2022 Minnesota Invite: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2022 MINNESOTA INVITE

• November 30 – December 3, 2022
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center, Minneapolis, Minn.
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Heat Sheets (when uploaded)
• Live Results
• Results on Meet Mobile: “Minnesota Invite 2022”
• Live Stream ($)
• Races to watch, all the links you need

SCORES AFTER DAY ONE:

Women:

1. Texas — 286
2. Cal — 278
3. Wisconsin — 182
4. Minnesota — 172
5. Arizona — 160
6. Harvard — 128
7. Pitt — 120
8. UNLV — 26

Men:

1. Cal — 264
2. Arizona — 220
3. Texas — 202
4. Minnesota — 166
5. Wisconsin — 160
6. Harvard — 130
7. Pitt — 120
8. UNLV — 90

THURSDAY PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

The first prelims session of the 2022 Minnesota Invite is underway in Minneapolis. This morning’s session will feature the 500 free, 200 IM, and 50 free.

The men’s 200 IM ought to be a thrilling race, though we’ll have to wait for finals tonight. Carson Foster will be going up against Cal’s Destin Lasco, as well as his brother, Jake Foster.

In the women’s 200 IM, Texas’ Kelly Pash is the top seed by a wide margin. She comes in at 1:57.32, making her the only swimmer in the field under 2:00.

Texas has a stranglehold on the men’s 500 free, where David Johnston, Luke Hobson, Alec Enyeart, Carson Foster, and Coby Carrozza are the top five seeds.

Texas’ Erica Sullivan enters the women’s 500 free as the top seed and has the fastest personal best in the field.

WOMEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:35.76
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 4:47.20

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Erica Sullivan (TEX) – 4:41.66
2. Ayla Spitz (CAL) – 4:43.00
3. Rachel Klinker (CAL) – 4:43.40
4. Olivia McMurray (TEX) – 4:44.16
5. Blair Stoneburg (WISC) – 4:44.42
6. Abby Carlson (WISC) – 4:45.09
7. Megan Van Berkom (MINN) – 4:46.60
8. Sarah DiMeco (CAL) – 4:47.48

Erica Sullivan led the heats of the women’s 500 this morning. She clocked a season best by five seconds, setting herself up nicely to dip under 4:40 tonight.

Cal’s duo of Ayla Spitz and Rachel Klinker were next in, both swimming 4:43s.

Texas’ Olivia McMurray nearly posted a personal best this morning, taking fourth with a 4:44.16. McMurray’s personal best stands at 4:43.73, a time which she swam in February of this year.

MEN’S 500 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 4:11.40
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 4:22.35

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. David Johnston (TEX) – 4:13.54
2. Alec Enyeart (TEX) – 4:14.21
3. Carson Foster (TEX) – 4:15.97
4. Luke Hobson (TEX) – 4:16.80
5. Jake Newmark (WISC) – 4:17.46
6. Gabriel Jett (CAL) – 4:17.82
7. Patrick Callan (CAL) – 4:17.92
8. Coby Carrozza (TEX) – 4:18.63

It was the Texas show this morning in the men’s 500 free prelims, seeing the Longhorns take the top four spots for finals. David Johnston led the way with a 4:13.54, coming fairly close to the NCAA ‘A’ cut of 4:11.40, which we might see multiple Longhorns pick up tonight.

Freshman Alec Enyeart was second this morning with a 4:14.21, marking a personal best by 2.08 seconds. Additionally, Enyeart is still 18, and his time this morning moves him up to #12 all-time in the 17-18 boys age group in the event.

Carson Foster and Luke Hobson were next in, touching third and fourth respectively. Hobson has been 4:08.42 before, so we can expect a faster swim tonight from the star 500 freestyler.

The Longhorns also saw Coby Carrozza make the ‘A’ final tonight.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:53.66
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:59.56

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Kelly Pash (TEX) – 1:55.76
2. Olivia Bray (TEX) – 1:56.14
3. Phoebe Bacon (WISC) – 1:56.34
4. Isabelle Stadden (CAL) – 1:56.92
5. Emma Sticklen (TEX) – 1:57.48
6. Leah Polonsky (CAL) – 1:57.72
7. Megan Van Berkom (MINN) – 1:59.29
8. Mallory Jump (WISC) – 1:59.46

The Texas duo of Kelly Pash and Oliva Bray led the charge this morning in the women’s 200 IM. Pash was flying at the end of the race, coming home in 27.51 on the final 50. Bray was out very fast, splitting 24.70 on fly and 27.83 on back for a 52.53 on the first 100 of the race.

