2021 Speedo Summer Championships — Greensboro: Day 3 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

Thursday Finals Heat Sheet

We have reached the mid-point of the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships in Greensboro, featuring the D, C, B, A finals of the women’s and men’s 400 IM and 100 fly, along with two timed final heats of the women’s 800 free relay.

Indiana’s Mac Looze takes her second top finals seed in the 400 IM after winning the 200 breast yesterday. Club Wolverine’s Charlie Swanson will also headline the men’s 400 IM, the event he won at the 2019 Pan American Games, after coming after a sub-2:10 200 breast yesterday. Watch out for freestyle ace SwimMAC 18-year-old Baylor Nelson, who nearly won the 200 free by 0.01s with a fast finishing 25 meters.

Into the women’s 100 fly, Columbus’ Leah Gingrich will look to take second second butterfly win in Greensboro against the No. 2 seed Planet Swim’s Sara Stotler. Keep an eye on 14-year-old Alex Shackell of Carmel, currently sitting at No. 15 on the all-time 13-14 rankings. Indiana’s Corey Gambardella swam sub-54 this morning for the men’s 100 fly. On his tail will be 16-year-old Mitchell Ledford of Treasure Coast and 18-year-old Tim Connery of SwimMAC, who won the 100 free on Monday.

The Long Island women hold the top seed in the women’s 800 free relay, the final event of the session.

WOMEN’S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Mac Looze (Indiana), 4:47.42
2. Erin Cavanagh (Jersey Wahoos), 4:49.58
3. Yara Hierath (Wolfpack Elite), 4:51.13

Last night’s 200 breast winner Mac Looze made her move during the 100 breast leg of this race, out-splitting the field at 39.38/40.41. Dropping three seconds from this morning to break 4:50 and place second was Jersey Wahoos’ Erin Cavanagh at 4:49.58. Holding off Ohio State’s Katie Trace (4:51.74) for third place was Wolfpack Elite’s Yara Hierath, touching six-tenths ahead at 4:51.13.

13-year-old Avery Klamforth of SwimMAC dropped from 4:57.25 in prelims to 4:51.47 and win the B-final. Klamforth now moves up to No. 49 all-time in 13-14 age group history, as well as ranking No. 7 all-time among U.S. 13-year-olds. Elizabeth Beisel‘s best time at 13 years old was 4:50.31.

MEN’S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Charlie Swanson (Club Wolverine), 4:14.33
2. Baylor Nelson (SwimMAC), 4:20.78
3. Jared Daigle (Club Wolverine), 4:23.05

After becoming the 17th American to break 2:10 in the 200 breast yesterday, Charlie Swanson flexed a strong 34.57/35.46 on the breast leg to further himself from the rest of the field. Swanson touched the wall at 4:14.33, dropping roughly five seconds from this morning. Swanson’s time would have placed 6th in the Wave II Trials final. Swanson also improves to No. 6 in the nation this season.

Dropping five seconds from this morning to go a lifetime best of 4:20.78 was SwimMAC 18-year-old Baylor Nelson, who had the fastest closing 50 free at 29.31. Nelson now moves up to No. 48 all-time in 17-18 history, as well as No. 2 in the age group this season, only behind Lance Norris of TAC Titans (4:20.66).

Also knocking five seconds off from the morning to finish in third place was Jared Daigle, stopping the clock at 4:23.05.

Winning the B-final was 16-year-old Andrew Taylor of Tampa Bay, breaking 4:30 at 4:28.09. Taylor’s time just broke the top 100 all-time 15-16 times in history. Before Thomas Watkins won the C-final at 4:27.58, 14-year-old Sean Green of Long Island won the D-final at 4:32.93, moving up to No. 18 all-time in 13-14 history.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Alex Shackell (Carmel), 59.61
2. Leah Gingrich (Columbus), 59.72
3. Gigi Johnson (SwimAtlanta), 59.91

14-year-old Alex Shackell took out her race fast, splitting 27.52 to lead the field at the first 50 mark. Even with a tightening field, including a closing 31.34 split by Leah Gingrich, Shackell held onto her lead and took the Greensboro title with a lifetime best of 59.61. Marking her first time under 1:00, Shackell blasts from No. 15 to No. 3 all-time in 13-14 history. The only swimmer who have been faster in the age group are Claire Curzan (58.61) and Kendyl Stewart (59.51). Shackell is now faster than the Mary T. Meagher by 0.01s.

Gingrich settled for second at 59.72 while SwimAtlanta 17-year-old Gigi Johnson touched out 16-year-old Tess Howley by one one-hundredth, 59.91 to 59.92. Johnson now inserts herself at No. 66 all-time in 17-18 history.

15-year-old Gaby van Brunt of Georgia Coastal won the B-final with a time of 1:00.57 while 15-year-old Erika Pelaez took the C-final at 1:00.45. On the all-time 15-16 rankings, Pelaez ranks No. 73 while van Brunt is now No. 87. Among all U.S. 15-year-olds, Pelaez ranks No. 28 while van Brunt ranks No. 34.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY — FINALS

Top 3:

1. Tim Connery (SwimMAC), 53.07
2. Mitchell Ledford (Treasure Coast), 53.08
3. Aaron Sequeira (Cincinnati Marlins), 53.56

Tim Connery was first at the only wall of the race at 24.86, that is until Mitchell Ledford accelerated on Connery with his closing 27.75 effort. At the finish, Connery had just held off Ledford by one one-hundredth, 53.07 to 53.08. Connery’s time moves him up to No. 27 all-time in 17-18 history. Meanwhile, Ledford blasts up to No. 6 all-time in 15-16 history. Michael Phelps‘ lifetime best at age 16 was 52.98.

Cincinnati Marlins’ Aaron Sequeira finished in third place at 53.56, a half-second ahead of Indiana’s Corey Gambardella (54.06). 17-year-old Sebastien Sergile of SwimAtlanta won the C-final with a time of 54.22, just 0.11s ahead of B-final winner Cardinal’s Brady Samuels (54.33).

WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE RELAY — TIMED FINALS

Top 3:

1. Long Island, 8:09.48
2. Carmel, 8:14.94
3. Ohio State, 8:20.10

The Long Island relay of Sophia Karras, Chloe Stepanek, Tess Howley, and Cavan Gormsen took the 800 free relay win at 8:09.48. Taking second place was Carmel at 8:14.94.

Out of the first heat, Ohio State put together a 8:20.10 for third place overall.