2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2021 Speedo Summer Championships – Irvine

• August 3-7
• William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Website (USA Swimming)
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream (USA Swimming)

WEDNESDAY FINALS HEAT SHEET

Day 2 – Wednesday, August 4 

• 200 Freestyle
• 200 Breaststroke
• 200 Backstroke
• Women’s 4 x 100 Free Relay

Tonight’s finals session will kick off with the women’s 200 free, where Justina Kozan (Mission Viejo) will attempt to win her 2nd title of the meet. Kozan was the top seed coming into the meet with her personal best of 1:58.10, and swam the fastest time of the morning – 2:01.77. We saw Kozan drop considerably between prelims and finals in the 200 fly last night, so it seems there’s a good chance we see her under 2:00 tonight. Kozan has a tendency to close races extremely fast, so she may be right with the rest of the heat until the final 50.

Behind Kozan, are Aurora Roghair and Jillian Cox, who came in 2nd and 1st respectively in the women’s 800 free last night. Both swimmers swam lifetime bests in the 800 last night, and were just a tick off there bests this morning, so we’ll see if they drop from their prelims swims tonight. Also in this field is Autumn Haebig, who has a personal best of 2:00.55, 2nd to only Kozan. So, we’ll be looking for Haebig to make some noise from lane 8.

Trenton Julian is the top qualifier in the men’s 200 free, and is facing a double tonight. After his stellar 200 fly last night, Julian swam a 1:50.21 in the 200 free prelims, 3.71 seconds off his lifetime best. Julian was again very relaxed taking the race out, so we’ll look for a much more aggressive race tonight. He also made final in the 200 breast, swimming the event for the 1st time in 4 years.

USC’s Isabelle Odgers is the heavy favorite in the final of the women’s 200 breast. Odgers was the only swimmer under 2:31 this morning, swimming a 2:29.19. She was also well off her best time of 2:27.67, which is from the Olympic Trials in June.

AJ Pouch, a Virginia Tech swimmer representing Team Rebel Aquatics, is the top qualifier in the men’s 200 breast. Pouch swam a 2:11.69 this morning, coming in just a bit off his personal best of 2:10.35. Pouch’s 2:10.35 earned him a 5th-place finish in the event at the Olympic Trials in June.

We’re looking at a battle of age group stars in the women’s 200 back, with Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) and Maggie Wanezek (EBSC) facing off. Wanezek, 15, was faster this morning, swimming a new personal best of 2:12.25, while O’Dell, 14, was 2nd with a 2:13.22. O’Dell, however, has the faster lifetime best, coming in at 2:10.70. O’Dell is the #6 performer all-time in the 13-14 age group.

USC’s Harry Homans is the top seed in the men’s 200 back final, with Schroeder Y’s Ziyad Saleem right behind.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — FINALS

Podium:

1. Justina Kozan (MVN) – 1:58.14
2. Jillian Cox (ASC) – 2:01.04
3. Aurora Roghair (IFLY) – 2:01.26

Justina Kozan jumped out to the early lead and never looked back. The Mission Viejo 17-year-old came within a hair of her lifetime best in the event, which stands at 1:58.10. Her personal best is from April this year, making tonight the 2nd time in just over 3 months that Kozan has swum a 1:58.1. She swam a very well-paced race tonight, posting a 58.12 on the first 100, and a 1:00.04 on the 2nd 100.

As was expected, Austin Swim Club’s Jillian Cox and Iowa Flyers Aurora Roghair battled it out for 2nd place. Just as they did in the women’s 800 free last night, both girls swam lifetime bests. Cox took just over a second off her previous best of 2:02.07, while Roghair chipped 0.43 seconds off her previous best of 2:01.69.

Operating out of lane 8, Autumn Haebig rose from 8th this morning to 4th tonight. Haebig’s time of 2:02.11 was still well off the 2:00.55 we saw her post during Wave I of the Olympic Trials, but Haebig was still greatly improved over this morning’s swim.

NOVA and Indiana University swimmer Ella Ristic won the B final in 2:01.35.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE — FINALS

Podium:

1. Trenton Julian (ROSE) – 1:47.83
2. Luke Hobson (LAKE) – 1:49.10
3. Dare Rose (CAL) – 1:49.20

The race was Trenton Julian‘s from the start, as he established a big lead on the field at the 100 mark. His lead would actually grow on the 2nd 100 as well, getting Julian into the wall 1.27 seconds ahead of runner-up Luke Hobson. Julian was out much faster than this morning, splitting 52.13 on the first 100, then came home in 55.70. The swim was just a tick off Julian’s personal best of 1:47.50, which he swam at the Olympic Trials in June.

Luke Hobson clocked a new lifetime best to take 2nd tonight. Hobson’s 1:49.10 clipped his previous best of 1:49.44 by 0.34 seconds. His previous best was from April of this year.

Dare Rose also swam a lifetime best to take 3rd. Rose’s 1:49.20 eclipsed his previous best time of 1:49.26, which was set in 2019.

Christopher Mykkanen came in 4th tonight, swimming a 1:49.55. The swim marks Mykkanen’s first time ever under 1:50 in the event. His previous best of 1:50.08 was swum in a time trial at the U.S. Olympic Trials in June.

16-year-old Rex Maurer went another lifetime best in finals tonight, finishing 5th with a 1:50.21. Rex’s best time entering the meet was a 1:51.78 from April of this year, then he swam a 1:50.80 in prelims this morning. Maurer also beat his older brother, Luke, who came in 7th (1:51.26).

