Ryan Murphy Posts Blazing 200 Back at U.S. Open

By David Rieder

IRVINE, California, July 31. MANY of the world’s top swimmers not at the World Championships in Barcelona threw down some quality times at the U.S. Open on Wednesday. The meet, held at the William Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, runs through Saturday, and on the second night, Ryan Murphy contributed the third world top-ten effort of the week.

Bolles’ Murphy used a strong second half to pass Arkady Vyatchanin and win the men’s 200 back. Murphy touched in 1:55.87, moving him up to sixth in the world. However, he only ranks fourth among Americans, as Ryan Lochte, Jack Conger, and Tyler Clary have all swum faster. Meanwhile, Vyatchanin, the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist in the event for Russia and now representing the New York Athletic Club, grabbed second in 1:56.70, and Wisconsin’s Andrew teDuits claimed third in 1:59.17. TeDuits won the NCAA championship in the event earlier this year.

North Baltimore’s Gillian Ryan picked up her second victory of the meet with narrow win over Indiana’s Lindsay Vrooman in the women’s 400 free. Ryan touched in 4:07.87, while Vrooman came in just behind at 4:08.13 after leading for much of the race. Athens Bulldogs’ Amber McDermott touched third in 4:09.00, just ahead of Aggie’s Sarah Henry, who finished fourth in 4:09.10.

U.S. Olympian Scott Weltz put up a fast time in the men’s 200 breast. Cal-Davis’ Weltz won the event in 2:10.36, not nearly as fast as the 2:08-range swims he posted last summer but plenty to defeat Indiana’s Cody Miller. Miller grabbed second in 2:10.99, while Japan’s Naoya Tomita claimed third in 2:11.83.

Australia’s Taylor McKeown narrowly missed a spot in the world top-ten in the women’s 200 breast. McKeown, 16, won the event in 2:24.92, just 0.02 shy of Joline Hostman’s 10th-ranked 2:24.90. Indiana’s Emma Reaney grabbed runner-up honors in 2:26.65, while Minnesota’s Haley Spencer took third. Spencer, a former NCAA champion in the 200 breast, clocked 2:37.15.

Longhorn’s Sarah Denninghoff grabbed first in the women’s 200 back, clocking 2:09.14. Mizzou’s Dominique Bouchard came in second at 2:09.97, and Dynamo’s Kylie Stewart finished third in 2:11.56. Island’s Jeremy Bagshaw touched out Nicholas Caldwell for the win in the men’s 400 free, 3:51.09 to 3:51.14, while Metro’s John Lewis rounded out a tight top three with his third place time of 3:51.31.

Stanford won the men’s 400 free relay, as Christopher Pickard, Aaron Wayne, David Nolan, and Jason Dunford combined to swim 3:19.88. SwimMAC Carolina finished second in 3:21.18, while Australia grabbed third in 3:21.50.

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