2019 Pro Swim Series – Greensboro: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2019 USA SWIMMING PRO SWIM SERIES – GREENSBORO

• November 6th-9th, 2019
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• 50m (LCM)
• Prelims at 9:00AM Eastern Time/Finals at 6:00PM Eastern Time (4:00 Eastern for Wednesday timed finals)
• Live Results
• Psych Sheets
• Thursday prelims heat sheet

Women’s 100 Free Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 53.12 – Sarah Sjostrom, 2016
• Olympic Trials cut: 56.29

Top 8:

1. Simone Manuel (Alto Swim Club) – 54.12
2. Camille Cheng (Unattached) – 55.35
3. Catie DeLoof (Unattached) – 55.43
4. Allison Schmitt (Sun Devil) – 55.50
5. Amanda Weir (SwimAtlanta) – 55.95
6. Gabby DeLoof (Unattached) – 56.16
7. Marina Spadoni (Unattached) – 56.31
8. Kathleen Baker (Team Elite) – 56.31

American Record holder Simone Manuel put up the fasts test time of the morning by over a second, establishing control in the final heat early on and winning by well over a body length. In heat 7, Cammile Cheng came back on Allison Schmitt to win by 0.15s, as the two swimmers swam to the 2nd and 4th-fastest times of the morning.

Backstroker Kathleen Baker had the fastest time of the morning for several heats after she put up a 56.31 in heat 4, a time that would hold up until heat 7.

Age group standouts Torri Huske and Claire Curzan just missed the A-final, as their times of 56.47 and 56.55 ranked them 9th and 10th.

Katie Ledecky was slated to swim in heat 7, but no-showed the event, presumably for the 400 free later in the session.

Men’s 100 Free Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 48.00 – Nathan Adrian, 2016
• Olympic Trials cut: 50.49

Top 8:

1. Nyls Korstanje (NC State) – 49.72
2. Dean Farris (Harvard) – 50.17
3. Coleman Stewart (NC State) – 50.25
4. Jacob Pebley (Team Elite) – 50.37
5. Brett Fraser (New York Athletic Club) – 50.38
6. Dylan Carter (Unattached – Team Elite) – 50.43
7. Ruslan Gaziev (Manta Swim Club) – 50.52
8. Ryan Lochte (Gator Swim Club) – 50.56

The NC State Wolfpack has a quad meet over the next couple of days, but it looks like the Wolfpack men will be missing two of their top guys, as they’ll be swimming here instead. NC State’s Nyls Korstanje and Coleman Stewart swam the fastest and 3rd-fastest times of the morning here, with Korstanje the only man to break 50.

In between them was Dean Farris, who just beat out Stewart to win heat 9 by 0.08s. Backstroker Jacob Pebley finished just ahead of a group of international standouts of Brett Fraser, Dylan Carter, and Ruslan Gaziev, while Ryan Lochte looked solid, rounding out the top eight with a 50.56.

Women’s 100 Breast Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 1:05.57 – Rebecca Sonni, 2011
• Olympic Trials cut: 1:10.99

Top 8:

1. Molly Hannis (Tennessee Aquatics) – 1:08.09
2. Sophie Hansson (NC State) – 1:08.47
3. Madisyn Cox (Longhorn) – 1:08.61
4. Rachel Bernhardt (Gamecock) – 1:08.66
5. Byanca Rodriguez (Mexico) – 1:10.06
6. Anastasia Gorbenko (Unattached – Team Elite) – 1:10.50
7. Esther Gonzalez Medina (Mexico)- 1:10.74
8. Aubree Brouwer (Springfield Aquatics) – 1:10.94

There’s a fairly big gap between the top four women and the rest of the A-final, as Molly Hannis, Sophie Hansson, Madisyn Cox, and Rachel Bernhardt were all between 1:08.09 and 1:08.66, but no one else cracked 1:10. That sets up what figures to be a fun contest between the top four tonight as each will vie to get their hand on the wall first.

After skipping over the 1:09s, the rest of the top all touched in 1:10-something, with Mexico’s Byanca Rodriguez leading that group with a 1:10.06, while Anastasia Gorbenko, Esther Gonzalez Medina, and Aubree Brouwer were all bunched fairly close, within a half second of each other.

