2015 Winter Nationals: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2015 AT&T U.S. WINTER NATIONALS

• Thursday, December 3rd – Friday, December 5th, 2015
• Federal Way, WA
• Weyerhaeuser King County Aquatic Center
• Prelims 9:00 AM / Finals 6:00 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
• Psych Sheets
• Heat Sheets
• Live Video
• Live Results

Women’s 400 Meter Individual Medley – Finals

The field was pretty even over the butterfly leg, but Emily Overholt of UBC Dolphins had the advantage heading into the backstroke. Maya DiRado of Stanford Swimming moved into the lead by the turn of the backstroke, but Bluefish Swim Club’s Elizabeth Beisel had moved nearly even by the back-to-breast wall. DiRado and Beisel turned together at the 250 wall. They turned exactly together into the freestyle, while Caitlin Leverenz of California Aquatics moved into third place just behind them. DiRado had a .1 lead at the last turn, and the battle continued down the final stretch. At the end it was DiRado with 4:36.85 to Beisel’s 4:37.01. Sarah Henry of Aggie Swim Club touched third in 4:40.01.

With that win DiRado sweeps the individual medleys, having won the 200 IM yesterday. Lindsey Clary of Ohio State edged Matea Samardzic of Croatia in the consolation, 4:45.50 to 4:45.91.

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Men’s 400 Meter Individual Medley – Finals

Chase Kalisz of North Baltimore Aquatic Club had a little company over the first 100 but he was all alone from the first couple of cycles on the backstroke leg onward. An incredibly strong back-halfer, Kalisz continued to build his lead and was about 10 meters ahead of the field at the breast-to-free turn. Kalisz finished well and touched in 4:12.80 for the win and the second-fastset 400 IM in the world so far this season. Max Williamson of Stanford was second in 4:20.86, just a tick ahead of Gator Swim Club’s Dan Wallace (4:21.03).

Ian Rainey of University of Michigan had an outstanding race, clocking a 4:20.94 to win the B final by a huge margin. Carlos Omana was second with 4:25.44, while Tal Davis of Team Greenville was third in 4:27.00.

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Women’s 100 Meter Butterfly – Finals

While the three middle lanes looked more as if they were doing synchronized swimming than racing butterfly, in the end experience won out as 2012 Olympic champion Dana Vollmer of California Aquatics accelerated over the last 20 meters for the victory. Vollmer touched in 57.95, with Claire Donahue of South Florida (58.37) and Kendyl Stewart (58.45) just behind. Vollmer’s time ranks third in the world so far this season.

15-year-old Eva Merrell of Aquazot Swim Club posted the second-fastest 100 fly of all-time for 15-16 girls, winning the consolation final with 58.58. Beata Nelson of Madison Aquatic Club was second with 59.68, just a tick ahead of Lauren Case of Chattahoochee Gold (59.74).

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Men’s 100 Meter Butterfly – Finals

While California Aquatics’ Tom Shields, who had posted the fastest time in prelims, took it out first, it was North Baltimore’s Michael Phelps who got his hands on the wall first. Shields turned at 24.09 and looked like he was in control of the race, but Phelps seemed to increase his intensity with each stroke, and he edged Shields, 51.38 to 51.41. Both Phelps and Shields posted world top-three times for the season. Phelps noted after the race that this was the first time he’d been under 52 in-season, and that he’d done it twice in one day. Fans should be optimistic about his summer.

Third place went to Auburn’s Luis Martinez with a new Guatemalan national record of 52.35.

The consolation final featured an incredible finish across the board, with Seth Stubblefield of California Aquatics getting the touch in 53.29, just ahead of Alex Valente (53.41) and Eugene Godsoe (53.57).

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Women’s 200 Meter Freestyle – Finals

For a while it looked like sprinter Simone Manuel might upset the field in the women’s 200 free, but then North Baltimore’s Allison Schmitt showed why she is on top of the mid-distance freestyles. Schmitt split a pair of 29.74s to close down the opposition with 1:56.77. Missy Franklin of Colorado Stars, who nearly chased her down, finished second with 1:57.30. Third place went to Siobhan Haughey of University of Michigan in 1:58.48.

