2018 TYR Pro Swim Series – Mesa: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2018 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – MESA

• Thursday, April 12 – Sunday, April 15
• Skyline Aquatic Center, Mesa, AZ
• Long Course Meters
• Meet site
• Psych Sheet
• Live Stream
• Thursday Prelims Heat Sheet
• Live Results

The 2018 Tyr Pro Swim Series stop at Mesa is set to begin this morning in Arizona. Swimmers will compete in prelims of the 400 IM, 100 fly, 200 back, 200 breast, and 200 free. One of the things to look out for this morning is Olympic champion Allison Schmitt‘s return to competition. She’ll be swimming in heat 9 of the 200 free.

WOMEN’S 400 IM:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Connie Dean, 4:48.81
2. Ilektra Lebl, 4:51.96
3. Vien Nguyen, 4:52.54
4. Samantha Shelton, 4:56.41
5. Samantha Tadder, 5:01.10
6. Eleanna Koutsouveli, 5:01.38
7. Kate McBratney, 5:03.12
8. Mckenna Meyer, 5:03.32

2nd-seed Madisyn Cox, one of the favorites in this race, was a declared false start in this race. There were 4 women to break the 5:00-barrier in prelims, led by Connie Dean in 4:48.81. Ilektra Lebl, who came in with a yards time, swam to 2nd seed for finals. Vien Nguyen, the top seed coming into the meet, cruised to a 4:52.54 this morning and is the heavy favorite to win the final.

MEN’S 400 IM:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Chase Kalisz, 4:24.57
2. Jarod Arroyo, 4:26.07
3. Josh Prenot, 4:26.12
4. Carlos Claverie, 4:26.41
5. Gianluca Urlando, 4:30.59
6. Daniel Sos, 4:31.61
7. Nguyen Son, 4:33.37
8. Daniel Kober, 4:35.53

Chase Kalisz is on track to win his 3rd 400 IM Pro Swim title of the year. He took it easy this morning, topping the field in 4:24.57. Kalisz is joined by fellow National Teamer Josh Prenot, who swam to 3rd, in the top 8. Both men are slated to swim a double today. They’ll be racing next to each other in heat 6 of the 200 breast.

Kalisz is currently leading the men’s pro swim points standings and has a good chancec to rack up some more prize money here.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Kelsi Dahlia, 58.03
2. Louise Hansson, 58.12
3. Mallory Comerford, 58.57
4. Hellen Moffitt, 58.59
5. Aliena Schmidtke, 59.04
6. Sarah Gibson, 59.35
7. Isabella Paez, 1:00.20
8. Ruby Martin, 1:00.31

U.S. Olympian Kelsi Dahlia notched the top spot this morning, taking the last heat in 58.03. That just clipped the 58.12 done by NCAA champion Louise Hansson in the first circle seeded heat. Dahlia’s teammate Mallory Comerford and fellow National Teamer Hellen Moffitt were also sub-59 this morning. Moffitt’s swim was her fastest this season by over half a second. It was her fastest swim ever outside of a national or global championship meet, and the 5th fastest she’s ever done.

U.S. World Championships 100 butterflier Sarah Gibson touched with the 6th fastest swim. 2017 NCAA champ Farida Osman wound up in a tie for 10th at 1:00.88.

MEN’S 100 FLY:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. (T-1) Michael Andrew, 52.97
2. (T-1) Tim Phillips, 52.97
3. Kaan Ayar, 53.64
4. Camden Murphy, 54.09
5. Gianluca Urlando, 54.10
6. Zach Harting, 54.20
7. Nikola Miljenic, 54.29
8. Pace Clark, 54.41

There was a tie for 1st this morning between Michael Andrew and Tim Phillips. Andrew, who was just 4 tenths shy of his best, was slightly faster on the front end of his race, while Phillips had slightly more back-half speed. 16-year-old Gianluca Urlando qualified for another final after making it into the top 8 of the 400 IM, placing 5th in this race.

In his first race since NCAAs, Nicolas Albiero swam a 54.45 to take 10th in prelims. Albiero is one to look out for after he broke the 17-18 NAG Record in the 200 fly during the NCAA season.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Olivia Smoliga, 2:10.12
2. Sonnele Oeztuerk, 2:11.43
3. Katharine Berkoff, 2:13.10
4. Hali Flickinger, 2:13.91
5. Callie Dickinson, 2:15.74
6. Maddie Hess, 2:15.79
7. Audrey Reimer, 2:16.37
8. Keaton Blovad, 2:17.09

Olivia Smoliga made a huge time drop, taking over 5 seconds off her former best. Coming into the meet, her 2:15.88 from the 2013 Orlando Grand Prix was her fastest time. Another Georgia postgrad and National Teamer, Hali Flickinger, will be in the final after qualifying 4th. 17-year-old Katharine Berkoff, the 3rd seed for finals, was the youngest swimmer to make the top 8 here.

