McKeon Siblings Combine For Half of the Victories on Day 3 at Aussie SC Nationals

Day 3 at the 2014 Australian Short Course National Championships in Adelaide was McKeon day. Between Emma and David, they won four of the eight finals, including three in a marathon session from Emma McKeon.

Her day started in the women’s 100 free, where there was a huge internal battle for individual spots, specifically, and more generally to lead the Australian sprint group into the Doha World Championships without Cate Campbell or Alicia Coutts.

That early marker went to Emma McKeon in 51.83, which is the second-fastest time in the world so far this year.

Close behind her, taking the other spot, was the presumed favorite in this race Bronte Campbell in 52.14. Campbell helped the lead through about 80 meters, but McKeon had a fantastic final 25 to blow by her opponent.

Brittany Elmslie (52.66) and Marieke D’Cruz (52.97) were good enough to earn relay consideration spots if there’s room on the roster.

The next win would come from Emma again in the women’s 50 fly, a non-qualifier event, where she swam a 25.78 to beat Elmslie (25.87) and D’Cruz (25.95) again. This swim was a gutsy one for the winner, as it came in the middle of two races that were set to earn roster spots for the World Championships, and she didn’t blink at taking charge early.

One race later it was 22-year old brother David’s turn, and he defending his title in the men’s 400 free in 3:38.17 – more than seven seconds faster than he was in winning last season. He faded just a touch at the end to the more distance oriented Jordan Harrison, but had enough to hold on. Harrison, touching 2nd in 3:39.27, was also good enough to book a trip to the World Championships.

Daniel Smith was 3rd in 3:40.47 and the ever-versatile Bobby Hurley was 4th in 3:41.66.

Following that impressive swim by David, Emma McKeon hopped back in and won the women’s 400 free in 4:00.63. Like her brother, she gave some back at the end of the race, but ultimately they had the same 1.1-second margin of victory. Her Chandler teammate Jessica Ashwood was 2nd in 4:01.76, and Indooroopily’s Leah Neale was 3rd in 4:02.24.

Full, live meet results available here.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Australia has renewed its commitment to short course worlds, at least as a federation with many top swimmers absent in Adelaide this week. The team will take the top two swimmers in each Olympic distance from this week’s meet, presuming they make the qualifying times seen on the last page here. Assuming there’s room, and the medley relays are completed, then the 3rd and 4th best 100 and 200 freestylers go as well.

The standards are tough, but reasonable, for a country at the level of Australia to make the investment to send its athletes around the world. The tougher matter will be deciding which of the 20 will go, and that will be based upon the swimmers with the highest two-per-country rankings will go.

Not all swimmers in Adelaide this week have confirmed their intent to participate at the 2012 World Short Course Championships according to the team’s media manager Ian Hanson, so there’s still some moving and shifting that could happen.

Other Individual Event Finals

Women’s 200 Backstroke – FINALS

St. Peters Western swimmer Madison Wilson, after letting Emily Seebohm slip by her en route to a 100 back title and record, was having no such thing happen in the women’s 200 backstroke final. The two swimmers pushed each other to a very fast time, and while they were just shy of the National Record, Wilson hung on to win in 2:01.75 with Seebohm 2nd in 2:01.87.

Both were good enough to add the second event for the World Championships. That tenth-of-a-second lead was all that was left after a full-second lead at the 150 evaporated for Wilson in a hurry. Seebohm had a great first 50 and last 50 to make this a tight race.

Well back in 3rd was Mikkayla Sheridan from the Nudgee Brothers’ Swim Club with a 2:04.65. She earned the podium on a tight battle of her own against Hayley Baker (2:04.68).

Men’s 200 Breaststroke – FINALS

The defending National Champion in this 200 breaststroke didn’t race this week, and that was just the beginning of the struggle for the Australians in the 200 meter breaststroke. For the first time at this meet, the country struck-out without a single swimmer even coming close to the World Championships qualifying time.

The race was close and exciting, with no spots awarded despite, as the top four finished within .23 seconds of each other. Jake Packard may get a chance to swim this race in Doha as the champion in the 100 breaststroke earlier in the meet and here in the 200 in 2:07.38. He fought back to overcome Lennard Bremer (2:07.45), Thomas Fraser-Holmes (2:07.46), and Buster Sykes (2:07.61). Packard was only 3rd heading into the last 25 but it was by a tiny margin.

While the Australians are improving in the 100 breaststroke without Christian Sprenger, which is a key to their medley success, in this 200 they’re still off-the-mark. The qualifying time was set at 2:06.05.

