2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa: Day Two Prelims Live Recap

Apr 15, 2015; Mesa, AZ, USA; North Baltimore Aquatic Club teammates Allison Schmitt and Michael Phelps check their goggles during practice session at the Arena Pro Swim Series at Skyline Aquatic Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher/Arizona Republic via USA TODAY Sports

Photo Courtesy: Arizona Republic-USA TODAY Sports

Editorial content for the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa is sponsored by Arena. For full Swimming World coverage, check out our coverage page.

The first full day of preliminary competition took place today at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa. Michael Phelps put up an impressive time in the 100 fly in his first swim back from suspension, and Katinka Hosszu threw down the gauntlet in the 400 IM.

Women’s 200 free

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

The top two swimmers in 2014 set up a heavyweight head-to-head matchup tonight in the women’s 200-meter free as Katie Ledecky, the Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year, posted the top time out of prelims with a 1:57.41.

Katinka Hosszu, who was named FINA’s swimmer of the year last year, qualified second this morning in 1:57.41.

Both have been faster as Ledecky is ranked third in the world with a 1:56.16 from the Austin stop of the Arena Pro Swim Series. Hosszu, meanwhile, owns 10th in the world with a 1:57.19 from the Speedo Flanders Cup.

Look for the duo to push each other into contention for the world best, currently held by Femke Heemskerk with a 1:54.68 from the Eindhoven Swim Cup.

Mission Viejo’s Katie McLaughlin (1:59.06), NBAC’s Allison Schmitt (1:59.39), SMU’s Nina Rangelova (1:59.58), Patricia Castro Ortega (2:01.61), NBAC’s Lotte Friis (2:01.80) and Vien Nguyen (2:01.80) also made the A final this evening.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Men’s 200 free

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Conor Dwyer put up the only sub-1:50 time of the morning with a 1:49.31 to lead the way to what is going to be a stacked finale.

SwimMAC’s Ryan Lochte, once again looking to get out from under some Michael Phelps shade with Phelps at the meet, qualified second in 1:50.04, but should do some damage this evening.

Dion Dreesens checked in with a third-seeded time of 1:50.32, while Club Wolverine’s Michael Klueh picked up fourth overall in 1:51.11.

SwimMAC’s Tyler Clary (1:51.21), Tiger’s Craig Hamilton (1:51.90), The Woodlands’ Michael McBroom (1:52.13) and Emmanuel Vanluchene (1:52.29) also made their way into the championship finale.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Women’s 100 breast

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Katie Meili certainly gave herself a nice birthday present as she blasted prelims with a 1:07.16. That swim pushed her to ninth in the world rankings.

That’s a lifetime best, clipping her previous top time of 1:07.44 from last summer’s U.S. Nationals. Her previous in-season best had been a 1:08.46 from the 2014 Austin stop of the Arena Pro Swim Series, so turning in a near sub-1:07 during prelims is definitely a good sign for Meili.

Meili’s SwimMAC training partner Micah Lawrence qualified second in 1:09.45. That’s a strong time considering she’s just coming off a leg injury sustained a few months ago while on a training trip to Australia with SwimMAC.

Breeja Larson, the hometown favorite, qualified third in 1:09.63, while Laura Lindsay took fourth in 1:10.18.

Minnesota’s Haley Spencer (1:10.55), Badger’s Emily McClellan (1:10.73), SoFlo’s Alia Atkinson (1:10.73) and Tucson Ford’s Emma Schoettmer (1:10.82) comprised the rest of the championship finale.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Men’s 100 breast

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Louisville’s Carlos Claverie turned in the top time in the morning in the men’s 100-meter breast with a time of 1:02.09. He has some serious time to drop to challenge the world’s top 10 currently anchored by Kosuke Kitajima with a 1:00.18 from Japanese Nationals.

NYAC’s Mike Alexandrov, a veteran of the Pro Swim Series, took second in 1:02.22 this morning with Club Wolverine’s Zach Hayden clocking in with a third-seeded time of 1:02.64.

Trojan’s Azad Al-Barazi qualified fourth in 1:02.66 with Grand Canyon’s Youssef El Kamash earning fifth in 1:02.75.

Grand Canyon’s Eetu Karvonen (1:03.04), SoFlo’s Jorge Murillo Valdes (1:03.43) and Uldis Tazans (1:03.76) also made the finale in will be a truly international field this evening in Mesa.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Women’s 100 fly

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell, who stunned the world with a barrier-breaking 100-yard fly and a win in the 200-yard fly at NCAAs last month, turned in an in-season best in the 100-meter fly this morning.

