Pro Swim Series – Columbus: Day 2 Prelims Real-Time Recaps

2018 PRO SWIM SERIES – COLUMBUS

• Thursday, July 5 – Sunday, July 8, 2018
• McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion, Columbus, OH
• Thursday: Timed Finals 5 PM (US Eastern Time)
• Friday-Sunday: Prelims 10 AM / Finals 6:30 PM (US Eastern Time)
• Meet site
• Meet info
• Live Results
• Psych sheet

The psych sheets have remained mostly in-tact, with the notable exception of Cody Miller in the 200 breaststroke, in pre-meet movement on day 2 of the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series in Columbus.

Among the names that will be in action on day 2, where both genders will race the 100 fly, 400 free, 200 breast, and 100 free, are double 2017 World Champion Chase Kalisz, though he won’t be swimming his primary IM races, and instead focusing on the 200 breaststroke – one of his secondary races.

Also racing will be America’s top 2 sprint breaststrokers from last year, albeit in their non-dominant 200 meter distance, Lilly King and Katie Meili. That should be a good warmup for the 100 breaststroke that comes on Saturday.

There’s no Katie Ledecky at this meet, but still a deep women’s distance crew including Leah Smith, Allison Schmitt, Cierra Runge, and Becca Mann in the 400. Schmitt and Runge will double up in the 100 free, where among the swimmers they’ll see include Mallory Comerford, Margo Geer, and Kelsi Dahlia.

Women’s 100 Fly – Prelims

The defending U.S. National Champion Kelsi (Worrell) Dahlia was the fastest qualifier and only swimmer under 59 seconds on Friday morning. She swam a 58.75, which put her ahead of German-born, but Buckeye-trained, Aliena Schmidtke (59.52).

Worrell’s Louisville training partner Mallory Comerford qualified 3rd in 59.63, and Amanda Kendall, in her 2nd meet back from a short doping suspension, joined them under 1 minute in 59.93.

That swim from Kendall was her slowest time of the season, even accounting for prelims, as it was for many swimmers in what wasn’t a deep field, and didn’t have much pressure for big prelims swims.

This will be a veteran final – the top-qualifying junior swimmer is 16-year old Gabi Albiero, who qualified 10th in 1:01.07

Top 10 Qualifiers (8 to A-Final):

1. Kelsi Worrell Dahlia – Louisville post-grad, 58.75
2. Aliena Schmidtke – Ohio State post-grad – 59.52
3. Mallory Comerford – Louisville – 59.63
4. Amanda Kendall – Indiana post-grad – 59.93
5. Christie Jensen – Indiana – 1:00.12
6. Remedy Rule – Texas – 1:00.15
7. Grace Oglesby – Louisville – 1:00.21
8. Asia Seidt – Kentucky – 1:00.26
9. Hannah Saiz – Schroeder YMCA – 1:00.79
10. Gabi Albiero – Cardinal Aquatics – 1:01.79.

Men’s 100 Fly – Prelims

19-year old Michael Andrew swam a season-and-lifetime-best to qualify 1st through to the men’s 100 fly final by almost a second. His 52.47 knocked a tenth from the 52.57 that he swam at the pro Swim Series stop in Atlanta earlier this year, and leaves him as the 4th-best American so far in this event this season.

Former U.S. National Teamer Giles Smith qualified 2nd in 53.40 in what is his season-best time as well. Smith didn’t make his long course debut this year until April, and this 100 fly marks just his 11th competitive long course race of 2018 – with 7 of those being the 50 fly.

Zach Harting qualified 3rd in 53.72, tied with NC State’s Ryan Held. Chase Kalisz, swimming his first of two events on the day, qualified 5th in 53.73. That’s his first long course 100 fly since August of 2015.

