Glenn Snyders stayed on a roll on the second day of New Zealand’s Short Course Nationals, breaking his second national record in as many days.
After taking down the 100 breast record in prelims yesterday, Snyders equaled the feat in the heats of the 50 breast this morning. His 26.58 snuck under his old national mark of 26.61 from 2012. Snyders didn’t win the event, though, as he scratched out of the final. With the 50 breast not serving as a selection event for Short Course Worlds, Snyders had likely achieved his goal with that prelims swim and may be resting up for the 200 breast in the hopes of a national-record three-for-three run. The finals race went to Jeffrey Arona-Tuifana’e in 28.20.
The best race of the night was in the men’s 200 IM. Things came down to the touch between Mitchell Donaldson and Nathan Capp, well ahead of the field. Donaldson jumped out to an early lead, but Capp closed the gap through the middle two legs. The comeback effort fell just short, though, as Donaldson triumphed by a single hundredth, 1:57.66 to 1:57.67.
In the women’s 200 IM, it was 19-year-old Helena Gasson, who went 2:14.87 to win by a wide margin. Gasson led start-to-finish, and had built nearly a two second lead at the halfway point. She wound up winning by 2.6.
National record-holder Lauren Boyle didn’t make an appearance in the women’s 400 free. Under New Zealand’s selection procedures, any medalist at either the Commonwealth Games or the Pan Pacific Championships gets a free spot on the Short Course Worlds team, provided they merely compete in a race at nationals. That would usher in Snyders and Boyle, the only two individual medalists at those games. Boyle is slated to compete in a lighter lineup here, just swimming the 800 free and 100 free.
The women’s 400 instead went to Capital Swimming’s Emma Robinson at 4:11.74. Boyle’s national record is 3:55.16.
Matthew Stanley continued to impress with a fast 52.19 to win the men’s 100 back. That’s just about a half-second off the Worlds cut. Laura Quilter won the women’s event in 59.27 knocking off the top qualifier out of the heats, 14-year-old Gabrielle Fa’amausili. Fa’Amausili still had herself and impressive day, though, finishing second in 59.73.
The final event winner was Kendall Reilly in the women’s 50 breast. Reilly went 32.23 to pick up the win with Bronagh Ryan second in 32.56.
No athletes made Worlds cuts on day two, and until Boyle officially competes, her guaranteed spot is still unofficial. That leaves Stanley and Snyders as the only two swimmers on the Worlds team.
See full selection criteria here.
Full, live meet results here.
Team New Zealand After Day Two
Men
Matthew Stanley – 200 free
Glenn Snyders – 100 breast
Women
None