2016 USA Swimming Trials: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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Everything you need to follow along live with day six finals of the 2016 USA Swimming Trials. Hit refresh for the latest coverage.

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Scheduled Events:

Men’s 50m Freestyle Semifinal
Women’s 200m Breaststroke FINAL
Men’s 200m Backstroke FINAL
Women’s 200m Backstroke Semifinal
Men’s 200m IM FINAL
Women’s 100m Freestyle FINAL
Men’s 100m Butterfly Semifinal

Men’s 50m Freestyle Semifinal

This morning youth led the three veterans. Caeleb Dressel took the top seed in 21.76 while Nathan Adrian, Cullen Jones, and Anthony Ervin followed.

Ervin blasted through the water in tonight’s opening semifinal with a 21.55. That time moves him to third in the world rankings, and was .25 faster than his prelims swim. Adrian touched second to Ervin in 21.60.

Cullen Jones blasted to the top of the second semifinal with a 21.93. That swim was third overall tonight. Jimmy Feigen put up the fourth best time of the semifinals with a 22.02.

Dressel could not quite summon this morning’s speed as he was fifth in 22.04.

Swimming in lane one, Dillon Vivra got third in the first semifinal with a 22.06. He’ll return in sixth.

Michael Chadwick continued to bounce back from his 100 freestyle swim to finish seventh in 22.11.

William Copeland and Josh Sneider both finished in 22.13, as the eighth fastest swimmers. The 30 and 28 year old veterans will have to swim off for the final spot in tomorrow night’s final.

Paul Powers of Michigan finished in 22.17, out of the running for a third swim.

Michael Andrew (22.22), Bowen Becker (22.31) Payton Sorenson (22.37), Ryan Held (22.54), and David Williams (22.66) also swam in tonight’s semifinals.

John Murray was disqualified for a false start.

SWIM OFF: Schneider won the swim off with a significant improvement from his swim done 90 minutes earlier. He touched in 21.84. That was the third fastest time of the night, keeping his Olympic dream alive. Copeland finished in 22.09, also faster than his earlier swim. If he would have gone that time earlier, Copeland would have entered tomorrow’s final in seventh.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Women’s 200 Breaststroke Semifinals

Short course American record holder Lilly King jumped out to a quick start at the 50 and led by .71 at the halfway mark. 2012 Olympian in this event Micah Lawrence entered with a personal best time that was over two seconds better than anybody else in the field. At the halfway mark Lawrence started to move up and cut King’s lead down by another three tenths at the 150.

Molly Hannis finished third in the 100 breaststroke earlier in the week. Tonight she charged home in the final 50 meters.

When they came into the final wall, it was King still in front with a 2:24.08. That will put two swims on NCAA Swimmer of the Year’s schedule in Rio after she was the top finisher in Tuesday’s 100 breaststroke.

Hannis got her hands to the wall second for an Olympic berth with a 2:24.39.

In her third final of the week Bethany Galat also put together a stellar final 75 meters, but finished third for the second time this week with a 2:24.52.

Lawrence wound up fourth with a 2:24.93.

Melanie Margalis already has a trip to Rio after a second place 200 IM. Tonight she finished fifth in 2:26.92.

Emma Schoettmer (2:27.30), Annie LAzor (2:27.48), and Sarah Henry (2:28.12) completed tonight’s final.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Men’s 200 Backstroke Final

Jacob Pebley was first to the 50 in 27.04, just .02 ahead of Ryan Murphy. Murphy took over the lead at the 100 meter mark and shot ahead in the final 100 meters to touch in the second fastest time in the world this year with a 1:53.95.

Pebley bumped into the lane rope for much of the race but still had enough to join his Cal teammate in Rio as he finished in 1:54.77.

Defending Olympic gold medalist Tyler Clary touched third in 1:55.33.

Sean Lehane was fourth with a 1:56.44.

Austin Katz finished fifth in 1:57.20. Robert Owen touched sixth in 1:57.48.

Swimming in his second final of the week, 17 year old Michael Taylor was seventh with a 1:57.86. Hennessey Stuart wrapped up the final with a 1:58.69.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Women’s 200 Backstroke Semifinals

Maya DiRado already has two events on her schedule for Rio. Tonight she was out in 1:02.87 and finished in 2:08.14.

World record holder Missy Franklin won the second semifinal in 2:08.63 for the second seed overall.

