U.S. Long Course Nationals: Day Two Prelims – Coverage Sponsored by TYR

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IRVINE, California, August 4. THE second day of prelims is complete at the U.S. Long Course Nationals held in Irvine, Calif.

Women's 100 back
Last time Pan Pacific trials were held in Irvine four years ago, California's Natalie Coughlin chose to bypass the 100 back to focus on the 200 free as part of a bid to give personal coach Teri McKeever a stronger 800 free relay at Pan Pacs. That wasn't the case four years later as Coughlin cruised to the top seed with a 1:00.21. The effort jumped her into 10th in the world, improving upon her season best of 1:00.52 from the Los Angeles Grand Prix.

Bluefish's Elizabeth Beisel, who had her breakthrough meet in Irvine four years ago as a 13 year old, joined Coughlin under 1:01 with a second-seeded 1:00.89. She moved up to 18th in the world rankings.

Terrapins' Presley Bard qualified third in 1:01.14, just behind her 23rd-ranked season best of 1:01.03. Aquajet Rachel Bootsma, 16, grabbed the fourth seed in 1:01.46, but will need to improve on her 19th-ranked season best of 1:00.91 to contend for a spot on the Pan Pacific team. Wisconsin's Maggie Meyer tied Bootsma with a 1:01.46 of her own.

Colorado Stars' Missy Franklin, 15, finished sixth in 1:01.50, while NBAC's Elizabeth Pelton checked in with a seventh-place 1:01.70. Pelton could put on a show with Coughlin in the finale as she's already cleared 1:00 this year with a sixth-ranked 59.99 from the Paris Open in June. Indiana's Taylor Wohrley earned the seventh transfer spot in the A final with a 1:01.95. Wohrley will be hoping to evoke the memory of former IU backstroke star Leila Vaziri, who made her way onto the Pan Pacs team here in Irvine four years ago. Additionally, FAST's Mary Mohler picked up the eighth-spot in 1:02.26.

Men's 200 free
NBAC's Michael Phelps made his first appearance of the meet with a fifth-seeded time of 1:48.40. After a rare day off yesterday, Phelps put out just enough energy to make the finale. He's been much faster with an eighth-ranked season best of 1:47.54 at the Paris Open.

Club Wolverine's Peter Vanderkaay and Lake Forest's Conor Dwyer cleared 1:48 in prelims to lead the way into the finale. Vanderkaay, who won the 400 free last night, posted a 1:47.25 for the top seed. That swim bumped him into sixth in the world behind Takeshi Matsuda's 1:47.01. Dwyer, meanwhile, picked up the second seed with a 1:47.83. He moved to 16th in the rankings with that time.

After winning the 400 IM last night with a top-ranked time, Daytona Beach's Ryan Lochte qualified third today with a 1:48.23, while Longhorn's Ricky Berens finished fourth in 1:48.28. Both times are among the top 25 in the world.

Snow's Matt McLean (1:48.78), New South's Doug Robison (1:49.03) and Longhorn's Dave Walters (1:49.03) picked up the other lanes in the finale.

Men's 100 back
Longhorn's Aaron Peirsol, the world record holder in the event with a 51.94 from last year, did not follow his typical pattern of cruising into finals during prelims. He posted the top-seeded time with a 54.02. That swim lowered his 13th-ranked season best of 54.35, and pushed him to ninth in the world.

He will have some serious competition as the men's 100 back in the U.S. is widely known as the single-deepest event in any country in the world. Minnetonka's David Plummer qualified second in 54.11 to move to 11th in the world, while Tucson Ford's Matt Grevers qualified third in 54.31. Grevers has been much faster this year with a second-ranked 53.05 from the Austin Grand Prix.

SwimMAC's Nick Thoman turned in a fourth-place 54.56, off his seventh-ranked season best of 53.70 from the Charlotte UltraSwim. California's David Russell qualified fifth in 54.81, while Indiana's Ben Hesen cleared 55 seconds with a sixth-seeded 54.96.

New York's Randall Bal, who spends his time in Europe training and competing but always returns to vie for spots on the U.S. National Team, qualified seventh in 55.09, while Daytona Beach's Rex Tullius completed the championship field with a 55.13.

Women's 200 free
California's Dana Vollmer easily posted the fastest time in the morning with a 1:57.43. That time moved her up to fifth in the world in the event, and bettered her previous season best of 1:58.41 that was ranked 17th heading into today.

NBAC's Allison Schmitt took second in 1:58.38, tying Athens Bulldog Morgan Scroggy (1:58.38) for the second spot behind Vollmer. A day after winning the 400 free, FAST's Katie Hoff claimed fourth in 1:58.57, while ASK's Dagny Knutson finished fifth in 1:58.70.

Terrapins' Chelsea Chenault, 15, qualified sixth in 1:59.18, while Palo Alto Stanford's Jasmine Tosky touched seventh in 1:59.19. Mission Viejo's Chloe Sutton continues to demonstrate some remarkable range by claiming the final championship spot with an eighth-place 1:59.52. Sutton has already made the Pan Pacific roster in the open water events, but could be looking to make an impact in the 800 free relay.

Men's 200 fly
NBAC's Michael Phelps kept some gas in the reserve with an easy time of 1:57.54 to pace prelims in his pet event. Phelps has already been 1:55.70 this year to rank fourth, and could be aiming for Nick D'Arcy's top-ranked effort of 1:54.61 this evening.

FAST finished second and third with Bobby Bollier (1:57.67) and Tyler Clary (1:57.69) earning the next two spots. Athens Bulldog Mark Dylla qualified fourth in 1:57.98.

Michigan's Dan Madwed (1:58.12), NBAC's Todd Patrick (1:58.51), Tucson Ford's A.J. Tipton (1:58.83) and Club Wolverine's Alex Vanderkaay (1:59.75) also made the finale.

Day Two Prelims Results

Coverage Sponsored by TYR

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