2016 U.S. Open: Day 3 Prelims Live Recap

2016 U.S. OPEN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, August 2 – Saturday, August 6, 2016
• Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center
• The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Heats 9:00 AM / Finals 5:00 PM (U.S. Central Time)
• Psych Sheets
• Live Video
• Wednesday Prelims Heat Sheet
• Live Results
• Championship Central

Women’s 400 IM – Prelims

• American: Katie Hoff, 2008 – 4:31.12
• U.S. Open meet: Katie Hoff, 2006 – 4:38.38

Aggie Swim Club’s Bethany Galat is well on her way to a second U.S. Open title, putting up the top prelims 400 IM time by about 4 seconds.

Galat – one of the biggest time-droppers of Olympic Trials – was 4:44.48 in prelims this morning, still about 7 seconds off her Trials time. With the 400 IM often about gamesmanship and energy management between prelims and finals, expect Galat to drop plenty of time tonight in search of another sub-4:40 swim.

Alabama’s Mia Nonnenberg ws 4:47.79 for second, with Hannah Moore of NC State going 4:48.15 for third. All three came out of the same prelims heat. The other circle-seeded heat went to Texas’s Madisyn Cox, who wound up fourth overall in 4:48.55.

It’s a young final all around, with Cox the oldest swimmer in the top 8 at 21 years old. Aberdeen’s Hannah Kastigar was 5th in 4:50.12, just a few hundredths ahead of YMCA star Savanna Faulconer (4:50.18). Minnesota’s Brooke Zeiger and Indiana’s Sam Lisy round out the A finalists heading into tonight.

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Galat – 4:44.48
2. Nonnenberg – 4:47.79
3. Moore – 4:48.15
4. Cox – 4:48.55
5. Kastigar – 4:50.12
6. Faulconer – 4:50.18
7. Zeiger – 4:50.96
8. Lisy – 4:52.20

Men’s 400 IM – Prelims

• American: Michael Phelps, 2008 – 4:03.84
• U.S. Open meet: Sebastien Rousseau, 2013 – 4:11.11

Usually a bit of a sleepy event in prelims, the men’s 400 IM featured a thrilling battle for the top seed, with Gamecock Aquatics’ Tom Peribonio touching out top seed Michael Weiss for top billing out of the final heat.

Peribonio was 4:20.71 and Weiss 4:20.75, with Peribonio putting up a huge closing burst to take the win. They lead the field by about a second heading into tonight.

One heat earlier, Florida’s Mark Szaranek outlasted Stanford’s Max Williamson for the win. Szaranek, a Scottish national, was 4:21.74 and sits 3rd; Williamson was 4:23.06 and holds up in 4th.

Michigan’s PJ Ransford is into the A final in 5th with a 4:26.86, along with Alex Lebed, local high schooler John Thomas Larson and Notre Dame’s Tommy Anderson. Anderson snuck into the championship heat by just .02 over Lincoln Select’s Brennan Balogh.

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Periboinio – 4:20.71
2. Weiss – 4:20.75
3. Szaranek – 4:21.74
4. Williamson – 4:23.06
5. Ransford – 4:26.86
6. Lebed – 4:27.05
7. Larson – 4:27.15
8. Anderson – 4:27.17

Women’s 100 Fly – Prelims

• American: Dana Vollmer, 2012 – 55.98
• U.S. Open meet: Elaine Breeden, 2009 – 58.18

Welsh 25-year-old Alys Margaret Thomas blasted to a 58.89 out of the first circle-seeded heat, a time that would hold up for the overall top seed into the championship final. She’s followed by the winner of the final heat (Sarah Gibson in 59.04) and the winner of the middle circle-seeded heat (16-year-old Eva Merrell in 59.16).

UNC’s Hellen Moffitt pushed Thomas in that opening heat, going 59.29 and taking 4th for prelims. 2012 U.S. Olympian Claire Donahue was 59.71, ahead of Ohio State’s Aliena Schmidtke and 200 fly champ Hannah Saiz.

Also into the final is Louisville’s Mallory Comerford, who was 1:00.28 to sneak in by a few tenths.

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Thomas – 58.89
2. Gibson – 59.04
3. Merrell – 59.16
4. Moffitt – 59.29
5. Donahue – 59.71
6. Schmidtke – 59.85
7. Saiz – 59.89
8. Comerford – 1:00.28

Men’s 100 Fly – Prelims

• American: Michael Phelps, 2009 – 49.82
• U.S. Open meet: Tom Shields, 2013 – 51.65

Brazilian flyer Vini Lanza picked up the top spot in the men’s 100 fly, going 52.95 for Indiana University. Lanza is more than a half-second ahead of the 200 fly champ from day 1, Louisville’s Zach Harting. Harting – well-known for wearing a Batman mask and onesie behind the blocks of the Olympic Trials 200 fly final – was 53.63 for the second spot this morning.

His teammate Josh Quallen is right behind in 53.70, tied with 17-year-old Michael Andrew for the third seed.

It’s a tight final – .02 back of them is Australia’s Nicholas Brown (53.72) with Notre Dame’s Matthew Grauslys just .01 back of that.

WVU alum Bryce Bohman and Alabama/Netherlands Laurent Bams round out the A final, with the whole top 8 under 53.8.

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Lanza – 52.95
2. Harting – 53.63
3. T-3 Andrew – 53.70
4. T-3 Quallen – 53.70
5. Brown – 53.72
6. Graslys – 53.73
7. Bohman – 53.78
8. Bams – 53.83