MEN’S 200 BACK:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jacob Pebley, 2:00.46
2. Ryan Murphy, 2:00.79
3. Zachary Poti, 2:03.29
4. Joey Reilman, 2:03.67
5. Nicolas Albiero, 2:04.41
6. Yezeil Morales, 2:04.60
7. Isaac Stump, 2:05.66
8. Kevin Kalember, 2:05.75

This morning set the stage for another showdown between Cal postgrads Jacob Pebley and Ryan Murphy in the 200 back final. As usual, neither one of them expended much energy this morning. Pebley negative split his race, just as he did at the Atlanta Pro Swim. He took it out in 1:00.48 and closed in 59.98.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Breeja Larson, 2:29.03
2. Emily Escobedo, 2:29.31
3. Micah Sumrall, 2:31.26
4. Zoe Bartel, 2:32.17
5. Manuela Mendolicchio, 2:33.32
6. Angela Mavrantza, 2:34.34
7. Peyton Kondis, 2:34.57
8. Morgan Friesen, 2:35.28

Breeja Larson led the way this morning in 2:29.03, while Emily Escobedo was the only other swimmer to break 2:30. Junior National Teamer Zoe Bartel swam to 4th seed. Once again, the event was missing Madisyn Cox, one of the top 8 seeds. Molly Hannis and Riley Scott were also declared false starts.

MEN’S 200 BREAST:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Josh Prenot, 2:13.37
2. Nic Fink, 2:14.14
3. Carlos Claverie, 2:14.28
4. Cody Miller, 2:14.88
5. Aj Pouch, 2:15.17
6. Kevin Cordes, 2:15.28
7. (T-7) Michael Andrew, 2:16.60
8. (T-7) Youssef El Kamash, 2:16.60

Olympic breaststrokers Josh Prenot, Kevin Cordes, and Cody Miller are all in the top 8 for tonight. This morning, Prenot was the only man sub-2:14. Prenot, Michael Andrew, and Carlos Claverie each qualified for their 2nd A final of the day. Andrew Wilson, the 3rd seed coming into the meet, wound up qualifying for the B final in 2:16.81 for 9th.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Melanie Margalis, 1:59.08
2. Leah Smith, 1:59.35
3. Leonie Kullmann, 1:59.69
4. Hali Flickinger, 2:00.06
5. Mallory Comerford, 2:00.46
6. Allison Schmitt, 2:00.76
7. Margo Geer, 2:02.00
8. Cierra Runge, 2:02.03

In her first meet since the 2016 Rio Olympics, Allison Schmitt placed 3rd in her heat behind Leonie Kullmann and Mallory Comerford. This was Comerford’s 2nd championship-qualifying swim of the morning. She’s coming off an NCAAs that saw her become the 2nd woman ever to break 1:40.

The top 2 seeds, Melanie Margalis and Leah Smith, were both members of the gold medal 800 free relay at last summer’s worlds along with Comerford. This was Smith’s first Pro Swim race this year, as she entered the Austin and Atlanta meets but ultimately scratched.

MEN’S 200 FREE:

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Conor Dwyer, 1:49.45
2. Patrick Callan, 1:49.86
3. Zane Grothe, 1:50.08
4. Marwan El Kamash, 1:50.29
5. Fynn Minuth, 1:50.71
6. Matias Koski, 1:50.76
7. Zach Harting, 1:52.01
8. Rafael Davila, 1:52.18

Olympic medalist Conor Dwyer swam to top seed this morning. He and junior standout Patrick Callan were the only swimmers to break 1:50, but fellow National Teamer and Worlds medalist Zane Grothe nearly hit the mark as well. Like Smith, this was the first Pro Swim race of the year for Dwyer, who scratched out of the Atlanta meet.

Fynn Minuth had a quick turnaround after NCAAs to compete at this meet, but still came within half a second of the fastest he’s ever been in-season. Likewise, Zach Harting is coming off NCAAs and qualified for his 2nd championship final of the day.