2024 Speedo Summer Championships: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2024 SPEEDO SUMMER CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, July 23 – Saturday, July 27, 2024
• Prelims 9AM, finals 5PM (Pacific Time)
• LCM (50 meters)
• Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, California
• Meet Central
• Pre–scratch Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1 |Day 2

DAY 3 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

Good Morning to all of you out there reading this. Actually, it’s only good morning to anyone on the western seaboard of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. To the rest of you, Good [Insert generalized time of day here].

It’s an interesting morning as we bounce around between strokes and distances. The session starts off with the 400 free, where, despite it being the slowest event, it probably holds the most excitement as multiple Olympic Trials finalists and NCAA champions will duke it out for a spot in tonight’s A-Final. Bella Sims leads the charge for the women but will be closely trailed by Jillian Cox and Rachel Stege. On the men’s side, Rex Maurer, after a strong showing last night, will look to take on Jake Magahey, who is the top seed in the event.

The 100 fly will speed things up a bit, as competition for the top spots will be tight. Three women are entered in under a minute, but the next 9 spots are all within striking distance of that barrier. Caroline Larsen‘s 58.78 leads the way ahead of Brady Kendall and Anna Boemer. Trenton Julian leads the men’s 100 flies but, like Larsen, faces tough competition as Finn Brooks and Jack Dahlgren are seeded within a quarter of a second.

The morning concludes with the 200 backstroke, where the youthfulness of #2 seed Quinn White and #4 seed Margaret Dickinson (16 and 14) will clash with the 20-somethings #1 Torie Buerger and #5 Anna Freed.

#3 seed Rex Maurer has scratched the 200 back in favor of the 400, leaving Owen McDonald and Sam Powe as the only two swimmers who entered under 2:00, but #4 seed Jack Wilkening will look to join the pair as his entry time is just .19 away from breaking that threshold.

WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World: 3:55.38 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2023)
• American: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky (2016)
• US Open: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky (2018)
• Jr World: 3:56.08 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)

Top 8

1. Rachel Stege (ABSC) – 4:11.68
2. Bella Sims (UN) – 4:12.06
3. Jillian Cox (TXLA) – 4:12.34
4. Kayla Han (UN) – 4:12.51
5. Kate Hurst (SCAR) – 4:12.83
6. Abby McCulloh (SA) – 4:13.20
7. Shea Furse (ABSC) – 4:14.50
8. Sloane Reinstein (PASA) – 4:16.15

The first heat went the way of lane 5’s Ava Olson as she stopped the clock at 4:24.90. The 18-year-old had just finished her first year at UNLV and was entered in a yard time. Her personal best stands at 4:24.72 from this past May, and she was just a little off it. Despite that, it stands as the time to beat.

Olson’s time didn’t last long atop the field, as six swimmers in the 2nd heat were under that mark. Leading the charge was Marissa Inouye, a Miami (FL) commit, who posted a time of 4:19.57, dropping over a second off her seed time of 4:20.73.

Only one swimmer in the third heat and last before the circle seeded one was able to dip under Inouye’s time. Adele Sands, a Perdue commit, crushed her competition swimming with a time of 4:16.57, the only sub-4:20 in the heat. The time appears to be a new personal best, bettering her 4:18.90 from two weekends ago.

Through the 300 mark, Jillian Cox and Kayla Han were pretty much even, with just .21 separating them. But, Cox, who placed 3rd at Trials went to her legs a little earlier than Han to open up a lead of .6 at the 350 mark. The pair, closely trailed by Kate Hurst, would finish 1-2-3, with Cox taking the win in 4:12.34, easily the fastest time, and safely into tonight’s A-Final. Han, did make a change in the last few meters to claw the gap back to just .17, finishing in 4:12.51, with Hurst joining her under 4:13 at the 4:12.83.

