SwimMAC’s junior stars Kathleen Baker and Nora McCullagh and new pro addition Ryan Lochte each won a pair of events on the second night of the Speedo Champions Series sectional event in Charlotte. Baker, typically a backstroker, showed off some new strokes, while Lochte topped his short-term training partner Laszlo Cseh in an early 200 free race.
The 200 frees opened the meet. For the women, the event went to 16-year-old Nora McCullagh, yet another one of SwimMAC’s young age group studs. Her 1:46.22 topped Chattahoochee Gold’s 15-year-old Lauren Case by just about a second.
In the men’s event, Lochte lead a field loaded with huge names. The U.S. swimming icon went 1:32.46, seeming to show no ill-effects of his knee, which was injured last fall and kept him out of competition for much of 2013. Second was Dutch Olympian Dion Dreesens in 1:34.38 – he came home well but couldn’t match Lochte’s early speed.
Cseh, the Hungarian superstar who has spent some time training with and learning from SwimMAC leading up to this meet, finished third, going 1:36.12. That beat out Greek 26-year-old Konstantinos Siokos (1:36.96) as well as SwimMAC pro Dax Hill (1:38.07).
Baker jumped into the 100 breaststroke, an untraditional race for her, but found her footing just fine. The 17-year-old went 59.37, a lifetime-best and a big win by over two seconds.
In the men’s 100 breast, Louisville post-grad Carlos Almeida took home the crown. The Portuguese swimmer went 53.82 to top high school senior and future Louisville Cardinal Todd Owen’s 54.35.
Baker returned just one event later to test out her butterfly. Based on the results of this weekend, Baker can pretty much swim what she pleases, as she picked up another win with a fast 52.68. Her teammate Elsa Welshofer was second in 53.50.
Not to be outdone, Lochte came back to grab his second win in the men’s edition. He put up a 45.44 to blow away the field by three seconds. Lochte was out in 21.00 and came home in 24.44.
The individual events closed with the 400 IMs. McCullagh got her second win in the women’s race, going 4:10.33 to run away with things in a big way. She closed with a very-impressive 57.3 split on freestyle. Second in that race was Mount Pleasant’s Megan Kingsley, who led on butterfly but couldn’t stay on McCullagh’s pace from there on. Kingsley went 4:14.70 and 13-year-old Madison Homovich took third in 4:15.27.
Denied in the 200 free, Cseh got his win in the 400 IM. His 3:48.13 easily outdid the field, buoyed by a 56.2 backstroke leg that all but sealed things at the halfway marker.
SwimMAC also swept the 400 free relays. For the women, Baker led off in 48.20, staking her team to a big lead. Rebecca Postoll, Heather Merritt and Lauren Rhodes took over from there, closing out a 3:18.55 win and holding off the SwimMAC “B” team that took second.
On the men’s side, team of Connor Long, Graham Weaver, John Poff and Cullen Jones combined for a 3:03.46. Jones was the fastest split, but was only a 45.15 for SwimMAC.
Results are avalable on the Meet Mobile app under “2014 ESSZ Speedo Champions Series.”
I don’t know what he will swim, but I actually think I’d like to see him drop the 200 back and focus on the 100 fly, simply because the US already has so much depth in the 200 back. He was close to a medal in the fly last year, and with a slightly easier schedule, he could very well be in the mix.
You want him to drop an event in which he is the defending world champion just because we have depth?
He may need to drop the 200 back.. because of 200 IM and the schedule..
And he was close on a medal.. but 200 back/200 IM are place where he can get gold… and 100 fly Le Clos mighy probably be on the level to crack crocker textile best.. so.. I don´t see that as the best move
200 free he will have a easy spot on the relay… but should not try the individual event more.. it would tire him.
But getting a spot on the 4×100 medley relay will be tough.. that maybe the only reason for 100 fly.. and at 100 free.. it will be even tougher
He definitely should drop something and focus on the 100 fly, but I think he’d be more likely to drop an IM event. Because of his knee injury, he hasn’t been able to train or race any IM because he can’t do breaststroke without aggravating it.
If he drops an IM event, which would be likely considering he can’t as efficiently train it anymore, he could go for the 100 fly. It’s hard to say who the American forces are in the 100 fly besides Shields and Godsoe, considering Olympian McGill so the door might be open for him to take a spot.
I do not think he will drop the 200 IM I have a feeling that he will swim it in Rio
No way Lochte will drop 200 IM. Currently he does not really have close competitor in the event.
I know that sounds weird, but yes, kinda. I’m making the following assumptions:
1) He’s going to have to drop some events, especially as he gets older, and especially by Rio. I think it’s a given that he’s done with the 400 IM.
2) His knee heals to the point where he can get back in shape for the 200 IM.
3) He wants to swim all three relays (meaning he needs to swim the 100 free, 200 free, and the 100 fly for nationals).
If he ends up having to choose between the 200 back and the the 200 IM, I’d personally rather see him stick with the 200 IM. Partially because the US has plenty… Read more »
Happy to see Lochte healthy.
And like in Orlando last month, he now swims fast in-season.
He trains less (more sprint oriented) so he’s less tired so he swims faster in the meets throughout the year.
What events do you think Lochte should swim in the Pan Pacs/Worlds trials?
In my opinion (thinking also about Rio plan), Lochte should swim:
– 100 free (just to get a time to be considered for 4×100 free)
– 200 free (like above, to register a time to be considered for 4×200 free)
– 200 IM
– 200 back
Forget about 100 fly, I know he swam 100 fly PB last year, but frankly, I don’t think he will be strong medal contender in 100 fly in Rio. I know he loves to be in the 4×100 MR, but he is getting older, and his recovery speed/ability will become less and less.
For Rio, the 200 IM… Read more »
59.37 for Miss Baker in the 100 breast? After a 1.43 in the 200 free? 😆
This week is really crazy.
She’s so versatile.
Impressive.
She will be a huge star in college like Janet Hu.
My only concern about Miss Baker and her international future is her technique, especially on backstroke. I’ve watched Duel in the Pool last December on tv and in most of the races, her stroke was really short and didn’t look very efficient. Many arm strokes and much energy wasted in my opinion. She has great underwaters so it helps her in short course but talking about long course, I’m cautious. Sorry if I don’t have the necessary vocabulary to… Read more »
It’s funny that when I see lochte going fast in season I assume it’s because he’s not in shape yet! I’m used to the idea that when lochte is in shape he goes slow mid season. This isn’t saying anything about any different training methods, I just laughed at myself when my mind jumped from fast time to out of shape
Seriously though, who else is within NAG records in every stroke and the IMs besides Michael Andrew
Tracy Caulkins makes Michael Andrew seem like specialists.
Baker is the best “all-around” versatile age group swimmer of all time
Tracy Caulkins and her records and versatility would make Kathleen Baker and Michael Andrew seem like specialists.
Great meet so far. Finals were fantastic – seeing the men’s professionals mix with the junior swimmers was a great sight. Some of the juniors were even holding their own! Women’s side was just as great. Baker’s 200 fly tomorrow should be outstanding – her best time is 2:07 from when she was 14. Three years should make for a fantastic drop.