CeraVe Invitational: Elizabeth Beisel Claims Three More Wins

For full results, recaps, live broadcast, on-demand videos and photos from the meet, go to the CeraVe Invitational Event Landing Page

Reporting by special Swimming World student reporter Joe Cusmano.

Special thanks to Swimming World student cameramen Taylor Rosenbauer, Christopher Rattray and Justin Scholar for help during the live and on-demand webcast of this session. Sam Duren served as the staff photographer this session.

PISCATAWAY, New Jersey, January 16. THE second day of long course meter swimming concluded at the CeraVe Invitational hosted by the Berkeley Aquatic Club on the campus of Rutgers University.

Women 400 IM
Bluefish Swim Club‘s Elizabeth Beisel had an easy victory in her first swim of the night crushing the competition by more then eights seconds. Beisel's time of 4:40.87 is a Senior National time, more then 16 seconds faster than her prelims time this morning.

Annie Zhu of Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics touched for second, and Nicole Vernon of Delaware Swim Team clinched third with times of 4:48.96 and 4:58.71, respectively. Zhu earned herself a Senior National time, and Vernon swam a Junior National time.

Men 400 IM
Ian Clark of Suburban Seahawks Club coasted to victory almost 13 seconds than his prelims time this morning, and more than seven seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. Clark swam a Senior National time of 4:29.51.

"The last two years, I swam the 400 IM and the 100 back right after each other. I was hoping to go a few seconds faster, and do a 4:27 like last year," said Clark. Still collecting his breath, Clark went on to say, "My main focus was to try and stay smooth the first 200 and still have a good split."

Following Clark for a second and third-place finish were Alex Gianino of Badger Swim Club, and Sean Sullivan of Long Island Aquatic Club with times of 4:36.91 and 4:38.28, respectively. Both Gianino and Sullivan swam Junior National qualifying times.

Women 50 Free
Lia Neal, 14, of Asphalt Green Unified Aquatic swam a Senior National time of 26.29, giving her a first place victory.

"I was thinking about this morning," Neal said. "I slipped on the block and I didn't want to do it again. I made sure to wipe the water off the block before I got up there." Neal just missed the meet record by thirteen one-hundredths of a second. Trying to catch her breath, Neal went on to say, "It's not my best time, but I'm happy. I wanted to have hard dolphin kicking on my streamline and transition fast into my freestyle kicking. I really wanted a good breakout."

Alex Frasier of Bluefish Swim Club and Emily Kelly of Long Island Aquatic Club placed second and third with times of 27.47 and 27.63, respectively. Both Frasier and Kelly swam SAAT qualifying times.

Men 50 Free
Jack Wagner, 18, of Long Island Aquatic Club finished first with a Junior National time of 23.85. "I wanted to take as little breaths as possible, and keep my head as straight as possible," said Wagner. Wagner swam just 43 one hundredths of a second off of the meet record time. "It's not far off my best time. I felt pretty good."

Griffin Schumacher of Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics, and Nick Spinella of Long Island Aquatic Club finished second and third with times of 24.25 and 24.74, respectively. Schumacher swam a Junior National time, and Spinella swam a SAAT time.

Women 100 Back
Elizabeth Beisel snatched her second victory of the night, beating the competition by more then three and a half seconds. Beisel finished in a 1:02.76, a Senior National time. "I took it out too slow I think. I had a good swim, and I really wasn't expecting too much from this one," said Beisel. Beisel just missed the meet record by 63 one-hundredths of a second.

Touching in for second and third was Anna Senko of Bluefish Swim Club, and Christina Leander of Suburban Seahawks Club with SAAT times of 1:06.36 and 1:06.97, respectively.

Men 100 Back
Ian Clark, 25, of Suburban Seahawks clocked in with a 56.90, a Senior National time more than three seconds faster than his nearest competitor. Clark, who was just .18 away from the meet record that he set himself two years ago said, "I was hoping for the meet record. I gained a tenth of a second each year. In ‘08 I went a 56.72 (meet record), last year I went a 56.80, and now this year I went a 56.90." Clark had just swum [and won] the 400 IM, right before this race. "I felt pretty good after loosening down. I really just wanted to go under 57." This event was Clark's second victory of the night.

Jack Wagner of Long Island Aquatic Club touched for a second-place finish with a Junior National time of 59.37. Pat Meyers of Bluefish Swim Club clinched third behind Meyers with a 1:00.12, a SAAT time.

Women 400 Free
Elizabeth Beisel went three for three again tonight. Beisel beat out the competition by more than five seconds, finishing her race with a 4:16.99, a Senior National time. "I felt really tired, and wasn't expecting anything really. It was a good surprise," said Beisel. She went on to say "I was trying to negative split it, and overall I'm pretty happy with it the race".

Lauren Morford, 24, of Asphalt Green Unified Aquatics and Kelly Johanson, 16, of Badger Swim Club, finished in second and third place with Junior National times of 4:22.55 and 4:24.65, respectively.

Men 400 Free
Arthur Frayler of Germantown Academy Aquatic Club swam more than seven seconds faster than prelims this morning to secure first place and Junior National time of 4:02.53.

"I felt alright today. I felt better than I did in the 800. I wanted to take out the first 200 nice and comfortable, so that way I would have enough energy to come home," said Frayler. He went on to say, "My best time is a 4:01 so I'm pretty happy with this time. I'm not shaved, and not tapered, so this was a pretty good race".

Racing in for second and third were Luca Spinazolla of Bluefish Swim Club and Matthew Belecanech of Jersey Wahoos Swim Club, both with SAAT times of 4:08.90 and 4:09.69, respectively.

Women 400 Medley Relay
AGUA's team of Danielle Sims, Annie Zhu, Isla Hutchinson-Maddox and Lia Neal topped the women's 400 medley relay in an exciting race with a 4:23.68. The Elizabeth Beisel-led (1:04.64) Bluefish team of Beisel, Gabrielle Shishkoff, Anna Senko and Alex Frasier finished second in 4:25.87.

Men 400 Medley Relay
Bluefish closed the night on a triumphant note with a winning time of 4:01.89 from Pat Myers, Jeffrey Thomas, Louis Arruda and Luca Spinazzola.

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