2021 Speedo Summer Championships — Greensboro: Day 4 Live Finals Recap

2021 Speedo Summer Championships — Greensboro

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

Friday Finals Heat Sheet

The penultimate day of the 2021 Speedo Summer Championships here in Greensboro will feature a two-hour session, featuring the D, C, B, A finals of the women’s and men’s 400 free, 100 breast, 100 back, and the timed finals of the men’s 800 free relay.

16-year-old Cavan Gormsen takes the women’s 400 free top seed ahead of a young field, including against the likes of 14-year-old Claire Weinstein and the eldest in the field, 31-year-old Leah Gingrich. Ohio State’s Charlie Clark has the men’s top seed.

In the women’s 100 breast, Wave II Trials event semifinalist Hannah Bach of Ohio State takes the top seed with 200 breast /400 IM champ Indiana’s Mac Looze to her right. Club Wolverine’s Tommy Cope takes the men’s 100 breast top seed ahead of Trials event finalist Josh Matheny and 200 breast/400 IM champ Charlie Swanson, another Wolverine.

Sam Stewart will aim for his second backstroke win in Greensboro, this time in the 100 back with his AM effort of 54.69. For the women, Ali DeLoof comes in with a 1:00.13 prelims time. Sister Gabby DeLoof is seeded to swim next to her.

In the men’s 800 free relay, SwimMAC Carolina is seeded five seconds ahead of Ohio State University.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FINALS

Top 3:

1. Cavan Gormsen (Long Island), 4:10.79
2. Claire Weinstein (Westchester), 4:11.11
3. Leah Gingrich (Columbus), 4:18.11

The top two prelims seeds, Cavan Gormsen and Claire Weinstein, paced off one another and quickly separated themselves from the rest of the field. Into the final 50, both swimmers changed tempos, yet it was Gormsen who was first to the first at 4:10.79. Weinstein settled for second place at 4:11.11, which marked a new lifetime best for her by eight-tenths. Weinstein now moves up from No. 8 to No. 5 all-time in 13-14 history.

Finishing seven seconds later for third place was Columbus’ Leah Gingrich, touching out 14-year-old Lexie Ward by 0.05s, 4:18.11 to 4:18.16. Ward now moves up to No. 76 all-time in the 13-14 rankings.

Stella Grace Watts of Area Tallahassee won the C-final at 4:19.23, a tenth faster than B-final winner Erin Cavanagh of Jersey Wahoos (4:19.33).

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – FINALS

Top 3:

1. Charlie Clark (Ohio State), 3:51.65
2. Logan Zucker (SwimMAC), 3:55.59
3. Eli Shoyat (Northern KY), 3:56.95

Charlie Clark controlled this 400 free final from start to finish, hitting the wall with an effort of 3:51.65, moving up to No. 21 in the U.S. this season. Clark had negative split every 50 in his race following his opening 100 of 27.83/29.58, splitting 29.69/29.61/29.26/29.22/28.50/27.96 on the last 150.

18-year-old Logan Zucker of SwimMAC finished in second place at 3:55.59, now No. 8 in the 17-18 rankings this season. Northern KY Clippers’ Eli Shoyat took third place at 3:56.96. He owns a season best of 3:55.75 from Wave I Trials. Taking fourth place by 0.03s was Wolfpack Elite’s Curtis Wiltsey at 3:56.98.

18-year-old Mason Laur of T2 Aquatics dominated the B-final heat, dropping over three seconds to hit 3:58.70. Ohio State’s Jonathan Edwards also broke four minutes to win the C-final, touching in at 3:59.63.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

Top 3:

1. Mac Looze (Indiana), 1:08.42
2. Josie Panitz (Ohio State), 1:08.86
3. Hannah Bach (Ohio State), 1:08.90

Out first at the only turn of the 100 breast final was Hannah Bach at 31.80, with Josie Panitz turning closely behind at 31.99. However, with 25 meters to go, Mac Looze hauled her tempo to catch Big Ten rivals Panitz and Bach to win her third event in Greensboro at 1:08.42. Panitz finished fourth-tenths behind at 1:08.86, with Bach settled for third place by 0.04s.

Looze now improves to No. 17 on the U.S. 2020-2021 season rankings while Panitz is now No. 21. Bach owns a lifetime/season best of 1:07.89 from Wave II Trials, ranking No. 13.