Bella Sims asserted her authority over the field very quickly, taking the 100 out in 59.12. At the 200, she had a body length lead over Rachel Stege as she flipped 2:03.68, 1.28 seconds ahead of her SEC rival. Stege, however, clawed back Sims, gaining almost a full second back over the 3rd 100 to be just .38 back at the 300, and at the 350 mark, she had pulled ahead of Sims by a similar margin. Stege cruised into the finish, posting the top time of the morning of 4:11.68, with Sims not too far behind at 4:12.06.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World: 3:40.07 – Paul Biederman, GER (2009)
• American: 3:42.75 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• US Open: 3:43.53 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• Jr World: 3:44.31 – Petar Mitsin, BUL (2023)

Top 8

1. Silas Beth (UN) – 3:51.37
2. Charlie Clark (OSU) – 3:53.24
3. Rex Maurer (UN) – 3:53.42
4. Carson Hick (KYA) – 3:53.70
5. Luka Mijatovic (PLS) – 3:53.86
6. Nick Caruso (KYA) – 3:554.88
7. Cooper McDonald (DYNA) – 3:55.27
8. Bucky Gettys (GOLD) – 3:55.28

I hope your fire alarms have fresh batteries because there was some outside smoke in the first heat as lane 1’s Luke Vatev, a 15-year-old from Illinois, stormed to the win, posting a time of 4:03.31. Entered with a yards time, the youngster appears to have sliced over three seconds off his PB of 4:06.57 from last month.

Heat 2 saw a return to normally scheduled programming as lane 4’s Lucas Jue posted the fastest time and first sub-4:00 time of the morning as he recorded a mark of 3:58.28. Like Vatev, Jue was entered in a yard time and appears to have sliced more than 8 seconds off his PB. Jue showed off a textbook negative split, as his 4th 50 was 30.31, flipping at the 200 in 1:59.26, but his last 4 50s were all sub-30, closing in 1:59.02 over the last 200.

Did you check both of fire alarms, because heat 3 saw outside smoke in lanes 7 and 8 this time. Michigan’s Ryan Healy posted the second sub-4:00 time out lane 8, hitting the wall in 3:58.91, ahead of lane 7’s Alex Schwatz’s 3:59.96. The pair, along with Jue, are the only swimmers under 4:00, but with four more heats, expect many more to join them.

Heat 4 was a tight affair over the opening few lengths but lane 5’s Sam Huggins pulled away from the field to lead by a healthy margin of nearly two seconds at the 350 turn over Patrick Branon. However, Branon had other plans and, hugging the lane line, dropped a massive 27.99 in the last 50 to almost catch Huggins, who closed in 29.74. The pair vaulted to the top of the leaderboard as they finished in 3:57.32 and 3:57.40.

The last heat before the circle-seeded heat saw another personal best win the heat as lane 3’s Bucky Gettys stopped the clock in 3:55.28. The Texas Gold swimmer chopped off nearly two seconds from his personal best and takes over as the top time of the morning. Juan Vallmitjana took second in the heat out of lane 1, stopping the clock in 3:56.65, also a strong drop from his seed.

The first of two circle-seeded heats ended in a very tight finish. Carson Hick led for much of the race, but Rex Maurer, the winner of last night’s 400 IM, came from behind on the closing length to nab the win at 3:53.42, just .28 ahead of Hick who sliced nearly a second off his seed to finish in 3:53.70. Sandwiched between the two was age group phenom Luka Mijatovic, who was just a shade behind at 3:53.86.

Taking it out like a bat and maybe hoping to go unnoticed, heat 7’s lane 8 swimmer Silas Beth led at the 200 mark, flipping in 1:55.11. By the 300 mark, Beth was still ahead, opening a gap of 1.3 seconds on Charlie Clark. Beth kept the field at bay, taking the heat win and posting the fastest time overall of 3:51.37, with Clark behind him in a time of 3:53.24. Beth, a German national, joined LSU in the second semester this year, finishing 17th in the 500 free at SECs.

Top seed and 2024 Olympic Trials finalist in this event, Jake Magahey, struggled to get things going, finishing in 3:56.53, just 5th in his heat and tying for 9th overall with Saadeddin Saadeddin.

