Weyant, Grimes, and Litherland All Drop 200 FR for 400 IM in San Antonio

2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – SAN ANTONIO (MARCH)

• March 3-7, 2021
• North East ISD Blossom Athletic Complex, San Antonio, TX
• LCM Format
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Session Timelines
• Live Stream (USA Swimming)
• Live Stream (Olympic Channel)
• Start Times (Central Time): Women’s Prelims: 10 AM / Men’s Prelims: 90 minutes after women’s prelims (between 11:30-12:00) / Finals: 7 PM

Friday Finals Heat Sheet

On day three of the 2021 Pro Swim Series in San Antonio, three swimmers have favored the 400 IM over the 200 free after this morning’s preliminaries. On the slate for this evening will be the finals of the men’s and women’s 200 free, 200 back, 400 IM, and 100 fly.

Qualifying first into the women’s 400 IM A-final was 19-year-old Emma Weyant, clocking in a 4:42.42. Before swimming the long IM, Weyant also placed 14th in the 200 free at 2:02.34, which is just off her season best of 2:00.38. Seeded right behind Weyant is Olympian Melanie Margalis, who clocked in a morning effort of 4:44.52. Weyant’s season best rests at 4:40.84 from the 2020 U.S. Open while Margalis is coming off short course ISL racing. Exactly a year ago, Margalis posted a blistering 4:32.53 in Des Moines.

Also favoring the women’s 400 IM A-final was 15-year-old Katie Grimes of the Sandpipers of Nevada. Grimes started the morning off with a 2:03.44 in the 200 free, which marked a season best by two-tenths and placed 17th overall. In the 400 IM, Grimes swam a lifetime best by 1.21s at 4:46.37, which qualified 4th into the A-final. Grimes’ time is now No. 45 all-time in 15-16 age group history as well as becoming the 6th-fastest 15-year-old in the last decade. Grimes currently ranks 9th in the nation this season.

On the men’s side, Olympian Jay Litherland decided to only swim his disciplinary event over the 200 free, where he placed 14th this morning at 1:52.43. In the 400 IM, Litherland is seeded 5th at 4:25.09. At the January Pro Swim Series, Litherland was 4:18.24, which ranks 4th in the US this season. Taking the top seed in the event was Team Elite’s Abrahm DeVine, clocking in the 7th-fastest time in the nation this season at 4:22.43.

Another 15-year-old of the Sandpipers of Nevada, Bella Sims, swam three of the four prelims events this morning. Sims first qualified 7th into the 200 free A-final at 2:00.26, just off her seed time of 1:59.93. Then, Sims swam the #8 seed in the 400 IM at 4:53.88, followed by a 1:01.76 in the 100 fly. Originally, Sims missed the 100 fly B-final, yet got scratched in. She then decided to pick the shorter schedule, starting with the 200 free and ending with the 100 fly. Her lifetime best in the fly sits at 1:01.19.

More Notable Scratches:

• Longhorn’s Remedy Rule, who represents the Philippines internationally, has scratched out of the 100 fly B-final (1:01.72). Instead, Rule will focus on the 200 free B-final, where she placed 11th at 2:01.49. Exactly a year ago in Des Moines, Rule swam 1:00.16 fly and 2:00.35 free.
• Polish native Kacper Stokowski and Chris Wieser both opted out of tonight’s 200 free B-final. Stokowski placed 9th at 1:51.57 while Wieser would have been scratched in with his #17 seed of 1:52.93. Yesterday, Wieser placed 5th in the 400 free final at 3:58.25.
• In the men’s 200 back, #6 seed Drew Carbone scratched out of the A-final after posting a 2:04.08 morning swim.
• After placing 2nd in the 400 IM this morning, Josh Prenot has decided to opt out of the long IM race tonight. Yesterday, Prenot placed 5th in the 100 breast at 1:01.73.
• Santo Condorelli, a Rio Olympian who represents Italy internationally, scratched his #16 seed in the 100 fly for tonight after posting 53.65 this morning. Yesterday, Condorelli placed 14th in the 100 free at 50.46.

Full Friday Scratch Report:

• Women’s 200 Free: #14 Emma Weyant, #17 Katie Grimes
• Men’s 200 Free: #9 Kacper Stokowski, #14 Jay Litherland, #17 Chris Wieser
• Women’s 200 Back: –
• Men’s 200 Back: #6 Drew Carbone
• Women’s 400 IM: #8 Bella Sims
• Men’s 400 IM: #2 Josh Prenot
• Women’s 100 Fly: #16 Remedy Rule
• Men’s 100 Fly: #16 Santo Condorelli