2018 MEL ZAJAC JR. INTERNATIONAL
- June 1-3, 2018
- UBC Aquatic Centre
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Stream
The third and final preliminary session from the Mel Zajac Jr. International meet in Vancouver saw some more impressive performances from the U.S. junior national team, along with Caeleb Dressel and Ryan Lochte in action in their final two events of the competition.
The U.S. juniors established a few more PBs this morning, including Zoie Hartman knocking half a second off her 50 breast to take the top seed in 32.17. Calgary’s Rachel Nicol (32.22) and Hartman’s teammate Ema Rajic (32.38) are close behind.
Gretchen Walsh and Katharine Berkoff both hit best times on Saturday morning, and did so again on Sunday. Walsh took the top seed in the women’s 100 free, clocking 55.50 to lower her PB of 56.12 from the 2017 U.S. Open. Mackenzie Padington, who has been on a tear here, qualified 2nd in 56.52, and Penny Oleksiak avoided a third straight freestyle B-final by taking 9th in 57.97 (10-person final).
Berkoff dropped her 100 back best by nearly a second in 1:00.69, qualifying 2nd behind teammate Isabelle Stadden (1:00.41). Phoebe Bacon (1:02.15) made it a 1-2-3 prelim for the U.S. juniors.
Dressel was in action in the men’s 50 breast and 100 free, taking 1st and 2nd overall respectively. In the 50 breast, he clocked in at 28.85, an official best time, though he opened his 100 breast at the 2015 Nationals in 28.53. Previously, he had been a 31.56 from back in 2012. Jake Foster (29.22) sits 2nd and Liam Johnston (29.27) is 3rd. After dropping over a second from prelims to the final yesterday in the 50 free, it will be interesting to see what kind of time Dressel can drop tonight. So far this year, five Americans have been sub-28.
In the 100 free he cruised to the 2nd seed in 50.68, following Olympic semi-finalist Yuri Kisil (50.07). Maxime Rooney (51.26) qualified for the final in 6th, while Lochte missed out on the A-final in 11th (51.95). He did qualify in the 100 back, where he negative split his way to the 5th spot in 57.63 (out in 29.43, back in 28.20). Clark Beach leads the field there in 56.21.
OTHER EVENTS
- Canadian junior Bailey Herbet continued her sensational performance at the meet with the top seed in the women’s 200 fly, going 2:18.20 to come within four tenths of her PB. Oleksiak qualified 3rd overall in 2:19.00.
- U.S. junior Gianluca Urlando leads the men’s event in 2:01.20, with Gator Mark Szaranek having one of his better prelim swims here for 2nd in 2:02.84.
so curious as to how these teenagers manage school and all this travel. In my daughter’s school in the north east if you miss one day of school it takes about three days to catch up. there is no mercy. we have had elite athletes in every sport and no one gets a break… If they have too many absences there are serious repercussions.
Most of the country is out of school by now. Many public school systems are more lenient than yours, it sounds like, and many of these elite swimmers attend private schools where there is even more flexibility, or, if known, these kind of interruptions can be negotiated ahead of time.
Many elites are also home schooled or online schooled for just the reasons you mentioned. That way they can travel when they need to without missing a beat of their education (whether its an equivalent education, you can find someone else to debate that with, lol).
Most of the NBAC crew from its heyday went to online high school, for example.
Dressel going sub 28 this early in his LCM breast career is really impressive, if he tries at this too…watch out
2:09.9 200 fly (PB by over a second) and 54.5 100 free for Penny, and that 54.5 was with only the men’s 200 fly in between. Very impressive double with short turnaround time.
Nice to see that both Herbert and Avery Wiseman (not at this meet) are right behind Faith Knelson as future of Canadian breaststroking. Knelson is a pure breaststroker atm while the other 2 have some more variety
Adam Peaty has only gone under 26.5 3 times yet Dressel the comparative novice in breaststroke will do it this summer? Take the blinkers off guys
22.15 and 27.89. Drop a second to get his 21.15 and your already at 26.89. And as you say, he’s a novice so his improvement curve is much bigger than freestyle. And based on what we’ve see at NCAAs, he’s gotten that level of improvement. Maybe you need to open your eyes?
26.89 and 26.5 and very different though – You say it like it’s super easy to drop half a second on a 50 haha. I take your point about him being somewhat a novice, but based on what we saw in SCY, his stroke didn’t look ideally suited to LCM swimming – Superb walls, amazing pullouts, but he lost forward momentum as he approach his walls quite noticeably.
