Katie Ledecky qualified first overall in the women's 200 freestyle with the fourth fastest time in the world this season. (Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports)
The second day of U.S. nationals saw Katie Ledecky qualify first in the women’s 200-meter freestyle to set up a showdown with Miss Franklin in tonight’s finals, while Sterling-native Matt McLean topped all qualifiers in the men’s event in Irvine, California. Michael Phelps had the day off as he prepares for tomorrow’s 100 butterfly.
Before tonight’s finals, get caught up on the morning races below.
Thursday PM heat sheets available soon.
200-meter freestyle
If there was any question who the swimmer to beat in freestyle was after last night, Katie Ledecky erased all doubts with a strong preliminary performance during the morning heats on Thursday. Ledecky qualified first overall in the 200 freestyle in a time of 1 minute 55.75 seconds. That’s more than two seconds ahead of second-placed Missy Franklin and more two and a half seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
Missy Franklin, above swimming in the preliminary heats of the women's 200 freestyle, won yesterday's 100 freestyle final in a meet record 53.43. (Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports)
The event is stacked for the final with Franklin, the reigning world champion, leading a group of experienced mid-distance racers that include Virginia’s Leah Smith, Shannon Vreeland, Cierra Runge, Chelsea Chenault, Elizabeth Beisel and sprinter Simone Manuel. Notably absent from the ‘A’ final is Olympic champion Allison Schmitt, who has missed two straight championship finals in events she was expected to challenge for a medal in. She was ninth yesterday in the women’s 100 freestyle
If Ledecky can maintain her top position during tonight’s final, she’ll go a long way towards establishing her dominance in the freestyle events in much the same way Australia’s Grant Hackett did in the late 90s and early 2000s. Hackett won 10 world championship gold medals and 7 Olympic medals in the freestyle events during his career, which included a silver in the 200 freestyle and golds in the 400, 800 and 1,500 at the Montreal World Championships in 2005.
A night after sweeping the distance events with victories by Ledecky and Andrew Gemmell, D.C.-area swimming might get it’s second sweep of the meet if Sterling-native Matt McLean can match Ledecky in the men’s event.
Ryan Lochte takes off at the start of the men's 200 freestyle. He qualified third overall. (Robert Hanashiro/USA Today Sports)
McLean blasted the only sub-1:47 swim in the 200 freestyle heats to earn the No. 1 overall seed for the ‘A’ final. His time of 1:46.90 leads fellow Olympic gold medalist and North Baltimore Aquatic Club training partner Conor Dwyer (1:47.18), as well as Ryan Lochte (1:47.41), Reed Malone, Clay Youngquist, Michael Weiss and Drew Cosgarea.
McLean, who relocated to Baltimore to train under Coach Bob Bowman in the fall, has been swimming at an exceptionally high level over the last six months. But despite the top seed, Dwyer has to be considered the favorite to win this event. Dwyer won silver in this event at last year’s world championships behind French champion Yannick Agnel – who also trains with McLean and Dwyer at NBAC.
Dwyer is the perfect combination of hard work and racing instinct that has only improved over the last several years since winning gold in London on the 4×200 freestyle relay with McLean. He finished fourth in last night’s 100 freestyle final but was beat by Lochte, who will also factor into the 200 free tonight. Lochte, a former training partner of Dwyer at the University of Florida, also left Gainesville at the start of the season. Lochte trains with the sprint-minded SwimMAC Carolina in Charlotte but missed a lot of training this season due to a knee injury. If he can carry the speed from yesterday over to the longer distance, he could pull the upset in this event over the two NBAC swimmers.
200-meter breaststroke
Micah Lawrence was the highest U.S. finisher at last year’s world championships in the women’s 200 breaststroke when she won bronze with a time of 2:22.37. She was nearly on that time in prelims this morning with a 2:23.71 to top all qualifiers.
In second is the short-course speedster Breeja Larson, formerly of Texas A&M, with a 2:25.60.
There has been a void at the top in this event since Rebecca Soni retired from swimming following the London Olympics, but Lawrence is trying her hardest to fill that space. So is Larson.
Lawrence’s swim in prelims was her best of the season by nearly a second and ranks her seventh in the world this year.
Also in the heat will be Alabama’s Kaylin Burchell, Georgia grad Melanie Margalis, SwimMAC’s Emma Reaney, Moly Hannis, Andee Cottrell and Annie Lazor.
