2023 Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series – Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2023 PRO SWIM SERIES – MISSION VIEJO

• May 17-20, 2023
• Marguerite Aquatics Center, Mission Viejo, California
• LCM (50 meters)
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• Live Results

WEDNESDAY NIGHT HEAT SHEET

The 2023 Mission Viejo Pro Swim Series will kick off this evening with a short distance session, featuring the men’s and women’s 1500 freestyle. The 1500s is a timed final event, and will run fastest to slowest, alternating heats of women and men.

Kayla Han, 14, comes in as the top seed on the women’s side with an entry time of 16:26.92. Han’s entry time is her personal best time, which she posted this past March at the Indianapolis Speedo Sectionals. She currently sits at #8 all-time in the event for the girls 13-14 age group.

17-year-old Jillian Cox is the only other swimmer entered under 16:30. Cox, who will head to Texas in the fall, owns a best time of 16:29.16 from Junior Pan Pacs in August. She’s already came close to that time this year, having swam a 16:31.25 at the Knoxville Pro Swim Series stop in January.

The men’s race is headlined by Egypt’s Marwan el Kamash, who owns the top seed with a 15:01.26 entry time. His entry is from his most recent Pro Swim Series appearance in Fort Lauderdale, where he took 2nd in the 400, 800 and 1500.

Texas’ David Johnston and Alec Enyeart are seeded 2nd and 3rd at 15:02.37 and 15:05.10, respectively. This is the first 1500 of the year for both of them coming off the NCAA season. At the NCAA Championships, Johnston finished 4th in the 1650 (14:35.51), while Enyeart took 13th (14:47.13).

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE — TIMED FINALS

• World Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• World Junior Record: 15:28.36 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2014)
• American Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• U.S. Open Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 15:20.48 — Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)

Top 8:

1. Jillian Cox (TXLA) – 16:31.00
2. Kayla Han (RMDA) – 16:37.93
3. Paige Downey (GM) – 16:50.21
4. Abby Grottle (TAMU)- 16:53.42
5. Caroline Riggs (CM) – 16:54.80
6. Bailey Hartman (CROW) – 16:56.66
7. Danielle Gleason (PSC) – 16:56.85
8. Rachel Love (TAMU) – 17:06.32

Jillian Cox and Kayla Han separated themselves from the field early, taking their first 400 out in around 4:26. They continued to swim together through the the 1000, with Cox really beginning to pull away with a 300 to go. Cox ultimately stopped the clock at 16:31.00, winning by nearly seven seconds. Her swim puts her within two seconds of her best time from this past August, and marks a season best by a few tenths.

On her race plan, Cox said “The plan going in was to stick with the field. It was a really fast field. I was excited to race. I’ve raced Kayla (Han) so many times. It was super exciting to get to race her again. (The plan) was basically just stay with her, stay right there, bring it home fast – that’s really all I wanted.”

Abby Grottle from Texas A&M had a strong swim to finish 3rd in heat 1. Grottle logged a personal best time of 16:53.42, which is a 13 second drop from her previous best set last summer. Texas A&M’s Rachel Love also cracked the top-eight with a 2nd place finish in heat two (17:06.32).

Paige Downey, 14, had a fantastic race to win heat number two. Downey dominated the heat from start to finish, clocking a final time of 16:50.21. Her time is a personal best by over twenty seconds, and moves her to #63 on the girls 13-14 all-time rankings.

Crow Canyon’s Bailey Hartman decisively won the final heat in 16:56.66, moving her to a 6th place finish overall. Hartman was entered on a 1000 time, and did not have an official 1500m time coming into this race.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINALS

• World Record: 14.31.02 — Sun Yang, CHN (2012)
• World Junior Record: 14:46.09 — Franko Grgic, CRO (2019)
• American Record: 14:36.70 — Bobby Finke, USA (2022)
• U.S. Open Record: 14:45.54 — Peter Vanderkaay, USA (2008)
• Pro Swim Series Record: 14:53.12 — Jordan Wilimovsky, USA (2016)

Top 8:

1. Marwan el Kamash (EGY) – 15:15.19
2. David Johnston (TXLA) – 15:16.19
3. Alec Enyeart (TST) – 15:27.16
4. Isaac Fleig (UN) – 15:34.24
5. William Mulgrew (CRIM) 15:36.10
6. Dylan Porges Avila (PRIN) – 15:47.26
7. Christian Bayo (PUR) – 15:52.65
8. Guillaume Lord (TQ) – 15:53.19

Egypt’s Marwan el Kamash led from start to finish, stopping the clock at 15:15.19. He held off a late charge from Texas’ David Johnston, who closed the gap to a exactly a second after trailing by nearly four seconds at the 1000 mark. el Kamash’s swim put him over ten seconds off what he posted at the Pro Swim Series in Fort Lauderdale, while Johnston was also well off his personal best of 15:02.37.

Johnston’s teammate Alec Enyeart took third in 15:27.16. Enyeart was only a few seconds behind Johnston with a 500 to go, but fell back when Johnston made his push closer to the end. Taking 3rd was Wisconsin commit Isaac Fleig, who dropped two seconds to post a 15:34.24, good for an Olympic Trials cut.

Princeton’s Dylan Porges Avila had a solid swim to win heat two in 15:47.26. His time dipped him below his entry by a few tenths, and moved him to 6th in the overall results.

Winning heat three was 16-year-old William Mulgrew from Crimson Aquatics. Mulgrew threw down a best time by over 30 seconds to post a 15:36.10, which ties him for 53rd all-time in the boys 15-16 age group. His performance also secures his spot at Olympic Trials next summer, as his time puts him three seconds under the standard.

The final heat belonged to 17-year-old Gavin Sheyda, who touched first at 16:01.35. Sheyda cleared his heat by 17 seconds, with his time being a massive 27 second improvement from last summer.