2021 Speedo Summer Championships — Greensboro: Day 2 Live Finals 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

Wednesday Finals Heat Sheet

Wednesday’s finals session here in Greensboro is set to take two hours as the D,C,B, and A finals of the women’s and men’s 200 free, 200 breast, and 200 back are set for the evening’s program. The evening will top off with the women’s 400 free relay, headlined by top heat competitors Jersey Wahoos (MA), Carmel (IN), North Baltimore (MD), Long Island (NY), SwimMAC Carolina (NC), and Ohio State (OH).

The top four swimmers in the women’s 200 free A-final are separated by just one second, with the top two just 0.17s apart from one another. Texas A&M and Long Island swimmer Chloe Stepanek will take the middle lane alongside 16-year-old teammates Cavan Gormsen and Tess Howley. To her left will be Westchester 14-year-old Claire Weinstein, who has already won the 800 free here in Greensboro. In the men’s 200 free A-final, 18-year-old SwimMAC teammates top seed Baylor Nelson and Logan Zucker will take on NCAA names Club Wolverine’s Bora Unalmis and Indiana’s Brendan Burns.

In the women’s 200 breast, Big Ten swimmers Mac Looze of Indiana and Josie Panitz of Ohio State will swim in the middle lanes, seeded just six-tenths apart after prelims. Keep an eye on SwimMAC teens 16-year-old Grace Rainey and 13-year-old Avery Klamforth, who just moved up to No. 71 all-time in the 13-14 age group this morning. Wave II Trials event finalist Charlie Swanson set himself up for a big swim tonight for the men’s 200 breast after hitting 2:11.00 this morning. Surrounding him will be Indiana’s Maxwell Reich and Wave II Trials 100 breast finalist Josh Matheny.

16-year-old JoJo Ramey of Fishers, another Wave II Trials finalist, headlines the women’s 200 back final with her sub-2:10 morning effort ahead of Carmel 18-year-old Madelyn Christman and sisters Gabby DeLoof and Ali DeLoof. For the men’s 200 back, Wave II Trials 200 IM finalist Sam Stewart takes lane four with his sub-2:00 morning effort, with Ohio State’s Thomas Watkins, Indiana’s Jacob Steele, and top 200 free seed Baylor Nelson following behind him.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Claire Weinstein (Westchester), 1:59.56
2. Cavan Gormsen (Long Island), 2:00.06
3. Summer Cardwell (Tampa Bay), 2:00.97

14-year-old Claire Weinstein controlled this A-final from start to finish, splitting 28.28/30.15/30.42/30.71 to go a near-lifetime best at 1:59.56, just a half second off her No. 5 all-time 13-14 best of 1:58.95.

Also just missing her lifetime best this evening was 16-year-old Cavan Gormsen at 2:00.06, just off her 1:59.79 best that ranks No. 25 all-time.

Taking a narrow third place was 16-year-old Summer Cardwell at 2:00.97, holding off Long Island’s Chloe Stepanek (2:01.16) and Tess Howley (2:01.28).

SwimAtlanta 17-year-old Gigi Johnson took the B-final win at 2:01.89, chopping 1.72s off her seed time.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Brendan Burns (Indiana), 1:49.27
2. Baylor Nelson (SwimMAC), 1:49.28
3. Bora Unalmis (Club Wolverine), 1:51.17

Of all the possible 50’s in this race, Indiana’s Brendan Burns made his move on the 2nd 50 of the men’s 200 free final, splitting 27.12 to distance himself from the field. However, SwimMAC’s Baylor Nelson slowly inched at Burns until unleashing top seed during the finishing meters. While Burns won the race, Nelson just missed touching Burns out by 0.01s, with the duo finishing 1:49.27 to 1:49.28.

Burns now ranks among the top-25 times in the U.S. 18-22 age group (NCAA-equivalent) this season while Nelson moves up to No. 2 in the 17-18 age group behind Clovis’ Gabriel Jett (1:48.85). Nelson also moves up to No. 26 all-time in 17-18 history, besting Caeleb Dressel‘s age group best of 1:49.29,

Club Wolverine’s Bora Unalmis finished in third place at 1:51.17, dropping seven-tenths from this morning. Touching in for fourth place was another SwimMAC 18-year-old, Logan Zucker (1:51.77).

