2021 Speedo Summer Championships — Greensboro: Day 1 Live Prelims Recap

2021 Speedo Summer Championships — Greensboro

• Aug 3-7, 2021
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Site
• Meet Packet
• Live Stream
• Live Results
• Psych Sheet

Tuesday Prelims Heat Sheet

Tuesday Afternoon Distance Heat Sheet

The first session of the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships will begin today, with the action first beginning in Greensboro before the Irvine site starts its own action. On the slate for this AM prelims session will be the women’s and men’s 200 fly and 100 free.

Swimming in lane four for the three women’s 200 fly circle-seeded heats will be Indiana’s Mac Looze, 16-year-old Tess Howley of Long Island, and Columbus’ Leah Gingrich, all seeded with previous swims under 2:11. On the men’s side, five sub-2:00-capable swimmers will put up morning bids, including top seeds Indiana’s Corey Gambardella and 18-year-olds Matthew Fenlon of Badger and Mason Laur of T2 Aquatics.

While Catie DeLoof competed at the Tokyo Olympics, her sisters Gabby DeLoof and Ali DeLoof will be competing in Greensboro, first with the 100 free heats. Keep an eye on top-three seeds 19-year-old Chloe Stepanek and 15-year-old Erika Pelaez. SwimMAC 18-year-old Tim Connery will headline the men’s 100 free heats with his lone sub-50 entry of 49.94. Seeded closely behind in the other two circle-seeded heats will be Indiana’s Jack Franzman and Josh Fleagle.

Women’s 200 Butterfly — Prelims

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Tess Howley (Long Island), 2:10.37
2. Leah Gingrich (Columbus), 2:11.68
3. Sara Stolter (Planet Swim), 2:12.79
4. Hana Shimizu-Bowers (Badger), 2:15.04
5. Erin Cavanagh (Jersey Wahoos), 2:15.51
6. Lilly Derivaux (Jersey Wahoos), 2:15.56
7. Alex Shackell (Carmel), 2:15.59
8. Junseo Kim (Scarlet), 2:15.95

Topping the women’s 200 fly prelims heats was 16-year-old Tess Howley, punching the wall at 2:10.37. In for the second seed was 31-year-old Leah Gingrich, turning in a time of 2:11.68. Competing out of different heats, Howley took her race out in 29.15 to Gringrich’s 30.09 while Gringrich closed in a stronger 33.59 to Howley’s 34.29. Gringrich currently ranks No. 10 in the nation at 2:09.41 while Howley was just off her U.S. No. 15 season time of 2:10.25.

18-year-old Sara Stotler dropped just about a second off her seed time to nail 2:12.79 for the third seed into the A-final. The remaining top-8 swimmers were all three seconds slower than this morning’s top three times, led by Badger 16-year-old Hana Shimizu-Bowers at 2:15.04.

Jersey Wahoo teammates Erin Cavanagh and Lilly Derivaux made it into the championship final alongside 14-year-old Alex Shackell of Carmel and Scarlet’s Junseo Kim.

Indiana’s Mac Looze, who was seeded third in this event, placed 11th overall at 2:17.06.

Men’s 200 Butterfly — Prelims

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Matthew Fenlon (Badger), 1:59.40
2. Mason Laur (T2 Aquatics), 2:00.54
3. Mitchell Ledfor (Treasure Coast), 2:00.90
4. Sebastien Sergio (SwimAtlanta), 2:01.14
5. Corey Gambardella (Indiana), 2:01.33
6. Logan Zucker (SwimMAC), 2:01.83
7. Henry McFadden (Jersey Wahoos), 2:01.86
8. Adam Mahler (Pittsburgh), 2:02.15

The only swimmer to break 2:00 in the 200 fly this morning was 18-year-old Matthew Fenlon of Badger Swim Club, registering a time of 1:59.40. Fenlon, who is committed to swim at Stanford this fall, currently ranks No. 21 this season in the nation at 1:58.41, still a full second off his seed time of 1:57.39.

Touching in at the 2:00-marker for the top three seeds were T2 Aquatics’ Mason Laur and Treasure Coast 16-year-old Mitchell Ledfor, hitting times of 2:00.54 and 2:00.90 respectively. Ledfor’s lifetime best swim now moves up from No. 8 to No. 4 in the 15-16 age group this season. Landon Gentry holds the top U.S. 15-16 time this season at 1:59.17.

Top psych sheet seeds Sebastien Sergio of SwimAtlanta (2:01.14) and Corey Gambardella of Indiana (2:01.33) came in 4th and 5th during preliminaries. Gambardella currently ranks at No. 7 in the U.S. this season at 1:56.56 from Wave II Olympic Trials.

Rounding out the top 8 include SwimMAC’s Logan Zucker and Jersey Wahoos’ Henry McFadden, both under 2:02, and Pittsburgh’s Adam Mahler.

Women’s 100 Freestyle — Prelims

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Chloe Stepanek (Long Island), 55.45
2. Amy Fulmer (Ohio State), 55.65
3. Gabby DeLoof (Club Wolverine), 55.88
4. Katherine Zenick (Ohio State), 56.27
5. Erika Pelaez (Eagle), 56.42
6. Lindsay Flynn (Mecklenburg), 56.53
7. Cavan Gormsen (Long Island), 56.58
8. Sara Stotler (Planet Swim), 56.63

Swimming the fastest women’s 100 free this AM was Chloe Stepanek of Long Island and Texas A&M, stopping the clock at 55.45. Stepanek owns the second-fastest seed time of the field at 55.13. Swimming a tenth behind Stepanek for the No. 2 seed was Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer, improving her 55.91 seed time to a 55.65 morning effort. The top seed heading into prelims was Club Wolverine’s Gabby DeLoof at 54.41, but took third place this morning at 55.88.

Another Ohio State swimmer, Katherine Zenick, will swim the A-final as well was 15-year-old Erika Pelaez of Eagle Aquatic. Rounding out the top 8 include Mecklenburg’s Lindsay Flynn, Long Island 16-year-old Cavan Gormsen, and Planet Swim’s Sara Stotler. Gormsen was a Wave II Trials finalist, placing 8th in the 400 free final.

Ali DeLoof placed 9th this morning at 56.77. Her meet entry seed is 55.58.

Men’s 100 Freestyle — Prelims

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Tim Connery (SwimMAC), 49.86
2. Jack Franzman (Indiana), 50.26
3. Baylor Nelson (SwimMAC), 50.41
4. Brendan Burns (Indiana), 50.49
5. Sam Stewart (YMCA Hub Fins), 50.56
6. Brady Samuels (Cardinal), 50.61
7. James LeBuke (Club Wolverine), 50.76
8. Bence Szabados (Club Wolverine), 50.81

Swimming a lifetime best to nab the top spot into the A-final was SwimMAC 18-year-old Tim Connery, dropping down from 49.94 to 49.86. Connery remains at No. 4 in the U.S. 17-18 age group this season but moved up to No. 30 all-time in 17-18 history. He also had the fastest closing 50 of the entire field at 25.76. Coming in for the second seed Indiana’s Jack Franzman, touching the wall at 50.26.

Another SwimMAC 18-year-old, Baylor Nelson, also improved his meet seed and moved up the U.S. 17-18 season rankings. Nelson swam 50.41 to drop from his 51.39 entry time and rank No. 14 in the age group this season. Also improving their seed times this morning were Indiana’s Brendan Burns (50.49) and YMCA Hub Fins’ Sam Stewart (50.56).

Cardinal’s Brady Samuels and Club Wolverine teammates James LeBuke and Bence Szabados will also swim the A-final. Samuels and LeBuke both dropped from their meet seed times as well.