In what was her best swim of the fall so far, Wisconsin’s Phoebe Bacon posted a 1:56.34 for third this morning, marking her first time under 2:00 in the event this season.

Texas’ Emma Sticklen also made it through, swimming a 1:57.48 for fifth this morning.

Cal’s Isabelle Stadden is in the ‘A’ final tonight and could make some noise.

MEN’S 200 IM – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 1:41.22
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 1:46.52

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Braden Vines (TEX) – 1:43.70
2. Kaiser Neverman (MINN) – 1:45.33
3. Spencer Aurnou-Rhees (TEX) – 1:45.41
4. Destin Lasco (CAL) – 1:45.51
5. Ryan Purdy (ARIZ) – 1:45.57
6. Jake Foster (TEX) – 1:45.95
7. Chris Morris (MINN) – 1:46.19
8. Chris Jhong (CAL) – 1:46.49

Texas’ Braden Vines led the men’s 200 IM by a wide margin this morning, while star Texas teammate Carson Foster ended up scratching the event after competing in the 500 free earlier in the session.

Foster was just one of many swimmers to scratch the 200 IM this morning. Also opting not to swim the event were Cal’s Reece Whitley, Cal’s Colby Mefford, Cal’s Jacques Laeffer, Texas’ Andrew Zettle, and Arizona’s Ty Coen.

With Carson Foster out of the picture, Cal’s Destin Lasco has a great shot to pull out a win tonight after swimming a relaxed 1:45.51 this morning. Lasco swam a 1:38.21 in the 200 IM at the NCAA Championships last season, making him the fastest swimmer in tonight’s field by a large margin.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 21.66
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 22.71

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Grace Cooper (TEX) – 21.89
2. Bridget Semenuk (TEX) – 22.21
3. Eloise Riley (CAL)/Sophie Yendell (PITT) – 22.34
4. –
5. Kyla Leibel (TEX) – 22.47
6. Hannah Cornish (MINN) – 22.52
7. Emma Davidson (CAL)/Maggie Summit (MINN) – 22.59
8. –

Texas’ Grace Cooper threw down a huge personal best this morning with a 21.89, leading the field by 0.32 seconds. Cooper’s previous best of 22.26 was set at the NCAA Championships last season. She just blew through 21 seconds, clocking a time which almost certainly will qualify her for NCAAs in March.

Texas teammate Bridget Semenuk also clocked a personal best this morning, swimming a 22.21 for second place. That time chipped 0.02 seconds off her previous best (22.23), which was set at the 2019 Minnesota Invite, when she was a freshman.

The Longhorns also saw Kyla Leibel advance to the ‘A’ final tonight and she swam a personal best as well. Coming in at 22.47, Leibel undercut her previous best of 22.60 by 0.13 seconds. Leibel’s previous best was set at the 2021 Minnesota Invite, last December.

Pitt’s Sophie Yendell had a great swim as well, tying for third with a 22.34. That swim is a personal best for Yendell as well, whose previous best was a 22.52 from the 2022 ACC Championships.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCAA ‘A’ Cut – 18.88
• NCAA ‘B’ Cut – 19.82

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Bjorn Seeliger (CAL) – 19.24
2. Peter Larson (TEX) – 19.41
3. Marin Ercegovic (ARIZ) – 19.45
4. Daniel Krueger (TEX) – 19.52
5. Tommy Palmer (ARIZ) – 19.54
6. Ryan Perham (ARIZ) – 19.58
7. Jack Alexy (CAL) – 19.61
8. Billy Oates (ARIZ) – 19.71

Cal’s Bjorn Seeliger clocked the top time of the morning with a 19.24. It was a season best for Seeliger, though we know he can be much faster.

Texas’ Peter Larson was second this morning with a 19.41, marking a big season best for the senior Longhorn. Fellow Texas swimmer Daniel Krueger was 19.52 this morning, but could make some noise tonight, especially if Seeliger isn’t at the top of his game.