WOMEN’S 100 Butterfly– PRELIMS

• World: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• American: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, (2024)
• US Open: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
• Jr World: 56.43 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)

Top 8

1. Caroline Larsen (FOX) – 59.37
2. Brady Kendall (MICH) – 59.76
3. Sophie Yendell (PITT) – 1:00.06
4. Avery Spade (ISC) – 1:00.32
5. Sydney Gring (PITT) – 1:00.34
6. Hannah Bellard (MICH) – 1:00.39
7. Anna Boemer (MICH) – 1:00.49
8. Lily Archibald (RAC) – 1:00.50

With the change from the 400 to the 100, results were coming quick and fast. Halfway through the eight heats, the top time belonged to Sydney Gring. Swimming out of the second heat with a yards time, the Pitt swimmer stopped the clock in 1:00.34.

Anna Boemer, the #3 seed won the first of the circle-seeded heats in 1:00.49 to slot in as the second fastest time of the morning. The Michigan and Solo Aquatics swimmer was just one of three swimmers who entered sub-1:00. Finishing behind her was Elle Scott of SwimMAC, who sliced .19 off her entry to touch in 1:00.66.

Brady Kendall quickened things up in heat 7, as she broke the minute barrier to take over the top time in 59.76. While .38 off her entry, Kendall, who also swims for Michigan, should easily qualify for tonight’s final and have a chance to further lower that time.

Caroline Larsen, in the last heat, joined Kendall under the 1:00 barrier as she surpassed the previous best time, hitting the wall in 59.37. While, like Kendall, Larsen was off her entry time of 58.78, she looks like she could go faster tonight.

MEN’S 100 Butterfly– PRELIMS

• World: 49.45 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• American: 49.5 – Caeleb Dressel, (2021)
• US Open: 49.76 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021)
• Jr World: 50.62 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)

Top 8

1. Trenton Julian (MVN) – 52.51
2. Colin Geer (MICH) – 52.72
3. Brady Samuels (UN) – 53.01
4. Dylan Smiley (ISC) – 53.20
5. Grant House (SUN) – 53.25
6. Tyler Ray (MICH) – 53.35
7. Finn Brooks (ISC) – 53.36
8. Ryan Branon (NBAC) – 53.42

Through the halfway point (after heat 5), the early leader was North Baltimore’s Ryan Branon. The oldest of three Branons entered the meet, Ryan, 20, swam a time of 53.42 out of heat 4. Entered with a yards time, Branon, who swims collegiately for Texas, was 7th in this recent at the Big 12 Championships in 47.02.

Branon’s time survived the start of the circle-seeded heats. In the eighth heat, a tight battle ensued between Jack Dahlgren, Grant Sanders and August Vetsch. Vetsch had the lead at the 50, flipping in 25.04, but the veterans Dalghren and Sanders would pass him, with Dahlgren taking the heat win in 53.50 and Sanders in 53.83. With two heats remaining, Dahlgren and Sanders may have some worry as they sit just 3rd and 4th in the rankings.

All good things must come to an end, and heat 9 saw Branon be replaced atop the leaderboard by Brady Samuels, who was out like a cannon in 24,56 and came home to post the fastest time of the morning so far in 53.01, slicing nearly half a second off his seed. Grant House, Tyler Ray, and Finn Brooks all were also under Branon’s time, with House posting the second fastest time in the heat of 53.25. With one heat remaining, Dahlgren, the #3 seed, sits in 7th.

The last heat saw Trenton Julian run down Colin Geer on the last 50. Geer, who competes for Michigan, was out in 24,67, opening a lead of .32 on Julian. But the Mission Viejo swimmer surged home in an uncharacteristically fast last 50, splitting 27.52 to stop the clock in 52.51. Geer, who wasn’t a slouch on the last 50 either, closed in 28.05 to hit the wall in 52,72, slicing .7 off his entry time to post the 2nd fastest time of the morning.

Branon, who is the 54th seed, managed to remain amongst the top 8 and will swim in the A-Final this evening.