Out of the consolation finals, C-final winner 17-year-old Sage Sungail of Patriot took the top time at 1:52.68, which was 0.01s faster than the B-final winner, 17-year-old Ryan Merani of North Baltimore (1:52.69).

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Mac Looze (Indiana), 2:28.13
2. Josie Panitz (Ohio State), 2:31.77
3. Sofia Plaza (SwimMAC), 2:33.43

During the first 100, Mac Looze and Josie Panitz were neck-and-neck, splitting 1:10.68/1:11.16 respectively. Yet Looze turned on the speed during her last 100, splitting 37.98/39.47 to go a near-personal best of 2:28.13. Looze currently ranks No. 15 in the U.S. this season at 2:27.85, which placed 10th at Wave II Trials. Coming in second place was Ohio State’s Josie Panitz, finishing at 2:31.77.

The next three finishers stopped the clock within three-tenths of one another, led by 15-year-old Sofia Plaza from SwimMAC at 2:33.43. SwimMAC teammates 16-year-old Grace Rainey (2:33.50) and 13-year-old Avery Klamforth (2:33.82) rounded out the 3-4-5 finish. On the all-time 13-14 rankings, Klamforth boosts from No. 71 to No. 50.

Winning the B-final was Ohio State’s Hannah Bach, dropping three seconds from this morning at 2:33.36.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Charlie Swanson (Club Wolverine), 2:09.85
2. Josh Matheny (Team Pittsburgh), 2:12.72
3. Maxwell Reich (Indiana), 2:13.01

Charlie Swanson and Josh Matheny paced off one another during the initial 100, touching a quarter of a second apart at the halfway point. Then, Swanson turned the jets on and split 33.57/33.93 to clear the 2:10 barrier for the first time at 2:09.85. Matheny settled for second place at 2:12.72, just three-tenths ahead of third-place finisher Maxwell Reich (2:13.01), who nearly dropped a full second from this morning.

Swanson is now the 17th American in history to break the 2:10 barrier, ranking No. 17 all-time as well as rocketing to No. 7 this season.

Indiana’s Tristan DeWitt took the B-final with a time of 2:17.27.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — FINALS

Top 3:

1. JoJo Ramey (Fishers), 2:09.34
2. Gabby DeLoof (Club Wolverine), 2:11.18
3. Madelyn Christman (Carmel), 2:11.27

16-year-old JoJo Ramey sent it on the last 50, easily pulling away from Madelyn Christman to take the win. Ramey touched the wall at 2:09.34, which is just off her 15-16 all-time No. 5 time of 2:08.90. Coming home strong to catch Christman for second was Gabby DeLoof at 2:11.18, less than a tenth ahead of Christman’s 2:11.27.

Indiana’s Anna Freed took fourth place at 2:13.97, ahead of Tennessee/NYAC’s Ali DeLoof (2:14.92).

Winning the B-final was 15-year-old Erika Pelaez of Eagle Aquatic, registering the fifth-best time this evening at 2:14.56. Narrowly taking second for the sixth-best time overall was Pittsburgh’s Daisy Anderson at 2:14.64.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Sam Stewart (YMCA Hub Fins), 1:59.52
2. Jacob Steele (Indiana), 2:00.46
3. Thomas Watkins (Ohio State), 2:01.07

Taking the win in the men’s 200 back final was Sam Stewart, remaining the only swimmer under 2:00 at 1:59.52. He now ranks No. 13 in the U.S. this season. Finishing a half second behind for runner-up was Indiana’s Jacob Steele, stopping the clock at 2:00.46. Finishing another half second behind was Ohio State’s Thomas Watkins at 2:01.07.

Winning the B-final was Scarlet’s Dylan Sali, dropping almost two full seconds from prelims at 2:02.90.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE RELAY — TIMED FINALS

Top 3:

1. Long Island, 3:43.59
2. Ohio State, 3:44.22
3. Carmel, 3:48.54

Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer put her relay into the early lead with a 55.61 lead-off, followed closely by Long Island lead-off Tess Howley (55.80). Ohio State pulled ahead during the middle two legs, until Chloe Stepanek of Long Island stepped up on the anchor leg. She successfully ran down Ohio State with a 54.94 split, giving them the win at 3:43.59. Ohio State settled for second at 3:44.22.

The Carmel relay finished in third place at 3:48.54.