Top 10 Qualifiers (8 to A-Final):

1. Michael Andrew – Race Pace Club, 52.47
2. Giles Smith – Phoenix Swim Club, 53.40
3. (TIE) Ryan Held – NC State/Zach Harting – Lousiville, 53.72
5. Chase Kalisz – Athens Bulldogs Swim Club, 53.73
6. Cody Bybee – Dayton Raiders, 53.86
7. Michael Salazar – Ohio State, 54.08
8. Nicolas Albiero – Louisville, 54.21
9. (TIE) Brendan Burns – Upper Main Line YMCA/Carson Foster – Mason Manta Rays, 54.65

Women’s 400 Free – Prelims

A few early-season scratches for Leah Smith gave her a late start to her long course season, but she’s come-along strong as of late. After 4:07.5/4:04.7 in Santa Clara, she swam a 4:06.19 in prelims on Tuesday, which is still faster than any other American, besides Katie Ledecky, has been so far this season. That prelims time is already just a couple-of-tenths away from the time she swam during prelims of last year’s National Championship meet.

That makes the benchmark swim for Friday’s finals a 4:03.77, which she swam at Nationals finals last year.

U.S. National Teamer Kaersten Meitz qualified 2nd in a season-best time of 4:10.27, which ranks as the 4th-best time of her career, and 2nd-best in-season time. Arizona State training partners Allison Schmitt (4:10.67) and Cierra Runge (4:11.28) qualified 3rd and 4th, and their former NBAC teammate, and current Michigan Wolverine, Sierra Schmidt qualified 5th in 4:12.00.

15-year old Mariah Denigan qualified 7th in 4:12.72 – another lifetime best after a 15-second drop in the 1500 on Thursday evening.

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Leah Smith – Tucson Ford/Arizona post-grad, 4:06.19
2. Kaersten Meitz – Purdue post-grad, 4:10.27
3. Allison Schmitt – Arizona State post-grad, 4:10.67
4. Cierra Runge – Arizona State, 4:11.28
5. Sierra Schmidt – Michigan, 4:12.00
6. Rose Bi – Club Wolverine, 4:12.58
7. Mariah Denigan – Northern Kentucky Clippers, 4:12.72
8. Evie Pfeifer – Texas, 4:13.26

Men’s 400 Free – Prelims

The men’s 400 free final will have a very international flavor with 3 foreign athletes qualifying in the top 5. That field is led by Austrian Felix Auboeck, who swam a 3:54.13 to just nip 1500 free champion Anton Ipsen in 3:54.28.

Among the 8 A-finalists, the only best time came from Louisville rising junior Sam Steele, who qualified 7th in 3:57.22. His previous best time of 3:58.66 was done in 2015.

Also in the A-final is American Zane Grothe, who qualified 6th in 3:56.69. This is his only chance on Friday to add points to his series score, where he currently sits 1 point ahead of Chase Kalisz thanks to a runner-up finish in the 1500. Kalisz has two finals swims, the 100 fly and (presumably) the 200 breast, to come on Friday.

Top 8 A-Finalists:

1. Felix Auboeck – Michigan, 3:54.13
2. Anton Ipsen – NC State post-grad, 3:54.28
3. Patrick Callan – Trident Aquatics Club, 3:55.53
4. Nick Hogsed – Ohio State, 3:56.36
5. Marcelo Acosta – Louisville, 3:56.68
6. Zane Grothe – Indiana post-grad, 3:56.69
7. Sam Steele – Louisville, 3:57.22
8. PJ Ransford – Michigan, 3:57.72

Women’s 200 Breast – Prelims

With Olympian Lilly King in the field, and a DFS from Katie Meili, it was Annie Lazor who qualified first in 2:28.10. After sitting out 2017, that’s already within a couple-of-tenths of her season-best time from Santa Clara, as she’s improved at each of the last 3 stops of the Pro Swim Series. The swim is much faster than she was in prelims of any meet this season, by a second-and-a-half.

Editor’s note: Meili confirmed that she is flying in for the meet on Friday, and will swim on Saturday.

Qualifying behind her was another Louisville Cardinal, Mariia Astashkina, in 2:28.31 – another highlight swim and top-3 qualifier for Louisville on Friday morning. The aforementioned King qualified 3rd in 2:28.42, followed by her former Indiana teammate Miranda Tucker, who now competes for Michigan.

Indiana freshman Abby Kirkpatrick, catching the wave of Indiana breaststroke success, cleared half-a-second off her lifetime best for 9th in 2:33.57. That will make her the top seed in the A-final, and gives her a first qualifying time in this event for US Nationals at the end of this summer (she was already qualified in the 100). She dropped 2 seconds off her 200 yard breaststroke during the NCAA season.

