2023 Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet #2
- June 1-3, 2023
- Texas A&M Student Rec Center Natatorium, College Station, TX
- LCM (50 meters)
- Results
The second Texas Senior Circuit meet of the season was held this past weekend at Texas A&M. The Senior Circuit Series uses Sectionals time standards, and includes three stops, all in a long course, prelim-final format.
Headlining the College Station stop of the tour was Matt King. King won the 50 freestyle in a season best time of 21.97, putting him just over a tenth shy of his personal best of 21.83 from Nationals last July. His swim moves him to 3rd in the U.S. this season, putting him behind only Michael Andrew (21.87) and David Curtiss (21.92).
King also had a strong race in the 100 free, where he touched first at 48.73. His swim is only a hundredth off his season best set in May, which currently ranks him 2nd among Americans this season.
King left Virginia after the fall semester, and has been training under Coley Stickles with the Texas Ford pro group this spring. As of April, King told SwimSwam that he planned to return to UVA eventually, but is looking at taking an Olympic redshirt in preparation for the Olympic Trials.
The women’s side of the meet was dominated by Texas A&M. Chloe Stepanek collected three victories, highlighted by her season best time of 2:00.00 in the 200 freestyle. She also set a best time of 1:02.48 en route to her victory in the 100 backstroke, while in the 50 back she touched first at 29.12.
Sydney Pickrem and Giulia Goerigk also secured multiple victories each. Pickrem, who has already been named to Canada’s World Championship roster, won both the 100 freestyle (56.32) and 200 backstroke (2:16.75). Goerigk swept the IM events (2:15.90/4:46.22) and 200 breaststroke (2:32.58), with her 200 breast time marking a personal best.
Baylor Nelson, another Aggie, swept the mid-distance free races on the men’s side. He improved his season best 400 freestyle to 3:54.67, while in the 200 he was a few tenths short at 1:50.71. Jack Armstrong also chipped away at his season best in the 100 free, as he took 2nd to King in a time of 50.42.
The final 2023 Texas Senior Circuit Meet of this season is slated to begin June 22nd, and will be hosted at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas.
Bro looks like Ben Proud in the thumbnail
The Coley Stickels circus will come crashing down on Matt King’s career.
Long term mental health and a prolonged swimming career should take precedent over short term success. Sounds like the Jedi vs. Sith philosophies lmao
I think Abbey Weitzeil, Ryan Held, Santo, and the dozens of other elite pros this guy has coached for years might disagree with you. Sounds like you have an axe to grind and throw shade at every coach mentioned on this site.
Andrew may be wrong about the Circus crashing down, as it seems Stickels has an endless number of lives, but…
I do have firsthand knowledge of the havoc he has bestowed upon many swimmers, and you know good coaches just do not do that. It is true that he gets kids to swim fast, but at who’s expense?
This is an absurd statement. Matt is an adult that knows exactly what he is getting into with Coley and it was a decision he made in the best interest of his swimming. He originally committed to Indiana to swim for Coley, moved on to Alabama to swim for Coley and now is making the decision to train before trials with Coley. Obviously he knows what he is getting into and knows it works for him. There is no good vs evil in swimming there is what works and what doesn’t.
Hard to see 6 hands getting to the wall before Matt King’s in the 100 free. He’ll make the team.
Agreed
4 free relay looks like Winkler/Curry/King/Held maybe Remel, Ress in prelims and guys like Alexy, Casas, etc have an outside shot of sneaking in
Alexy and Casas have a better shot than Winkler
Andrew hates Cal
Armstrong and Kulow also. Peironi is a possibility. The problem is we don’t need 48 low guys we need sub 48 guys.
On god how nice would it be to have 4+ 47s (none of em dressel). I’ve personally written him off in ‘23 for 100s. Hoping him feeling the heat will be extra motivation for ‘24.
I’m really hoping Casas figures his sh*t out cus homie has the makings of a 46+ flying start in ‘24 which would be so cool. I want that goat Beijing 4×1 to go that’d be so lit.
I think he’s got that this summer. Think he makes the relay at the trials meet.
I do too I’m just tryna not get my hopes up. Ideally I’m looking for 47+, 49+ fly, and 1:54+ IM at trials.
I hope to god he swims 50 fly (or nothing that day) over 200 back. Even if he’s in 1:53 2back shape I think its better to swim the other stuff cus i think 3×200 back will destroy the legs and the other 2 events come later in the worlds schedule if i remember correct.
I think theres 2 IM, 1 fly, mixed medley, and mens medley all after the 2 back.
Is Curry swimming this summer? Haven’t seen him pop up for a while. Right now it looks like you could throw 6 or 7 names in a hat. As of June 7 I will go with the dark horse to win – Alexy to win, Armstrong to place. Held, King, Kibler and Dressel make it in. If Curry is really swimming, he beats out one of those last two. Winkler and Heilman have to wait another year. Casas, Kulow and McDuff have almost as good a shot as the guys right above but not every swimmer can get a trophy.
Wahoooooooowaaaaa
Love him or hate him Coley Stickles is one of the best sprint coaches in the sport!
U gotta be confident as a human to handle him but his mind is really special. Dude’s an artist. And he’s super well studied. Def unhinged but results are worth a little mental health tax. Life is suffering u don’t get anywhere without some sacrifice.
I would never place results above an athletes mental well-being. The long term trade off is not worth it.
But as an athlete, would you place YOUR results above YOUR mental well-being?
Why does it have to be one or the other? Ledecky and many others show you can have both
Ur probably right. Thats y I never did it like him lol learned from the good not the bad. I like happy swimmers personally
Well, you need to talk to a lot of U.S. Olympic Team coaches then: say, Bowman (Phelps), Troyy (Dressel), Meehan (Simone), and some others Mel Marshall (Peaty) and C1’s coach. The list is long
Well then Teri Mckeever would be acceptable to you as well
Catholic?
King is the only one with a chance of dethroning Dressel/Andrew at WC TRIALS. My prediction is Andrew 21.3, Caleb 21.6, king 21.7
Curious on Andrew. Looks like he has changed it up slightly and been lifting heavy weights this year, and swimming slower in season as a result. Hoping he has a good “taper” and crushes it
Peter Andrew and Rushall do not allow drylands. USRPT
There’s an interview where Peter Andrew said the heavy weight lifting MA was doing was killing his speed, so they had to modify it. They gave up on the “it’s all about specificity” train when they bought a weight rack for the garage and decided MA could have a long career like Manaudou just traveling, having fun, and swimming elite sprints. Like Manaudou early on, he’s given up on being an IMer and is just going speed and power.
MA started lifting weights during Covid when the pools were closed. The 200 IM is in conflict with his better swim events.
That 1:55 IM still makes the team and probably medals at Paris. He might make the team in the 50 free and 100 breast, but his medal shot in the 50 is iffy just by the nature of the event, and his shot at a medal in the 100 breast is non-existent.
Instead of dying on 75m the objective is dying on 35 meters now
David Curtiss
21.6 is on the bubble.. curtiss and held could be there with decent swims. Andrew jasnt reay shown hes in that lind of form but well see
MA’s been 21.8 this season…
21.7
Even better!
21.7 swimming against the big boys not age groupers. Monaco head to head competition was fun to watch.
Andrew will choke.
I think Andrew will beat King
Solid assumption
I think this is a solid guess but remel still a question imo