With no backstroke events today, Kathleen Baker continues to swim some “off” events, finishing 11th here with a 1:11.17.

Men’s 100 Breast Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 58.86 – Adam Peaty, 2017
• Olympic Trials cut: 1:03.29

1. Anton McKee (Pinnacle)- 1:00.94
2. Carlos Claverie (Unattached – Cardinal) – 1:01.94
3. Andrew Wilson (Athens Bulldog) – 1:02.42
4. Richard Funk (HPC Vancouver) – 1:02.57
5. Jorge Murillo (TAC) – 1:02.65
6. Eli Wall (Toronto Swim Club) – 1:03.16
7. Justin Winnett (Indiana Swim Club) – 1:03.28
8. Nils Wich-Glasen (Unattached – Gamecock) – 1:03.33

Iceland’s Anton McKee leads a top eight that a strong international flavor. McKee’s 1:00.94 came in heat 5, the first of the circle-seeded heats, and gave him the top time of the morning by over second. Still, McKee should face plenty of strong competition tonight, especially from Carlos Claverie (1:01.94) and the three men who finished in the 1:02s – Andrew Wilson, Richard Funk, and Jorge Murillo.

One interesting name in the top 8 is Justin Winnett. He finished 4th in the 100 breast at last year’s NCAA Division 2 Championships, swimming for Lindenwood. He is now representing Indiana Swim Club and presumably training with the very deep breaststroke group there. He went a lifetime best of 1:01.79 in a time trial at 2019 Nationals and should be an interesting name to keep an eye on over the course of this season.

Women’s 200 Fly Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 2:06.76 – Cammile Adams, 2012
• Olympic Trials cut: 2:14.59

1. Hali Flickinger (Unattached – Sun Devil) – 2:08.94
2. Megan Kinglsey (Athens Bulldog) – 2:11.21
3. Charlotte Hook (TAC) – 2:11.51
4. Lille Nordmann (Magnolia) – 2:12.65
5. Makayla Sargent (NC State) – 2:13.65
6. Olivia Carter (Enfinity) – 2:13.96
7. Ella Eastin (Alto Swim) – 2:14.70
8. Maria Jose Mata Cocco (Club Libanes) – 2:14.90

Veteran Hali Flickinger nabbed the top time of the morning by over two seconds, swimming a 2:08.94 in the final heat. That’s the fastest time in the nation in this still-young season. Another former Georgia Bulldog, Megan Kingsley, had the 2nd-fastest time of the morning (2:11.21), while 15 year-old Charlotte Hook was right behind her with a 2:11.51.

Men’s 200 Fly Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 1:53.84 – Luca Urlando, 2019
• Olympic Trials cut: 2:01.19

Top 8:

1. Luca Urlando (Dart) – 1:57.74
2. Carson Foster (Manta Rays) – 1:59.80
3. Matthew Fenlon (Badger)- 2:00.29
4. Jay Litherland (Dynamo) – 2:00.51
5. Ryan Lochte (Gator Swim Club) – 2:01.73
6. Gabriel Araya (Azura Florida) – 2:02.02
7. Justin Wright (Tuscon Ford Dealers) – 2:02.38
8. Montana Champagne (GO Kingfish) – 2:02.84

This should be a fun event tonight, as the A-final is slated to feature some of the top high school swimmers in the country, as well as some established stars.

Unsurprisingly, Luca Urlando holds the top seed with a 1:57.74. Urlando was swimming in the final heat and pulled away from the rest of the field by the 100 mark, ultimately finishing over two seconds ahead of anyone else in that heat, or any other. Taking 2nd in that heat was another 17 year-old Matthew Fenlon, whose 2:00.29 was good for the 3rd-fastest time of the morning.

Another teenager, Carson Foster, won heat 5, with his time of 1:59.80 less than half a second off his lifetime best.

At 35, Ryan Lochte may be double the age of Urlando and Fenlon, but he showed that training with the Gator Swim Cub seems to be paying off, as he went 2:01.73 this morning to win heat 4. That’s his 2nd-fastest time ever, and not too far off his lifetime best of 2:01.19.