Amy Bilquist led the second semifinal at the halfway mark. After scratching the 100 freestyle to focus on this event, she earned a lane in tomorrow night’s final with a third seeded 2:09.68. That was a personal best by over two seconds.

Texas A&M’s Lisa Bratton will return to finals in fourth with a 2:09.79.

Swimming with a sprained and fractured finger, Elizabeth Beisel took off her finger tape just before jumping in the water. She swam tough with a fifth seed earning 2:09.81.

Bridgette Alexander posted a 2:09.83 for sixth. NCAA Champion Danielle Galyer touched in 2:09.88, just off her lifetime best and faster than her prelims swim. That swim makes her seventh. Eighteen year old Erin Voss clocked a 2:10.06 to be the last swimmer into finals.

Eva Merrell (2:10.21) and Clara Smiddy (2:10.74) were next.

Fourteen year old Alex Walsh finished in 2:10.76 for 11th.

Ally Howe (2:11.65), Quinn Carrozza (2:11.96), Melissa Postoll (2:12.11), Tasija Karosas (2:12.42), and Callie Dickinson (2:14.04) completed tonight’s semifinals.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Men’s 200 IM Finals

The men’s 200 IM race has been one of the most anticipated of the week after Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte have each scratched events. The show did not disappoint.

While Phelps lead at each wall, the two turned in synch and well ahead of the field after the breaststroke. Phelps pulled further ahead in the final few strokes to touch first in 1:55.91, the second fastest time in the world this year. The world record holder finished second tonight in 1:56.22, the world’s third best this year. With that, the rivalry will head to Rio.

David Nolan was challenging the duo at the halfway mark but wound up third in 1:59.09.

Georgia teammates Gunnar Bentz and Jay Litherland were the only other swimmers under two minutes in 1:59.36 and 1:59.91.

Abrahm Devine (2:00.15), Andrew Seliskar (2:00.27) and Austin Surhoff (2:00.33) also competed in tonight’s final.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Women’s 100 Freestyle Final

In tonight’s 100 freestyle final Abbey Weitzeil was .07 ahead of Simone Manuel at the 50 meter mark and the two touched in first and second at the finish. Weitzeil became a first time Olympian in 53.28. That time is a new U.S. Open record, .02 faster than Cate Campbell swam in 2008.

After also skipping college competition this year, Manuel is also finally Rio bound with an individual swim and a spot on the 400 freestyle relay. Tonight she posted a 53.52.

American record holder Amanda Weir finished third in 53.75, good for a spot on the relay. Lia Neal was a 2012 Olympian on this relay. She’ll join her Stanford teammate Manuel with a fourth place finish of 53.77.

Allison Schmitt touched fifth in 53.87. Dana Vollmer finished second earlier in the week in the 100 butterfly. Tonight she was sixth in 53.92. Fellow 100 butterflier Kelsi Worrell swam a 54.06 for eighth tonight.

Katie Ledecky swam a seventh placed 53.99 on the shortest distance of her program.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

Men’s 100 Butterfly Semifinal

Seth Stubblefield of Cal swam the fastest time of tonight’s 100 butterfly semifinals in 51.26. That time became the fourth fastest in the world this year.

Twenty five year old Tim Phillips of SwimMAC won the first semifinal in 51.28. That swim was the fourth fastest in the world this year until the second semifinal dove in and Stubblefield took over the spot.

After already finishing second in the 200 butterfly Tom Shields was third overall in 51.49, in his better butterfly distance. Tying him for that third spot is Jack Conger.

Matthew Josa held the top seed coming out of prelims. He’ll enter finals in fifth with a 51.72.

Less than a half hour after winning the 200 IM, Michael Phelps swam a 51.83. He accomplished the goal- securing a lane in tomorrow’s finals.

Will Glass (52.83) and Giles Smith (52.90) also secured lanes in finals as the seventh and eighth seeds.

Andrew Liang (53.05) and Kyler Vanswol (53.14) finished ninth and tenth.

Andrew Sansoucie (53.16), Carl Weigley (53.20), Michael Miller (53.40), and Andrew Whitaker (53.53) were 11th though 14th.

Seventeen year old Michael Andrew touched in 53.67 to finish 15th. Joining Phelps just out of the 200 IM was David Nolan who swam a 54.89 and will not advance.

Photo Courtesy: Omega Timing

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