2020 MIZZOU INVITE
- Thursday, November 19-Saturday, November 21
- Teams: Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas (W)
- University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
- Format: Short Course Yards (SCY)
- Prelims/Finals
- Prelims @9AM Central, Finals @6PM Central
- 2021 NCAA Qualifying Times
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2020 Mizzou Invitational”
- Live Results
After dropping over a second and a half in the 100 breaststroke on Friday and nearly hitting the NCAA ‘A’ time standard, Missouri sophomore Ben Patton switched things up on the third day of the Mizzou Invite and swam the 200 backstroke, getting another NCAA ‘B’ time with a 1:44.17, missing his personal best by about half a second. Patton will go into finals seeded second behind teammate Jack Dahlgren who posted a 1:41.82, though he went a 1:39.93 at SECs in 2020.
Kentucky’s Caitlin Brooks took the top seed in the women’s 200 back with a 1:52.68, just over a second off her lifetime best from February. Teammate Sophie Sorenson qualified 2nd in 1:53.58, a little over a second off her lifetime best as well.
Missouri sprint specialist Sarah Thompson posted a 48.50 to take lane 4 in the finals of the 100 freestyle tonight, though teammate Megan Keil and Kentucky’s Riley Gaines and are close behind in a tie for 2nd with 48.88. Though Thompson, Keil, and Gaines were the only women under 49 this morning they were only three of six women that hit NCAA ‘B’ times in the prelims. Arkansas’s Kobie Melton and Emily Barclay, as well as Missouri’s Alex Moderski all beat the ‘B’ standard to earn a spot in the ‘A’ final.
The men’s 100 freestyle showcased four new ‘B’ cuts of its own, all Missouri Tigers, led by Daniel Wilson with a 43.14, a best time by nearly 3/10ths. Danny Kovac (43.49), Grant Reed (43.55), and Kyle Leach (43.59) followed with their own ‘B’ cuts.
Such as in the 100 free, six more women hit NCAA ‘B’ cuts in the prelims of the 200 breast with the top qualifier, Gillian Davey of Kentucky, also lowering the meet record by 0.01 to stop the clock in 2:09.33. Kentucky’s Bailey Bonnett qualified 5th in 2:13.05, though with a lifetime best of 2:06.91 we might expect a big swim from her in finals.
There was no pressure to qualify for the finals of the men’s 200 breaststroke as only 6 men swam it, one of whom was exhibition. Even so, Missouri’s Will Goodwin popped off a 1:55.81 to get the NCAA ‘B’ standard by nearly 3 seconds. This performance is about half a second shy of Goodwin’s lifetime best from 2019 and a four second improvement on his seed time.
Kentucky’s Izzy Gati and Riley Gaines lead the way in the women’s 200 fly, each clearing the NCAA ‘B’ standard, stopping the clock in 1:56.11 and 1:57.88, respectively. Gaines has a lifetime best of 1:55.53 in the 200 fly while Gati has been as fast as 1:52.54, both from the 2020 SEC Champs. Kentucky put five women into the ‘A’ final of the 200 fly while Arkansas qualified two, leaving just one lane for Missouri.
Micah Slaton, swimming unattached for Mizzou, was the only man to slip underneath the ‘B’ cut in the men’s 200 fly, though Kentucky’s Mason Wilby only missed it by 1/10th, swimming a 1:46.79. Like the men’s 200 breast, there was no pressure to qualify for the ‘A’ final as only 8 men raced the 200 fly this morning, 3 of which were exhibition.
In addition to the races swum this morning, Saturday finals will include the 1650 freestyle, the 400 medley relay, and platform diving.