Worrell led the way in prelims with a 58.63, her second-best time ever. Her lifetime best is a 58.44 from the 2014 U.S. Nationals. Her previous in-season best happened here in Mesa in 2013 with a 59.20.

Claire Donahue, who obviously has had a devastating week as her college-based training team at Western Kentucky has been suspended for five years due to hazing, still managed to qualify second in 59.41.

SwimMAC’s Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (59.62) and Mission Viejo’s Katie McLaughlin (59.68) also managed to break 1:00 to qualify third and fourth.

SwimMAC’s Cammile Adams (1:00.04), Stanford’s Felicia Lee (1:00.17), Hannah Saiz (1:00.19) and Ellen Thomas (1:00.79) also made the A final tonight.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Men’s 100 fly

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

In his first official swim back since a six-month suspension for a DUI charge in October, the legendary Michael Phelps paced preliminary qualifying in the men’s 100-meter fly.

Phelps, who had his first swims in front of a crowd last month while throwing down some epic exhibition times in short course yards at the American Short Course Championships, put up the top time this morning in the long course event with a 52.92.

Phelps has a bit more time to drop tonight to crack the top 10 in the world currently anchored by David Morgan with a 52.03 from the Australian Championships.

SwimMAC’s Tim Phillips qualified second in 53.02, while SwimMAC’s Ryan Lochte set up a tough double with a third-seeded 53.17.

California’s Tom Shields snared the fourth seed in 53.28, while NCAA Division II wonder Matt Josa posted a fifth-seeded 53.32.

Phoenix’s Giles Smith (53.70) and Alex Coci (53.82) took sixth and seventh with Grand Canyon’s Marcus Schlesinger posting an eighth-seeded 53.86 to round out the top eight.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Women’s 400 IM

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

In an head-to-head battle between Katinka Hosszu and Katie Ledecky, Hosszu turned up the heat in the 400-meter IM with the second-fastest time in the world this year.

Hosszu, swimming against Ledecky in the final heat of the 400 IM, scorched the field with a 4:36.00. That swim put her behind only Aimee Willmott’s 4:35.74 from the Speedo Flanders Cup. That’s a huge drop from her eighth-ranked 4:37.50 from the Golden Tour stop in Marseilles.

Hosszu has downplayed the head-to-head matchup with Ledecky this week during on-the-record conversations, but there’s definitely some motivation considering the world was stunned when FINA awarded her its Swimmer of the Year award ahead of Ledecky in 2014.

Ledecky, who certainly isn’t a medley specialist, still managed to put up a strong time with a 4:42.82 for the second seed. That’s a lifetime best for Ledecky, who previously posted a 4:43.92 at the 2014 The Woodlands Senior Invitational.

SwimMAC’s Cammile Adams qualified third in 4:45.60 with California’s Caitlin Leverenz clocking in with a fourth-seeded 4:46.18.

Vien Nguyen (4:47.78), Stanford’s Maya DiRado (4:49.27), Ohio State’s Lindsey Clary (4:51.78) and Tanja Kyliiainen (4:52.18) comprised the rest of the A final. Elizabeth Beisel, the series points leader, continued her difficult day by finishing ninth with a 4:53.03 and out of the chance for some series points.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

Men’s 400 IM

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

SwimMAC’s Tyler Clary put up the top time in the morning in the men’s 400 IM with a time of 4:25.15. He has 10 seconds to drop to get into the top 10 in the world currently anchored by Keita Sunama with a 4:15.01 from Japanese Nationals.

Conor Dwyer, the men’s series points leader, qualified second in 4:26.53.

Louisville’s Carlos Claverie earned the third seed in 4:26.74 with Nitro’s Sean Grieshop posting a fourth-seeded 4:28.96.

Scarlet’s Jonathan Gomez (4:30.19), Mission Viejo’s Ken Takahashi (4:31.18), Connor Green (4:31.48) and Mission Viejo’s Dan O’Connor (4:32.43) claimed the rest of the championship eight spots.

FULL RESULTS WITH SPLITS

SCHEDULED EVENTS

Women’s 200 free
Men’s 200 free
Women’s 100 breast
Men’s 100 breast
Women’s 100 fly
Men’s 100 fly
Women’s 400 IM
Men’s 400 IM

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ADiotic Pratik Roy

9 years ago

1st event of the day….. 😀

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