1ST ANNUAL SUN DEVIL OPEN
- June 2-4, 2023
- Mona Plummer Aquatic Center, Tempe, Arizona
- Long Course Meters (50m)
- Psych Sheets
- Results on Meet Mobile “2023 Sun Devil Open”
- Day 1 Recap
After swimming a personal best by over a second and a half last night in the 200 IM, Regan Smith competed in the 100 backstroke this morning in Tempe swimming a 58.63 to be the top seed heading into tonight. That is around what she went in prelims at Pro Swim- Westmont as she swam a 58.54 in prelims before swimming a 57.90 in finals, tying her season-best. She also swam a 57.90 at the US Open in December, where she swam a 58.65 in prelims. Her best time in the event stands at a 57.57 from 2019 Worlds.
Smith also swam the 100 fly this morning and touched in a final time of 57.70. Earlier this season at Pro Swim-Fort Lauderdale, Smith swam a personal best of 56.60 in the event. There she swam a 57.54 in prelims. Her 56.60 from finals stands as the fastest time by an American this season. At Westmont, she swam a 57.83 in prelims before swimming a 56.92 in finals.
Also highlighting the women’s side was 14 year old Paige Downey who is headed into finals as the top seed in the 400 IM as she swam a 5:05.41 this morning. That was a huge best time for Downey as her previous best stood at a 5:13.94 from July 2022.
Rising Ariusona State junior Patrick Sammon swam a 1:48.85 in the men’s 200 free to be the top seed heading into tonight. Sammon has a personal best of 1:47.80 which he swam to finish 10th at US Summer Nationals last July.
Also close to his personal best in prelims was Jack Dolan who swam a 54.65 in the 100 back. That is only 0.07 off his best time of 54.58 which he swam just two weeks ago in Mission Viejo. Dolan’s best prior to this season was a 55.01, so this morning’s swim was his second-fastest ever.
Hubert Kos swam the fastest time this morning in the men’s 100 fly with a 52.44. His best time stands at a 51.33 from 2022 Euros where he was fourth. Kos represents Hungary at the International level. Kos also swam the 100 back later in the session where he will be the second seed next to Dolan tonight.
Finals begin at 8 pm EST tonight.
57.83 100 back from Regan, takes over top time in the world this year
Just an observation; over time it has appeared to me that the “Bowman effect” happens in the first year. The training with him really hits on all cylinders or it doesn’t, then that trend continues.
This is toward the end of year one for Regan Smith. It’s clearly very compatible with what she needed to get faster.
No. What she needed was to drop out of college. School was too hard for her. She could have done great under any coach after dropping out.
Very promising swim
Yeah
Gretchen Walsh also just posted the 2nd fastest 50 free of her career (24.52) in Virginia. It seems she is in a much better spot all around heading into trials this year compared to last.
Regan appears to be in a very strong place. Looking forward to her becoming the “Queen of the 200s” this summer (fly, back, 800 free relay, and maybe more)!
I love that there are lots of contenders for “Queen of the 200s”:
McKeown with potential 200 back, 200 IM and 800 free relay
Regan with potential 200 back, 200 fly, 200 IM, 800 free relay
Summer with potential 200 fly, 200 IM, 200 free, 800 free relay
Douglass with potential 200 breast and 200 IM
From a purely domestic standpoint:
W 200 FR – Ledecky, Katie (slam dunk)
W 200 BK – Smith, Regan vs Bacon, Phoebe
W 200 BR – Douglass, Kate vs Jacoby, Lydia vs King, Lilly
W 200 FL – Flickinger, Hali vs Smith, Regan
As for the women’s 200 meter freestyle, the last female athlete (USA Swimming) to come within a second of Katie Ledecky was Missy Franklin at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships. In other words, there is no domestic competition for Katie Ledecky in the women’s 200 meter freestyle and there hasn’t been since Missy Franklin.
Yes, Lydia Jacoby has been coming on like a runaway freight train in the W 50 BR, W 100 BR,… Read more »
There is a chance all four could meet in the 200IM. All depends on which two Americans qualify at the trials.
Queen of the 200s?
From a domestic standpoint, Katie Ledecky has owned the title of the W 200 FR since the 2014 Phillips 66 National Championships.
You obviously missed the final of the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. Furthermore, if anyone will replace Leah Smith in the women’s 4 x 200 meter freestyle relay in the future, it will be Erin Gemmell not Regan Smith.
Regan Smith did not even medal in the W 200 FL at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships. It’s an insult to Hali Flickinger who medalled in the W 200 FL at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics (bronze) and the 2022 World Aquatics Championships (silver) not to mention the… Read more »
Of course, nobody will ever come close to what the “King of the 200s,” Michael Phelps, did at the 2004 US Olympic Trials.
He made the team in the:
200 fly
200 back
200 free
200 IM
(And also the 100 fly and 400 IM)
He dropped the 200 back at the conclusion of that meet.
So happy for her fast times lately. What a very likeable, fun, and hard working swimmer 🙂
GO REGS WE <3 U!!!!!!
Regan swam 57.70 FL / 58.63 BK prelim and swimming both again tonight. Similar to Westmont but a 100 Fly instead of a 200 before the 100 BK.