WOMEN’S 200 Backstroke– PRELIMS

• World: 2:03.14 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• American: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith (2019)
• US Open: 2:03.80 – Regan Smith, USA (2023)
• Jr World: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)

Top 8

1. Grace Frericks (KYA) – 2:13.33
2. Mackenzie Hodges (TST) – 2:14.61
3. Libby Grether (KYA) – 2:14.77
4. Margaret Dickinson (SSTY) – 2:14.85
5. Mabel Koff (NBAC) – 2:14.94
6. Quinn White (SAC) – 2:15.22
7. Claire Jansen (PITT) – 2:15.26
8. Anna Freed (ISC) – 2:15.57

After three heats, and with just the circle seeded heats remaining, the fastest time of the morning belongs to Rosie Murphy. Murphy, 20, representing UCLA Swimming entered the meet with a yards time of 1:53.13. Her time out of heat 3, 2:15.76, appears to be a little under two seconds off her PB of 2:14.09 from the 2019 Junior Nationals.

The first of the circle-seeded heats saw Lily Cleason flip first at the 100 in 1:04.20. However, over the backhalf, the field caught up to Cleason, and Libby Grether would go on to take the win in a time of 2:14.77, just ahead of the 3rd seed Margaret Dickinson. Dickinson, who is just 14, touched in 2:14.85, more than two seconds off her seed time.

Heat 5 was a faster affair as Kentucky’s Grace Frericks passed her teammate Grether’s time. Frericks stopped the clock in 2:13.33, just .20 off her entry. Finishing behind her was NBAC Mabel Koff in 2:14.94 and the #2 seed Shawmut’s Quinn White in 2:15.22.

The last heat was a tight affair at the 100 mark as Claire Jansen and Tierney Lenahan, swimming out of lanes 2 and 7, respectively, flipped in identical splits of 1:05.69. However, it was The Swim Team’s Mackenzie Hodges who pulled through the field to take the win in 2:14.61 and posted the 2nd fastest time of the morning. Jansen would hold on to 2nd, stopping the clock in 2:15.26, but Lenahan paid for her early speed, splitting 1:10.17 on the last 100 to finish 12th overall in 2:15.86, albeit just .3 slower than her seed.

MEN’S 200 Backstroke – PRELIMS

• World: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• American: 1:51.92 – Aaron Piersol, (2009)
• US Open: 1:53.08 – Aaron Piersol, USA (2009)
• Jr World: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)

Top 8

1. Owen McDonald (ISC) – 1:59.91
2. Sam Powe (MCC) – 2:01.93
3. Jack Wilkening (MIC) -2:02.42
4. Eric Lee (SCAR) – 2:02.67
5. Luigi Perez Franco (TAC) – 2:02.74
6. David Kovacs (ISC) -2:02.96
7. Hayden Hakes (IFLY) – 2:03.17
8. Jackson Mussler (LAK) – 2:03.80

The fastest time of the morning through heat 3 belonged to John Butler, who out heat 2 lane 2 posted a mark of 2:05.08. Like many of the swimmers above, Butler entered the meet with a yards time of 1:46.78. Butler, who swims for the Black Hawk Area Swim Team, is committed to swimming for the D3 University of Chicago this fall.

Whereas Branon’s top time in the 100 fly survived through to make the A-Final, Butler’s sits in a more precarious position, as the 4th heat saw three swimmers break 2:04. Leading the charge was Michigan’s Jack Wilkening, who was actually under 2:03, stopping the clock in 2:02.42. Wilkening was out in a speedy 58.81 but slowed over the last 100, splitting 1:03.61. On the other hand, while not a negative split, Jackson Mussler took the race out in 1:01.22 but surged home in 1:02.58, making up more than a second on Wilkening to finish in a time of 2:03.80.

Heat 5 saw early leader Butler pushed down into 7th place as three swimmers swam under 2:03. Taking over the top time, Sam Powe hit the wall in 2:01.93, splitting 59.10 and 1:02.83. He finished over half a second ahead of Eric Lee, who touched in 2:02.67, getting the better of Indiana Swim Club’s David Kovacs, who dropped 1.49 off his seed to just squeak under 2:03, stopping the clock in 2:02.96.

The last heat brought the speed as we saw our first and only sub-2:00 time of the morning. Indiana Swim Club’s Owen McDonald was out in 58.24 and closed in 1:01.67 to stop the clock in 1:59.91, just .72 off his seed time of 1:59.19. McDonald, who was third in this event for ASU at the 2024 NCAAs, was 18th in this event at the recent Olympic Trials, where he time when he touched in 1:59.48.