I’ve learned not to bet against Dressel, but 26.5 is a big ask for him, and I’d expect he’d need real progress with his stroke to hit a time like that this year. Sub 27 I agree with though.
Adam Peaty has been under 26.5 seven times according to USA Swimming’s database.
Just because Dressel does a good time in an event does not mean he’ll be racing that event this summer. It could be as simple as he’s racing two events per day at this meet. I don’t think he’ll be racing Peaty anytime soon. Lol
Great times, great atmosphere and a tremendous facility!! It is fantastic to see the Mel Zajac Meet once again take it’s rightful place on the North American meet calendar!!
Let’s play a game
28.8 – 23.1 Prelims here
‘27.7’ – 22.1 Finals here
‘26.6’ – 21.1 Current best time
‘26.3’ – 20.8? Predicted 2018 Time
Just going off of the numbers. I don’t actually think he’ll go 26 low, although I can’t see why he won’t go 26 something if he does it at Nationals.
It’s probably more apt to go be percentage improvement. Especially since he’s not very experienced on breast, while he’s a been a freestyler for life. So his improvement curve would be bigger on breast
I would be reluctant to make time predictions for Nationals. Remember that the meet is in Irvine, with a very shallow turn end and lots of waves. That meet will be about getting your hand to the wall first, not about time.
7 ft all across. Deep enough
I’m probably the only one who doesn’t think he’ll be faster in the 50 free this year. He hasn’t been emphasizing it in training —- said he just started sprinting a few weeks before NCAAs, and he obviously went back up in volume since then. He’s working on going up to LCM 200 free (for the relay) and 200 IM and completing a full, Phelpsian schedule (albeit shorter distances) Olympic schedule. I think his big drops this summer will be in the 200 free (1:45?) and 200 IM (if he swims it, 1:54?). The others will be about where they were. Might drop some in the 100 free, but I think 50 free and 100 fly will be about the… Read more »
He just started sprinting and still went 17 so……
Seems plausible in theory, but unlikely in reality. Also I highly doubt he would swim the 50 breast especially considering it is on the same days as the 100 fly
Lochte is tired. Third day after very hard events and old man is better long distantse..
These are probably the easiest three days since he’s been back training with Troy. The meet isn’t why he’s tired. And he did make the 4 X 100 free relay for London (47 high split) and was third in the 100 fly at OTs back in the day, so it’s not like he can’t generate speed.
Do you ever post about anything other than how old Ryan Lochte is?
He oldest pro top swimmer long distantce.. 30+ male swimmers the world top5 is many and 400m IM is sensational.. 31 is me and inspireerib. In This meet only in thirty. Ryan not reading these comments.
He oldest pro top swimmer long distantce.. 30+ male swimmers the world top5 is many and 400m IM is sensational.. I am 31 years old and he is inspiritonal me.. Ryan was in this meet only in thirtys. Ryan not reading these comments.
He not young also. Olympic history not know 400IM winners in thirtys. Lochte attempt clory road. I am proud to Ryan Lochte. Strong come back. Why is not he results in TYR world Swimming rankings? Ryan is already TOP15-17. TOP 8 is way 4seconds in 400IM and 200IM 2 seconds. After half year hard training. He not hard training 1,5years likely Phelps 2012-2014. He 100m speed is bad but 200IM ja 400IM and real change make glory history: Oldest indivudal cold ja medalist. In Tokyo is Ryan nearly 36.Anthony Ervin in RIO was half-year younger. I waiting this glory history.
He not young also. Olympic history not know 400IM winners in thirtys. Lochte attempt clory road. I am proud to Ryan Lochte. Strong come back. Why is not he results in TYR world Swimming rankings? Ryan is already TOP15-17. TOP 8 is way 4seconds in 400IM and 200IM 2 seconds. After half year hard training. He not hard training 1,5years likely Phelps 2012-2014. He 100m speed is bad but 200IM ja 400IM and real change make glory history: Oldest indivudal cold ja medalist. In Tokyo is Ryan nearly 36.Anthony Ervin in RIO was half-year younger. I waiting this glory history. He isperered he comback.
Ryan inspired me come back. I am nearly retired local level paraswimming but is strong itch again. I am thirty one an six month old. Coming back is hardest thirtys than twentys: I must do streching exercises before and after every training, little injuries coming easly, I must do specical exercises in my knees,back and shoulders..