Winning the B-final was 13-year-old Avery Klamforth of SwimMAC, improving to No. 44 all-time in the 13-14 rankings.

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

Top 3:

1. Cooper van der Laan (Uni. of Pittsburgh), 1:00.20
2. Tommy Cope (Club Wolverine), 1:00.30
3. Charlie Swanson (Club Wolverine), 1:00.81

It was a dogfight to the wall for the title of the men’s 100 breast. At the touch, it was University of Pittsburgh’s Cooper van der Laan‘s who closed in a 31.85 to touch out Club Wolverine’s Tommy Cope by a tenth of a second, 1:00.20 to 1:00.30.

In the race for third place, Club Wolverine’s Charlie Swanson edged Team Pittsburgh’s Josh Matheny by another tenth of a second, 1:00.81 to 1:00.91.

Opting to get a 50 breast split was Ohio State’s Hudson McDaniel, who put together a 27.23, dropping a half second from his 27.72 at the 2021 Geneva Sectionals during the Olympic week. McDaniel unofficially ranks No. 2 in the U.S. this season based on the best first 50 breast splits at Wave II Olympic Trials. McDaniel also ranks No. 10 all-time in U.S. history, passing Cody Miller‘s lifetime best by 0.01s.

1. Michael Andrew, 26.83
2. Hudson McDaniel, 27.23**
3. Nic Fink, 27.53
4. Max McHugh, 27.64
5. Andrew Wilson, 27.69
6. Kevin Cordes, 27.70

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

Top 3:

1. Ali DeLoof (Tennessee), 59.96
2. Gabby DeLoof (Club Wolverine), 1:00.44
3. Amy Fulmer (Ohio State), 1:01.17

Ali DeLoof controlled the second 50 of this final to not only win but to break 1:00 for the first time this season, hitting the wall at 59.96. DeLoof now ranks No. 9 this season behind sister Catie DeLoof (59.71), now a 4×100 free relay Olympic silver medalist.

Placing second was another DeLoof sister, Gabby DeLoof, touching in with 1:00.44, improving to No. 14 in the U.S. season rankings. Ohio State’s Amy Fulmer finished in third at 1:01.17, cracking the top 25 times in the nation this season.

16-year-old JoJo Ramey was fourth at 1:01.24, just off her 1:00.93 best time. In for fifth was Ohio State’s Emily Crane at 1:01.41 while 15-year-old Erika Pelaez took sixth at 1:01.69. Pelaez now ranks No. 45 all-time in 15-16 history.

18-year-old Madelyn Christman won the B-final with a time of 1:01.29, the fifth-fastest time overall in Greensboro.

MEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

Top 3:

1. Sam Stewart (YMCA Hub Fins), 54.59
2. Brendan Burns (Indiana), 54.86
3. Jonny Marshall (Firestone Akron), 55.33

Brendan Burns was the early leader in the men’s 100 back final, taking the race out in 26.50 to Sam Stewart‘s 26.71. Into the final meters, Stewart challenged Burns from a lane apart. At the touch, Stewart took out Burns by nearly three-tenths, 54.59 to 54.86. Both times put Stewart and Burns within the top-25 times in the U.S. this season.

Finishing in third place was 16-year-old Jonny Marshall of Firestone Akron (55.33), nailing the wall just 0.03s off his U.S. No. 9 all-time 15-16 swim of 55.30. Taking fourth place by 0.03s was Scarlet’s Dylan Sali at 55.36.

Ohio State’s RJ Kondalski won the B-final with a time of 55.47, which would have placed 5th in the A-final.

MEN’S 800 FREESTYLE RELAY – TIMED FINALS

Top 3:

1. SwimMAC, 7:22.13
2. Ohio State, 7:29.62
3. Carmel, 7:33.55

Leading off for the SwimMAC men was Tim Connery, whipping out a flat-start lifetime best of 1:47.96. Following Connery were teammates Logan Zucker (1:51.81), Jacob Wimberly (1:52.09), and Baylor Nelson (1:50.27), bringing it home in a dominant 7:22.13. With Wimberly being 16, the relay now breaks the 15-18 NAG record of 7:24.52.

Ohio State finished in second at 7:29.62 while Carmel took third place at 7:33.55.