Wisconsin’s Andrew Benson put on a massive performance in the B final. clocking a 1:49.99. Benson entered the meet with a lifetime best of 1:53.17, which was from 2018.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE — FINALS

Podium:

1. Isabelle Odgers (TASC) – 2:28.23
2. Emma Weber (TOPS) – 2:29.05
3. Katja Pavicevic (TAC) – 2:30.10

Isabelle Odgers swam a 2:28.23 to emerge victorious tonight, coming in just a bit off her 2:27.67 personal best from the Olympic Trials. Odgers was in control of the race from the 100 mark on, although eventual runner-up Emma Weber didn’t let her get too far away. At the East championships in Greensboro, IU’s Mac Looze won the women’s 200 breast in 2:28.13.

Weber swam a 2:29.05, establishing a new lifetime best by 0.85 seconds. The time makes Weber, 17, the #41 performer all-time in the 17-18 age group. 16-year-old Karina Kanary (TXLA) swam a new personal best of 2:31.66 for 4th. With the swim, Kanary rises to #62 all-time in the 15-16 girls age group.

COSA 16-year-old Caroline Bricker won the B final in 2:31.85. The time marks a massive personal best for Bricker, who entered the meet with a lifetime best of 2:35.75. Bricker also broke in the all-time top 100 for 15-16 girls with the swim, landing #72 all-time.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE — FINALS

Podium:

1. AJ Pouch (TRA) – 2:11.61
2. Ben Dillard (TASC) – 2:12.17
3. Zhier Fan (MTRO) – 2:13.87

AJ Pouch held off a tough charge from Ben Dillard on the final 50 to win the event. Pouch’s time was a hair faster than his prelims swim, but was still off his personal best of 2:10.35.

USC’s Benn Dillard swam a lifetime best to take 2nd, clocking a 2:12.17. DIllard came home in a blaze, splitting 33.97 on the final 50, which was the fastest in the field by over half a second. Dillard entered the meet with a lifetime best of 2:14.21, which he swam in August of 2019.

Metroplex 17-year-old Zhier Fan just had an incredible swim to take 3rd. Fan clocked a 2:13.87, marking a personal best by over 2 seconds. His previous best was the 2:16.15 he swam in prelims this morning. prior to this meet, Fan’s lifetime best was a 2:17.29, which he swam just 2 weeks ago. That impressive last few weeks of improvement is capped by Fan now rising to #22 all-time for 17-18 boys, as just a 17-year-old.

In the C final, Roberto Bonilla Flores, a Guatemalan national, swam under the Guatemalan Record, but was DQ’d for a dolphin kick off the wall.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — FINALS

Podium:

1. Teagan O’Dell (NOVA) – 2:09.57
2. Maggie Wanezek (EBSC) – 2:11.56
3. Taylor McCoy (COUG) – 2:15.47

In a great race, 14-year-old Teagan O’Dell swam a new personal best of 2:09.57. The swim took over a second off O’Dell’s previous best of 2:10.70, which she swam just under a month ago. Additionally, the time makes O’Dell the #2 performer all-time in the 13-14 age group. The only 13-14 girls to ever have been faster is Missy Franklin, who holds the 13-14 NAG at 2:09.16.

O’Dell swam an incredibly consistent race, splitting 1:04.77 on the first 100, and coming home in 1:04.80, marking an even-split.

Elmbrook Swim Club’s Maggie Wanezek, 15, came in 2nd with a lifetime best of 2:11.56. Wanezek had swum a new lifetime best of 2:12.25 in prelims, and lowered it by another 0.69 seconds off tonight. Wanezek is now the #25 performer all-time in the 15-16 age group as a 15-year-old.

Taylor McCoy took 3rd in 2:15.467, and Ella Martinez-Spencer was 4th in 2:15.94. Martinez-Spencer’s time marked a huge new personal best, coming in well under her previous top time of 2:17.36, which she swam in late June of this year.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE — FINALS

Podium

1. Ziyad Saleem (SSTY) – 2:02.31
2. Harry Homans (TASC) – 2:02.83
3. Ronald Dalmacio (ROSE) – 2:03.84

Ziyad Saleem got the job done in the final, holding off a charge from Harry Homans at the end of the race. Saleem was just off his personal best of 2:01.30, which he swam in November of 2020. Harry Homans was off his prelims time of 2:02.31, and further off his lifetime best of 2:01.37.

WOMEN’S 4×100 FREESTYLE RELAY – FINALS:

Podium:

1. Irvine Novaquatics A – 3:45.69
2. Elmbrook Swim Club A – 3:47.65
3. Elevation Athetics A – 3:47.82

Irvine Novaquatics was dominant in this race, thanks in large part to Teagan O’Dell and Ella Ristic on the middle two legs. O’Dell split a 55.24, which is her fastest split ever, and the fastest split in the field tonight. Ristic clocked a 55.91, which was the 3rd-fastest split in the field. Also on the NOVA relay was Lindsay Ervin, who led off in 57.33, and Maggie Schalow, who anchored in 57.21.

The Elevation Aquatics squad that came in 3rd also broke the 17-18 girls NAG in the event. Indigo Armon (58.32), Morgan Lukinac (55.81), Karolina Bank (57.61), and Mary Codevilla (56.08) combined for a 3:47.82 broke an 8-year-old NAG that was held by Dynamo Swim Club. Lukinac’s split was the 2nd-fastest in the field.