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Katie McLaughlin Remains US No. 5 in 200 FR at 1:57.65 in Santa Clara

2021 Santa Clara LCM SENIOR 2 T&F MEET

This weekend, Santa Clara Swim Club is hosting the three-day 2021 SCSC LCM Senior 2 T&F Meet, featuring numerous Cal stars and rising age groupers. During yesterday’s finals session, the women’s and men’s 200 free, 100 breast, and 100 fly.

Swimming under two minutes in the women’s 200 free were Cal Bears Katie McLaughlin (1:57.65) and Ayla Spitz (1:59.26). McLaughlin is currently ranked 5th in the US this season at 1:57.48 from PSS San Antonio.

2020-2021 US Rankings: Women’s 200 FR LCM

  1. Katie Ledecky, 1:54.40 – 2021 PSS Mission Viejo
  2. Olivia Smoliga, 1:57.04 – 2021 Atlanta Classic
  3. Madisyn Cox, 1:57.38 – 2021 Longhorn Elite Invite
  4. Paige Madden, 1:57.47 – 2021 PSS Indy
  5. Katie McLaughlin, 1:57.48 – 2021 PSS San Antonio
  6. Allison Schmitt, 1:57.59 – 2021 PSS Indy
  7. Emma Nordin, 1:57.68 – 2021 PSS Indy
  8. Leah Smith, 1:57.81 – 2021 PSS Indy

Dropping 1.82s from prelims to win the men’s 200 free was Alto’s Michael Lincoln, registering a time of 1:51.32. Lincoln’s lifetime best of 1:50.55 came from the 2018 U.S. National meet. Lincoln is still a mere 0.53s off the Wave I cut of 1:50.79.

In the women’s 100 breast, DACA’s Brooke Rodriguez (1:12.90) held off UCD’s Natalie Bercutt (1:13.27) by 0.37s for the win. Also swimming under 1:14 were 17-year-old Skyler Smith (1:13.58) and Cal’s Emma Davidson (1:13.88).

After swimming 1:03.42 in prelims, DART’s Tom Higdon hit the men’s 100 breast Wave I cut in finals with a 1:03.09. Rounding out the top three times were PEAK’s Brian Copley (1:06.55) and 16-year-old Shunsuke Moridaira (1:07.96).

Winning the women’s 100 fly was Cal’s Rachel Klinker, touching in at 1:00.14. Just making the Wave I cut of 1:00.69 was teammate Spitz, registering a time of 1:00.67. Spitz’s 200 free runner-up time of 1:59.26 is a Wave II cut.

In the men’s 100 fly, the top three finishers all stopped the clock within less than two-tenths. 16-year-old Arthur Balva took the narrow win at 58.78, holding off DACA’s Arjun Rao (58.89) and 15-year-old Joshua Hunter (58.95).

Saturday and Sunday’s AM prelims sessions are set to being at 9 am PST while their respective finals sessions will begin at 4 pm PST.

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Soper
3 years ago

Alex Kurotori came in 2nd for 200 free after taking some time off. Great swims this weekend so far!

Yozhik
3 years ago

Isn’t this strange that at this list of eight there are no sprinters. But at the list of current top contenders in individual race more than a half are sprinters.
P.S. I would call a sprinter the woman who can do 100 m race faster than 53.5.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Yozhik
3 years ago

Fun fact:

Russia failed to medal in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Yozhik
3 years ago

Fun fact:

Russia failed to medal in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics.

SwimFan
3 years ago

Coach Katy is the best!!!!

Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

cue Yozhik

Yozhik
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
3 years ago

After you were so nice to me i am afraid to disappoint you. 😀

moonlight
3 years ago

Very curious what Olivia Smoliga will do for the 200 free / 100 back double. The 200 free semis is two events before the 100 back final. Smoliga’s best shot at this point is arguably the 200 free, since they take 6 people. But swimming that semi will definitely jeopardize her chances in the 100 back, which is a crazy tight field…

swimfast
Reply to  moonlight
3 years ago

I think her best shot is still the 100 back. She seems to be still improving in it at least, unlike Baker since 2018

Hswimmer
Reply to  swimfast
3 years ago

I agree but White is also dropping time like an age grouper

swimfast
Reply to  Hswimmer
3 years ago

I agree. And generally agree that the double will could be brutal, she really will have to go all out in the 200 free semis to make finals. She might just have to hope she’s lucky and make the second semi to at least see what the first one goes to make any judgements. All in all she really can’t back down in either race that night- will have to just take lots of preparation

Last edited 3 years ago by swimfast
Hswimmer
Reply to  swimfast
3 years ago

I think Atlanta classic showed she is physically and mentally ready for a double like that.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  swimfast
3 years ago

If Regan Smith hits her taper, that’s even more pressure on Smoliga in the women’s 100 meter backstroke.

Swimfan
Reply to  swimfast
3 years ago

Remind you that Kathleen Baker was leading at the 50 at mission Viejo but she was hugging the lane line at the end and we haven’t seen Baker since then so what if baker improve and puts up a 58.3 this weekend

MX4x50relay
Reply to  swimfast
3 years ago

Baker hasn’t had a taper meet really other than world where she was injured. I wouldn’t count her out

swimfast
Reply to  MX4x50relay
3 years ago

Oh definitely not counting her out. Just putting Vegas odds on smoliga tho based on recency

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  moonlight
3 years ago

The Kolesnikov 100 FR/100 BK double throws caution to the wind. A lesson to the greedy.

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  moonlight
3 years ago

It’s up to Madden, Manuel, McLaughlin at the 2021 Olympic Team Trials in the women’s 200 meter freestyle to partner with Ledecky in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay.

Swimfan
Reply to  Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
3 years ago

What about margalis, smith, Schmitt?

Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
Reply to  Swimfan
3 years ago

Melanie Margalis will swim the women’s 200 IM at the 2021 Olympic Team Trials. Leah Smith finished fourth in the women’s 200 meter freestyle at the 2021 TYR Pro Swim Series – Indianapolis, IN in a race without Ledecky, Manuel, McLaughlin.

Swimfan
Reply to  Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
3 years ago

So your saying Margalis won’t swim the relay?

Swimfan
Reply to  Smith-King-Dahlia-Manuel
3 years ago

Mind you Maya Dirado didn’t swim the 200 free at trials but was elected to swim the relay in rio. In fact I believe she hadn’t swam a 200 free in all of 2016

Andy
Reply to  moonlight
3 years ago

Smoliga’s probably going for a relay spot…

Lattalatte
Reply to  moonlight
3 years ago

I highly doubt Olivia will do that double. She may swim the 200 free in prelims, but I think she will focus on her best events. She put up a great 200 free, but I think she’s using that for training for the 200 back and 100 free

Hswimmer
Reply to  Lattalatte
3 years ago

She doesn’t swim 200 back or hasn’t in a while

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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