Women’s 100 IM – FINALS – Non-Qualifier

While it was for little more than bragging rights, and the right at a discretionary entry for Short Course Worlds, Emily Seebohm did not hold back even with victory secured. She swam a 58.45 to place a second-and-a-half ahead of Melbourne Vicente duo Kotuku Ngawati (1:00.06) and Hayley Baker (1:00.19).

That swim is a new lifetime best for Seebohm.

Men’s 50 Free – FINALS

The men’s 50 free final, even without some of the stars (including James Magnussen), did not disappoint with Matthew Abood and Cameron McEvoy barreling toward the finish. The two were side-by-side in the 10-lane course as the two-and-three seeds and so had a good view coming off of the wall at just how tight they were.

At the end, it was the veteran 28-year old Abood who touched for the win in 21.32 with McEvoy placing 2nd in 21.33. While McEvoy has made a career of overcoming height differences, with such a tiny margin, Abood standing 6’6″ to McEvoy just 6’1″ was an unavoidable difference. That was a new lifetime best for McEvoy and tied him with Kenneth To for 7th on the all-time Australian list.

Both Abood and McEvoy qualified for Worlds with those times, and for McEvoy this is a second assured individual entry along with the 200 free.

Men’s 200 IM – FINALS

Thomas Fraser-Holmes, after a warmup in the 200 breaststroke earlier in the meet, came back to win the men’s 200 IM in 1:54.86. Fraser-Holmes took a small lead on the front-half of this race, and with relatively-tight margins he did just enough to hold that lead together on the breaststroke and freestyle legs (though this time wasn’t his best effort – he was faster several times on the World Cup series while chasing Chad le Clos).

James Justin took 2nd in 1:55.29 which also snuck him under the 1:55.41 qualifying standard. Travis Mahoney took 3rd in 1:55.32.

Tentative Swimmers Eligible

Below, we’ve listed those who have hit qualifying standards, though nobody’s invitation is official until swimmers start to double-up on events.

Another day of competition is complete, and things are starting to get very tight on the men’s side as the combined team of men and women is now over the cap for 20 There will be no men’s qualifying event finals on Saturday, so that roster will stay pat until Sunday The 3rd-and-4th place finishers in the relays are now all-but-eliminated from consideration.

The women’s roster remains fairly compact thanks to a lot of doubles so far. With Emily Seebohm swimming very well, and as the favorite in the 200 IM, expect it to stay that way through Saturday. The women’s 100 breaststroke will add two new swimmers in the other final, which should leave this squad at just 10 or 11 individual qualifiers heading into the final day on Sunday.

Qualifying-standard swims, Top 2

Men

1. Cameron McEvoy, PBC: 200 free – 1:43.09
2. David McKeon, Chandler: 200 free – 1:43.43, 400 free – 3:38.17
3. Mitch Larkin, St. Peter’s Western: 100 back – 49.25
4. Bobby Hurley, Trinity Grammar: 100 back – 50.20
5. Travis Mahoney, Nunawading: 400 IM – 4:04.96
6. Jared Gilliland, Nudgee Brothers: 400 IM – 4:08.26
7. Jake Packard, Indooroopily: 100 breast – 57.92
8. Tommy Sucipto, Leasurepark Lazers: 100 breast – 58.33
9. David Morgan, TSS Aquatic: 100 fly – 50.77
10. Jordan Harrison, Miami: 500 free – 3:39.27
11. Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Miami: 200 IM – 1:54.86
12. James Justin, Mackay: 200 IM – 1:55.29

Women

1. Brianna Throssell, Perth City: 200 fly – 2:04.73, 800 free – 8:16.19
2. Keryn McMaster, Waterworx: 400 IM – 4:29.24
3. Ellen Fullerton, Nudgee Brothers: 400 IM – 4:31.15
4. Emily Seebohm, Nudgee Brothers: 100 back – 55.47, 200 back – 2:01.87
5. Madison Wilson, St. Peter’s Western: 100 back – 56.97, 200 back – 2:01.75
6. Jessica Ashwood, Chandler Swim Club: 800 free – 8:16.77
7. Emma McKeon, Chandler Swim Club: 100 free – 51.83
8. Bronte Campbell, Commercial: 100 free – 52.14

Potential Relay swimmers, if there’s room

Men

1. Daniel Smith, Miami: 200 free – 1:43.50
2. Kurt Herzog, Southport: 200 free – 1:43.58

Women

1. Brittany Elmslie, St. Peter’s Western: 100 free – 52.66
2. Marieke D’Cruz, Southport: 100 free – 52.97