Olympian Jay Litherland (2:00.51) and USA national teamer Justin Wright (2:02.38) will be in the mix tonight, as should Gabriel Araya (2:02.02) and Montana Champagne (2:02.84).

Women’s 400 Free Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky, 2018
• Olympic Trials cut: 4:16.89

Top 8:

1. Katie Ledecky (NCAP) – 4:02.87
2. Allison Schmitt (Sun Devil) – 4:10.24
3. Ally McHugh (Wisconsin) – 4:12.69
4. Kaersten Meitz (Boilermaker) – 4:12.90
5. Madisyn Cox (Texas Longhorn) – 4:14.14
6. Ashley Twichell (TAC Titans) – 4:14.41
7. Hali Flickinger (Unattached) – 4:14.43
8. Claire Tuggle (Unattached) – 4:14.47

Katie Ledecky paced the field easily this morning, going 4:02.87 for the top spot by almost eight seconds. That’s the fastest time in the world so far this year, outpacing a 4:04.42 from China’s Wang Jianjiahe. No American had been below 4:12 this season prior to the Greensboro meet. Ledecky was 4:03 in prelims of Winter Nationals last November and went 4:00.3 in the final, so we may have a shot at seeing her sub-four tonight.

Allison Schmitt will move to #2 among Americans this season, going 4:10.24 for second. That’s only about a second and a half off what she went at U.S. Nationals last summer (4:08.81) and stacks up as easily her best in-season swim since the 2016 Olympic season.

A lot of top U.S. pros are into the A final: Penn State alum (and now Wisconsin pro) Ally McHugh and Purdue alum (and Purdue pro) Kaersten Meitz were both 4:12s. The remainder of the field all went 4:14 – that includes breaststroker/IMer Madisyn Cox, open water Olympic qualifier Ashley Twichell and 200 fly Worlds silver medalist Hali Flickinger, who transplanted from Georgia to Arizona State this season.

15-year-old California high schooler Claire Tuggle will join that veteran field in the final. She is seven years younger than anyone else in the final (Ledecky and McHugh are 22) and half the age of Twichell.

Ledecky’s 4:02.87 is also going to take over as the top FINA points prelims swim of the meet so far. That’s worth $1500 at the end of the meet, provided no one else can beat her 922 points in another event later this weekend.

Men’s 400 Free Prelims

• Pro Swim Series record: 3:43.55 – Sun Yang, 2016
• Olympic Trials cut: 3:57.29

Top 8:

1. Mitch D’Arrigo (Gator Swim Club) – 3:55.29
2. Zane Grothe (Boulder City Henderson) – 3:56.85
3. True Sweetser (Gator Swim Club) – 3:57.69
4. Luca Urlando (DART) – 3:58.24
5. Santi Corredor (Gator Swim Club) – 3:58.34
6. Chris Wieser (DART) – 3:59.08
7. Jay Litherland (Dynamo) – 4:00.83
8. Christian Bayo (TAC Titans) – 4:01.68

Gator Swim Club stacked three into the men’s A final, led by Mitch D’Arrigo. His 3:55.29 should rank #2 among Americans this season – Jordan Wilimovsky’s 3:52.0 is the only swim in USA Swimming’s database below 3:56.

Zane Grothe sits second in 3:56.85, edging out another Gator Swim Club swimmer, True Sweetser. Sweetser is taking a redshirt season from the NCAA this year, and the Stanford Cardinal is already closing in on his 2019 best time of 3:55.1 from April.

Santi Corredor is the other Gator Swim Clubber into the final. He was a tenth behind 17-year-old Luca Urlando, who charged home with vigor, almost running down Grothe despite swimming a rough 200 fly/400 free double at the end of the session.

Prelims Fina Point Bonus

The top FINA points swims by a woman and a man in any prelims session of an Olympic event will earn a $1500 bonus. Here are the early leaders:

• Women: Katie Ledecky, 400 free, 4:02.87 (922 FINA points)
• Men: Luca Urlando, 200 fly, 1:57.74 (849 FINA points)