2016 AT&T Winter National Championships: Day 2 Finals Recap With Race Video

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The first full finals session at the AT&T Winter National Championships in Atlanta featured several close races in the six individual finals and two relays. U.S. Olympians Melanie Margalis and Amanda Weir were among the national champions on the night. Read below for a full recap of the action, along with race videos and video interviews with top performers. Click Here For Full Results

Women’s 500 Free

Ohio State’s Lindsey Clary and Minnesota’s Brooke Zeiger held a tight race in the women’s 500 free as the two All-Americans battled for the National Championship. Zeiger led for much of the race, but Clary used a blistering 27.26 final 50 to take the lead and win in 4:39.33, while Zeiger settled for second in 4:39.55.

Indiana’s Stephanie Marchuk picked up third place with a final time of 4:41.53.

Erica Sullivan posted a 4:42.38 for fourth, while Pitt’s Amanda Richey turned in a 4:44.73 for fifth.

Indiana’s Cassy Jernberg (4:45.03), Florida’s Erin Emery (4:47.95), and Miranda Heckman (4:49.75) rounded out the top eight.

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Men’s 500 Free:

Marwan El Kamash of Indiana moved up from his third place seed to finish first overall with a dominating 4:13.44. Kamash slashed close to seven seconds off his prelims time of 4:20.20 to post one of the fastest times in the 500 yard free for the 2016-17 season.

Teammate Max Irwin turned in a second place finish of 4:18.51, sneaking beneath his prelims time of 4:19.40.

North Carolina’s Jorden Merrilees picked up third overall with a 4:19.04, followed by Indiana’s Jackson Miller and his time of 4:19.32.

Ben Lawless of Florida turned in a fifth place finish of 4:20.19, while Sean Grieshop of Nitro Swimming was sixth with a 4:21.83.

Sam Pomajevich of Nation’s Capital and Indiana’s Adam Destrampe took seventh and eighth with times of 4:22.00 and 4:22.51 respectively.

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Women’s 200 IM:

Olympic gold medalist Melanie Margalis continued to dominate the women’s 200 IM in finals, posting a swift 1:53.16. Margalis delivered a strong breaststroke leg to slash close to three seconds off her prelims time of 1:56.07.

Ohio State’s Meg Bailey moved up to second with a final time of 1:57.81, while Club Wolverine’s Miranda Tucker grabbed the bronze medal with a 1:58.00.

Vanessa Pearl of Metroplex Aquatics turned in a fourth place finish of 1:58.13, while Long Island Aquatic Club’s Kristen Romano finished fifth with a 1:58.36.

NC State’s Hannah Moore (1:58.65), Clovis Swim Club’s Danielle Herrmann (1:58.80), and Canyon Aquatic Clubs’ Nikol Popov (1:59.21) finished sixth through eighth respectively.

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Men’s 200 IM:

Indiana’s Vini Lanza maintained his spot atop the competition in the men’s 200 IM, cruising to a winning time of 1:43.57. Lanza’s time stands as a personal best for him and solidifies his spot as the third fastest time for the 2016-17 NCAA season.

Nate Carr, swimming unattached, turned in a second place finish of 1:45.01, followed closely by FAST’s Omar Pinzon and his time of 1:45.84.

Juan Sequera, also swimming unattached, posted a fourth place finish of 1:45.96, while University of North Carolina’s Michael Meyer was fifth with a 1:46.34.

Florida’s Maxime Rooney (1:48.14), Swim Pasadena’s Sean Lee (1:48.40), and Indiana’s Bob Glover (1:49.52) rounded out the top eight.

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Women’s 50 Free:

Three-time Olympian Amanda Weir splashed and dashed to victory in the women’s 50 free, posting the only sub-22 second swim of the night. Weir finished with a 21.81 to slash .36 seconds off her 22.17 prelims time.

The field tightened from there as University of North Carolina’s Caroline Baldwin picked up second with a 22.33. That time ties her for 12th in the NCAA 2016-17 season rankings for this event.

Third went to Canyon Aquatics’ Isabella Arcila and her time of 22.40, while University of North Carolina’s Sarah Hitchens posted fourth with a 22.43.

SwimAtlanta’s Maddie Locus took fifth overall with a 22.50, followed by Minnesota’s Danielle Nack (22.62).

Racheal Bukowski of Michigan State and Brooke Bauer of University of North Carolina finished seventh and eighth with times of 22.72 and 22.82 respectively.

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Men’s 50 Free:

Minnesota’s Bowen Becker, Greater Omaha Area Aquatics’ Jacob Molacek, and Indiana’s Sam Lorentz delivered final times within three one-hundredths of each other to earn the podium spots. Becker got his hand to the wall first to stop the clock at a 19.67, moving him to tenth in the NCAA rankings for the 2016-17 season. Molacek grabbed second with a 19.69, while Lorentz settled for third and a 19.70 (12th in the NCAA rankings).

Fellow Hoosier Oliver Patrouch posted a fourth place finish of 19.78, while 15-year-old Jack Dolan of Rockwood Swim Club moved up the All-Time list for the 15-16 age group category. Dolan turned in a 19.86 to move up to fourth All-Time behind only Michael Andrew (19.24), Ryan Hoffer (19.38), and Caeleb Dressel (19.82r).

2016 Olympian Tom Shields swam the entire butterfly instead of freestyle. Shields stopped the clock at a 20.10, just ahead of Minnesota’s Paul Fair (20.12) and Indiana’s Josh Romany (20.17).

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Women’s 400 Medley Relay:

The University of Minnesota ‘A’ relay team topped the competition in finals of the women’s 400 medley relay. Tevyn Waddell (52.40), Lindsey Horejsi (59.33), Danielle Nack (53.62), and Zoe Avestruz (48.80) posted a combined time of 3:34.15 for the gold medal.

Second was picked up by the University of North Carolina’s Caroline Baldwin (41.51), Katie Munch (1:00.40), Sarah Koucheki (52.56), and Sarah Hitchens (48.95) turned in a final time of 3:36.42.

Indiana’s ‘A’ relay team of Marie Chamberlain (53.32), Laura Morley (1:02.19), Gia Dalesandro (52.79), and Ally Rockett (49.41) rounded out the top three with a combined time of 3:37.71.

Men’s 400 Medley Relay:

Indiana continued to display a dominating performance at the Winter National Championships with a top showing in the men’s 400 medley relay. Bob Glover (46.29), Ian Finnerty (53.33), Vini Lanza (46.07), and Sam Lorentz (43.82) combined to finish first with a 3:09.51.

The University of Minnesota picked up second with a final time of 3:12.41. Their ‘A’ relay team consisted of Daryl Turner (47.24), Conner McHugh (53.77), Paul Fair (47.68), and Bowen Becker (43.72).

Grand Canyon University’s Mark Nikolaev (45.89), Viktor Kertesz (56.62), Daniil Antipov (46.98), and Jacob Lambros (43,67) completed the podium with a bronze finish of 3:13.16.

Video Interviews

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