A strong second half gave Badger Swim Club’s Lindsay Vrooman the win in the B final; she came to the wall in 1:59.45. Emma Nordin of Carmel Swim Club edged Ohio State’s Sam Cheverton, 2:00.59 to 2:00.81 for second.

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Men’s 200 Meter Freestyle – Finals

Darian Townsend got off to an early start, hitting first at the first wall, but Trojan Swim Club’s Conor Dwyer took over at the 100 and lengthened his lead all through the second half. Dwyer ended up finishing uncontested, swimming a 1:46.62, followed by Wisconsin’s Michael Weiss in 1:47.85 and Matias Koski, who finished in 1:47.96. Maxime Rooney, this year’s junior nationals champ in this event, finished fourth in 1:48.00.

In the B final, Matthew Stanley of New Zealand pulled ahead of a very even field to win in 1:49.25, followed by Justin Glanda of Club Wolverine in 1:49.74.

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Women’s 100 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

At the turn, it was a toss up between Trojan Swim Club’s Yulia Efimova and Indiana University’s Lilly King. Both swimmers sped up their turnover rate in the second half, pulling away from the rest of the field. They remained neck and neck until the flags, when Efimova took over, finishing in 1:06.17 to King’s 1:06.43. Molly Hannis finished third in 1:07.51.

King and Efimova posted the second and third fastest times this season, only behind Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson, who broke 1:06 last month.

Efimova mentioned after the race that she didn’t taper for this meet.

The top time in the consolation final went to Franko Jonker in 1:08.99.

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Men’s 100 Meter Breaststroke – Finals

Greater Philadelphia’s Brendan McHugh led at the wall, followed closely by Mizzou post-grad Sam Tierney, who surged forward in the second half to win in 1:00.15. Tucson Ford’s Titus Marcus finished second with a late burst of speed in 1:00.55, followed by Nick Schafer‘s 1:00.83. McHugh ended up fourth in 1:00.83.

Tierney’s time is the fourth-fastest in the world this season, behind Cameron Van Der Burgh‘s 58.97, Adam Peaty‘s 59.28, and Lizhou Wang‘s 59.79.

Mike Alexandrov led the consolation final from lane one from the very beginning of the race, finishing in 1:01.66. New York Aquatic Club’s Yousseff El Kamash took the tenth slot in 1:02.30.

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Women’s 100 Meter Backstroke – Finals

Cal’s Natalie Coughlin was longest and fastest off the start. Kathleen Baker was just barely first at the turn in a packed field. In the end, in about the last five strokes, Missy Franklin used her signature finishing speed to surge forward and win the event in 1:00.03. Michigan senior Ali Deloof finished second in 1:00.10, Cal’s Rachel Bootsma third in 1:00.25, Coughlin fourth in 1:00.41, Carmel Swim Club’s Claire Adams in 1:00.46, Baker in 1:00.48, and Michigan’s Clara Smiddy in 1:00.49. The top seven swimmers all finished within less than half a second of each other.

Counting on early speed, Brooklyn Snodgrass finished first in the consol final in 1:00.68. Just behind her was Johanna Roas in 1:00.77.

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Men’s 100 Meter Backstroke – Finals

Tucsan Ford’s Matt Grevers led the A final of the 100 back from the very start, splitting 25.35 on the first 50, and finishing the race with 52.54, third fastest time in the world this season behind Australia’s Mitchell Larkin‘s 52.11 and David Plummer‘s 52.51.

Second place went to Grigory Tarasevich in 53.80, followed by New York Athletic Club’s Arkady Vyatchanin‘s 54.12.

After the race, Grevers said that he didn’t have the cleanest swims at Worlds, so he’s happier at this meet. He also mentioned that he has gotten more consistent. “It’s not as much of a gamble as it was when I was younger,” he said.

Trojan Vlad Morozov jumped ahead of the field to win the consols in 53.85.

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