Top 8 A-Finalists:

1. Annie Lazor – Unattached, 2:28.10
2. Mariia Astashkina – Louisville, 2:28.31
3. Lilly King – Indiana, 2:28.42
4. Miranda Tucker – Michigan, 2:29.75
5. Kaki Christensen – Chelsea Piers, 2:31.33
6. Anna Keating – Machine Aquatics, 2:32.08
7. Bailey Bonnett – Kentucky, 2:32.20
8. Lauren James – Louisville, 2:33.14

Men’s 200 Breast – Prelims

American Chase Kalisz entered as the top seed, and cruised to a 2nd seed and his 2nd final of Friday with a 2:13.20 in the men’s 200 breaststroke prelims. That put him behind only Louisville rising sophomore Evgenii Somov (2:12.92) in the heats.

For the Russian national Somov, that’s the best time of his career outside of last year’s European Junior Championships. He was a 2:14 earlier this year in Indianapolis.

Reece Whitley, who is winding down his junior career at Penn Charter before heading to Cal next season, qualified 3rd in 2:14.39.

Top 8 A-Finalists:

1. Evgenii Somov – Louisville/Russia, 2:12.92
2. Chase Kalisz – Athens Bulldogs Swim Club, 2:13.20
3. Reece Whitley – Penn Charter, 2:14.39
4. Takeharu Fujimori – Phoenix Swim Club, 2:15.10
5. Jake Foster – Mason Manta Rays, 2:15.55
6. Jacob Montague – Club Wolverine, 2:16.02
7. Charlie Swanson – Michigan, 2:16.23
8. Casey Storch – Machine Aquatics, 2:16.92

Women’s 100 Free – Prelims

In the deepest prelims of the day, the women’s 100 free, Margo Geer continued to make impressions on her return to elite swimming with a top-qualifying 54.07. That’s already the 4th-best time of her career, which means the 3rd-best time of 2018, which has been the best long course she’s had so far.

That puts a big morning gap between her and Allison Schmitt (54.88), the 2nd qualifier, though Schmitt was on a 2nd swim of the session. Former American Record holder Mallory Comerford qualified 3rd in 54.92, with her Louisville teammate Kelsi Dahlia pushing through 4th in 55.15.

Top 8 A-Finalists

1. Margo Geer – Indiana post-grad, 54.07
2. Allison Schmitt – Arizona State post-grad, 54.88
3. Mallory Comerford – Louisville, 54.92
4. Kelsi Dahlia – Louisville post-grad, 55.15
5. Siobhan Haughey – Michigan, 55.18
6. Gabby Deloof – Michigan, 55.33
7. Amanda Kendall – Indiana post-grad, 55.54
8. Casey Fanz – Louisville, 55.81

Men’s 100 Free – Prelims

NC State swimmer Justin Ress swam a new lifetime best of 49.14 in the men’s 100 free prelims to qualify 1st ahead of collegiate rivals Blake Pieroni (49.26), Zach Apple (49.58), and Ryan Held (49.64). That’s a grouping that will have a big impact on the 400 free relay at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

For Ress, who was 3rd in the 100 yard free at NCAAs, 2018 has been a breakthrough long course year. He’s now gone three of his five-best in-season times in the 100m free in 2018, including another 49.1 at the PSS stop in Indy earlier this year. He was 49.15 in both prelims and finals at US Nationals last year.

Also making the A-final is Ohio State swimmer Josh Fleagle (49.98), and Indiana breaststroke American Record holder Ian Finnerty (50.34). 16-year old Carson Foster swam a best time of 50.37 to qualify 7th, and Paul Delakis did the same (by over a second) to round out the A-final.

Michael Andrew, after his earlier best time in the 100 fly, was off by almost a second in the 100 free, and will be the top seed in the B-Final with a 50.87.

Top 8 A-Finalists:

1. Justin Ress – NC State, 49.14
2. Blake Pieroni – Indiana post-grad, 49.26
3. Zach Apple – Indiana, 49.58
4. Ryan Held – NC State post-grad, 49.64
5. Josh Fleagle – Ohio State post-grad, 49.98
6. Ian Finnerty – Indiana, 50.34
7. Carson Foster – Mason Manta Rays, 50.37
8. Paul Delakis – Ohio State, 50.83