Reese Branzell Clocks 49.71 in 100 Free in Atlanta Classic Time Trial

2023 SPEEDO ATLANTA CLASSIC

• Friday, May 12 – Sunday, May 14, 2023
• McAuley Aquatic Center, Atlanta, Georgia
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap

While there was plenty of fast swimming in the regular races this weekend at the Atlanta Classic, a few swims from the time trial races at the end of the sessions stood out as well.

Perhaps none stood out more than Sunday evening’s 100 free time trial, where swimming solo, Georgia sophomore Reese Branzell swam 49.71. That is his first time under the 50 second barrier in long course, and it clears his previous best of 50.52 from a club meet in March 2021, his senior year of high school.

Branzell had a big sophomore year, dropping about half-a-second off his best time when he split 42.32 in yards leading off Georgia’s 400 free relay at NCAAs. That also ranks him as the 11th-best American so far this year in this event. Only three of the guys ahead of him on that list are younger than him.

He was disqualified earlier in the meet in prelims of the 100 free. He also swam a 1:51.87 in the 200 free individually.

Other Noteworthy Time Trial Results:

• Tennessee rising junior Josephine Fuller swam a big personal best in a 200 IM Trial, touching in 2:14.01. That knocked more than two seconds off her 2:16.07 from December’s US Open. She was faster on each split of the IM than her previous personal best, with a big gap going from 34.07 to 33.10 on the backstroke leg. She had a big collegiate season too, dropping almost three seconds in the 200 yard IM. She also swam best times in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.66, -.40 in prelims).
• 16-year-old Evan Boratto from Penn Charter in Pennsylvania swam a best time of 54.64 in a 100 free time trial. His previous best was a 54.89 from Eastern Zones in August. He had a big meet, including a 25.27 in the 50 free, a 1:56.91 in the 200 free (almost a 4 second drop), and a 4:14.85 in the 400 free (a 2.3 second drop).
• Another Penn Charter swimmer, 16-year-old Eva McIver-Jenkins, swam a personal best in a 100 free time trial, touching in 1:00.69. That’s almost a second off her best time from Futures last year.