Stanford’s Sarah Haase, a former All-Met Swimmer of the Year, finished 30th overall in 2:34.13. Virginia’s Natalie Martin, a Battlefield grad, finished in 2:35.12.
Arizona’s Kevin Cordes was under world record pace in the men’s 200 breaststroke for much of his prelim swim on Wednesday. Cordes qualified first overall in 2:07.86. He will enter tonight’s final 2.8 seconds ahead of second place, Nicolas Fink, and 3.15 seconds ahead of third, B.J. Johnson.
Nobody will catch Cordes in this event; not after he blasted a world top-three time in a prelim heat that he was all but guaranteed to win already. But the race for second and third, and a berth in Australia, is completely up for grabs. Fink and Johnson both made the world championship team last year in breaststroke. Behind them is a talented group of collegiate swimmer Cal’s Josh Prenot, Wisconsin’s Cody Miller, Ohio State’s DJ MacDonald, Florida’s Matt Elliott and Texas’ Will Licon.
NCAP’s Chuck Katis, a rising Cal senior, qualified 11th overall and will swim the ‘B’ final. Ricky Munch finished 27th overall in 2:15.90; Carsten Vissering finished 34th overall in 2:17.18.
200-meter backstroke
Elizabeth Beisel and Missy Franklin topped the women’s heats in 2:09.65 and 2:09.81, respectively. Franklin is the reigning world champion and world record holder in the event, so you have to like her chances of winning tonight. Beisel is considered more of an individual medley specialist but has a strong kick behind her that can carry the former Florida star in this event, which is known to exhaust the legs.
Virginia’s Courtney Bartholomew is third (2:10.63) followed by rising Texas A&M freshman Lisa Bratton (2:11.33). Joining them will be Melanie Klaren, world’s team member Elizabeth Pelton, and teenage stars Kathleen Baker and Kylie Stewart.
UNC’s Hellen Moffitt, a former Machine swimmer, finished 47th overall in 2:17.70. NCAP’s Megan Byrnes touched in 2:18.53.
Tyler Clary went into the second of three circle seeded heats with the lane four on his mind. He punished the heat to win my nearly two seconds and grabbed the world’s tenth fastest time of the year in the process. Clary will be the top seed for tonight’s men’s final with a 1:56.97. Behind him in 1:57.79 is former age group star and rising Cal sophomore Ryan Murphy, who is trying to make his first world championship team this summer.
Connor Green, Jacob Pebley, Jonathan Roberts (out of the unseeded heats), Carter Griffin, Ryan Lochte and Sean Lehane round out the top eight.
Topping the ‘B’ final will be Machine’s Jack Conger. The rising Texas sophomore won the first circle seeded heat in 2:00.19, but watched seven swimmers beat him in the next two heats to drop him out of the championship final.
Conger’s former RMSC training partner, Garrett Powell, a rising Georgia junior, posted a quick 2:01.78 in heat 4. He finished 20th overall.
John Shebat, at his first nationals, finished 62nd overall. The NCAP swimmer touched in 2:06.04.
50-meter butterfly
The U.S.’s top butterflier, Claire Donahue, cruised to the No. 1 seed in the women’s 50 butterfly with a time of 26.09. In second was Kendyl Stewart with a 26.33.
This is not an Olympic event and as such does not have an automatic qualifying spot on the Pan Pacs team.
Rounding out the top eight was Kelsi Worrell, Felicia Lee, Ivy Martin, Tina Bechtel, Mimi Schneider and Madeline Locus.
Janet Hu and Cassidy Bayer both qualified for the 18-and-under ‘C’ final with times of 27.37 and 27.62, respectively.
Hellen Moffitt finished 27th overall with a time of 27.62 – tied with Bayer’s time. Kylie Jordan touched in 27.85; Laura Branton finished in 28.56.
Tim Phillips won the men’s event in 23.57 followed by Matt Grevers (23.86) and Connor Black (23.91). Eugene Godsoe was fourth with a 23.96 and is a dangerous swimmer in the sprint butterfly events – definitely a swimmer to watch during finals – as is fifth seeded Josh Schneider.
Giles Smith, Santo Condorelli and Matthew Josa complete the championship final.
Andrew Seliskar touched in 24.33 to qualify as the top swimmer in the ‘C’ final.
Seliskar ‘C’ final
