2016 Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Live coverage of day one prelims of the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa. Hit refresh for the latest coverage.

Women’s 200 free

NCAP’s Katie Ledecky, who has patiently sat back and watched the rest of the world turn in sizzling swims at both the NCAA Championships and at multiple international Trials around the world in the past 30 days, reminded the world just how good she is.

She cruised into a 1:56.66 to top the women’s 200-meter freestyle qualifying. That’s two seconds off her top-ranked 1:54.43 from the Austin stop of the Arena Pro Swim Series, but puts her in line to take a run at that time.

NBAC’s Allison Schmitt raced her way to second in 1:58.55 with Simone Manuel putting up a third-seeded 1:58.80 alongside her in heat 7.

Patricia Castro Ortega, just off a stellar NCAA season for Queens, qualified fourth in 1:59.36.

NBAC’s Cierra Runge (1:59.41), UVAC’s Hannah Cox (1:59.83), Saint Petersburg’s Melanie Margalis (1:59.86) and Stanford’s Maya DiRado (1:59.92) also made finals tonight.

Missy Franklin struggled with a 13th-seeded time of 2:00.53 to wind up in the B final.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Men’s 200 free

Michael Phelps missed the A final in the men’s 200-meter free at the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa.

Phelps, who is focusing on the 200 free, 200 fly and 200 IM this week in Mesa, put up a 1:50.63 to finish ninth this morning. Phelps came into the meet with a seventh-seeded time of 1:48.20.

Cristian Quintero led qualifying with a time of 1:48.22 with Trojan Swim Club partner Conor Dwyer taking second in 1:48.63.

Ryan Lochte, swimming an epic 7 events this weekend, took third in the morning with a 1:48.62.

Longyuan Gutierrez (1:49.68), Clark Smith (1:49.71), Matias Koski (1:49.73), Michael McBroom (1:49.84) and Jack Conger (1:49.93) all made the A finale.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Women’s 100 breast

SwimMAC’s Katie Meili topped qualifying in a time of 1:07.34, just off her 11th-ranked time of 1:06.75 from the Austin stop.

Jessica Hardy, swimming for Golden West, qualified second in 1:07.44, while Tennessee’s Molly Hannis claimed the third seed in 1:07.52. Hannis is the top-ranked swimmer her with a 1:06.16 to rank fourth from the Southern Premier meet in Knoxville.

Stanford’s Sarah Haase (1:08.00), Gator’s Hilda Luthersdottir (1:08.23), SoFlo’s Alia Atkinson (1:08.47), Saint Petersburg’s Melanie Margalis (1:08.54) and Minnesota’s Haley Spencer (1:08.59) closed out the top eighth.

Hometown favorite, Breeja Larson, took ninth overall in 1:09.04.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Men’s 100 breast

Andrew Wilson, the top-ranked American in the world with an eighth-ranked 59.91 from Austin earlier this year, cruised to the top time in 1:01.41 this morning.

Youssef El Kamash qualified second overall in 1:01.80 with Michael Andrew also clearing 1:02 with a 1:01.82. Andrew will be looking to clear his 15-16 U.S. National Age Group record of 1:00.68 set last year.

Jonathan Leopold (1:02.02), Miguel De Lara Ojeda (1:02.20), Azad Al-Barazi (1:02.29), Nic Fink (1:02.33) and William Wihanto (1:02.47) will also compete tonight.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Women’s 100 fly

After an amazing NCAA Championships meet that left her nearly blacked out in the water following her 200 fly, and a trip to the French Olympic Trials with boyfriend Thomas Dahlia, Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell looked refreshed with a sizzler in prelims.

Worrell hit the wall in 57.56, just off her 10th-ranked 57.52 from France.

Olympic gold medalist Dana Vollmer, meanwhile, qualified second with a time of 58.03. That’s a bit off her 12th-ranked season best of 57.61 from Austin.

Hellen Moffitt (59.56), Felicia Lee (59.66), Cassidy Bayer (59.71), Amber Carter (59.73), Claire Donahue (59.88) and Christina Bechtel (59.90) also made the A final as it took a sub-1:00 to get there.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Men’s 100 fly

Seth Stubblefield grabbed the top time of the morning with a 52.85, while Jack Conger joined him under 53 with a second-seeded 52.98.

Longyuan Gutierrez (53.17), David Nolan (53.22), Giles Smith (53.60), Tim Phillips (53.74) and Andrew Seliskar (53.78) secured spots in the A final.

Eugene Godsoe, Kyler Vanswol and James Cooper tied for eighth with matching 53.79s, setting up a potential three-way swimoff. Cooper beat Godsoe in the swimoff, 53.32 to 53.70, with Vanswol scratching.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Women’s 400 IM

Katinka Hosszu, top-ranked in the world with a 4:29.89 from the Golden Tour, cruised to the top time in the women’s 400-meter IM at the 2016 Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa.

Hosszu clocked a 4:32.33, qualifying more than 10 seconds faster than the rest of the field.

Ella Eastin took second overall in prelims with a 4:42.88, while Becca Mann posted a third-seeded effort of 4:43.32.

Camille Adams (4:44.27), Vien Nguyen (4:44.50), Madisyn Cox (4:45.67), Sarah Henry (4:46.46) and Matea Samardzic (4:46.53) also made the A final.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Men’s 400 IM

Nitro youngster Sean Grieshop captured the top seed in the 400 IM with a 4:21.96. Ous Mellouli took second in 4:23.91 with Andrew Seliskar qualifying third in 4:26.41.

Connor Green (4:26.59), Gunnar Bentz (4:27.07), Tyler Clary (4:27.81), Rafa Alfaro (4:28.59) and Marko Blazevski (4:28.65) also made finals.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

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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