Katie Ledecky’s World Leading 200 Free Highlights Third Night of Santa Clara Arena Pro Series

Photo Courtesy: Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports

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The third night of competition at the 2017 Arena Pro Swim Series at Santa Clara produced some great racing on Saturday night highlighted by Katie Ledecky’s world leading 200 free. Ledecky put herself at the top of the leaderboard ahead of Sweden’s Michelle Coleman who held the previous top time. Ledecky’s 1:55.34 now leads the world rankings ahead of Coleman’s 1:55.64. Jay Litherland was another star on the night as he won the 400 IM and 200 free finals about 20 minutes apart. Madisyn Cox, Kelsi Worrell and Hilary Caldwell also picked up impressive wins on Saturday night in Santa Clara.

Women’s 400 IM

After the retirement of Maya Dirado, the United States has been looking for a successor in the IM’s on the women’s side and Madisyn Cox proved to be capable of being the IM’r of the future after her 4:39.07 on Saturday night in Santa Clara. Cox is now the second fastest American this year in the event behind Katie Ledecky (4:38.16). Cox used her back half to pull away from veteran Elizabeth Beisel (4:40.00) and Stanford’s Allie Szekely (4:41.10). This was Beisel’s first big meet since finishing sixth in Rio last summer.

Sarah Darcel (4:44.86), Emma Barksdale (4:44.92), Kelly Fertel (4:45.93), Savanna Faulconer (4:49.03), Leah Stevens (4:50.58) and Brooke Zeiger (4:52.32) also swam in the A-Final.


 Event 11  Women 400 LC Meter IM
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================

                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Cox, Madisyn L         22 Longhorn Aquatic  4:46.00    4:39.07  
                 30.04      1:04.09 (34.05)
        1:40.95 (36.86)     2:16.92 (35.97)
        2:56.07 (39.15)     3:36.14 (40.07)
        4:08.33 (32.19)     4:39.07 (30.74)
  2 Beisel, Elizabeth L    24 Bluefish Swim Cl  4:44.77    4:40.00  
                 30.78      1:05.18 (34.40)
        1:41.64 (36.46)     2:16.89 (35.25)
        2:56.81 (39.92)     3:37.18 (40.37)
        4:08.99 (31.81)     4:40.00 (31.01)
  3 Szekely, Allie E       19 Un-Stanford-PC-   4:43.72    4:41.10  
                 30.46      1:04.57 (34.11)
        1:40.17 (35.60)     2:15.61 (35.44)
        2:55.27 (39.66)     3:35.78 (40.51)
        4:09.08 (33.30)     4:41.10 (32.02)
  4 Darcel, Sarah          18 Island Swimming-  4:49.50    4:44.86  
                 29.94      1:03.77 (33.83)
        1:40.11 (36.34)     2:16.18 (36.07)
        2:57.32 (41.14)     3:39.04 (41.72)
        4:12.03 (32.99)     4:44.86 (32.83)
  5 Barksdale, Emma A      19 Gamecock Aquatic  4:45.21    4:44.92  
                 30.07      1:04.37 (34.30)
        1:41.59 (37.22)     2:18.00 (36.41)
        2:58.55 (40.55)     3:39.72 (41.17)
        4:13.06 (33.34)     4:44.92 (31.86)
  6 Fertel, Kelly A        19 Gulliver Swim Cl  4:50.20    4:45.93  
                 30.83      1:04.93 (34.10)
        1:42.33 (37.40)     2:18.58 (36.25)
        2:59.61 (41.03)     3:41.00 (41.39)
        4:14.51 (33.51)     4:45.93 (31.42)
  7 Faulconer, Savanna J   18 Una Gsc-FL-       4:48.79    4:49.03  
                 31.00      1:06.78 (35.78)
        1:44.85 (38.07)     2:21.84 (36.99)
        3:03.28 (41.44)     3:44.04 (40.76)
        4:17.50 (33.46)     4:49.03 (31.53)
  8 Stevens, Leah C        20 Un-Stanford-PC-   4:49.80    4:50.58  
                 31.46      1:06.54 (35.08)
        1:45.21 (38.67)     2:21.75 (36.54)
        3:04.45 (42.70)     3:46.31 (41.86)
        4:19.40 (33.09)     4:50.58 (31.18)
  9 Zeiger, Brooke V       21 Univ Minnesota-M  4:46.25    4:52.32  
                 30.75      1:05.00 (34.25)
        1:42.49 (37.49)     2:19.00 (36.51)
        3:00.22 (41.22)     3:43.39 (43.17)
        4:18.09 (34.70)     4:52.32 (34.23)

Men’s 400 IM

In an A-final that featured his two brothers Mick and Kevin, Jay Litherland put up a very solid time in the 400 IM in Santa Clara. The race did feature his two brothers, but not his two Georgia Olympian teammates in Chase Kalisz and Gunnar Bentz. The ladder swam this morning and scratched the final while the former did not swim it at all after posting a 4:09 in Atlanta in early May. Jay posted a 4:13.79 to be the second fastest American this year behind Kalisz and 12th overall in the world.

Abrahm Devine (4:17.57), Kieran Smith (4:21.49), Mikey Calvillo (4:24.86), Kevin Litherland (4:25.16), Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz (4:25.69), Mick Litherland (4:27.78) and Ricardo Vargas (4:31.31) also competed in the A-final. Rolando Hernandez was disqualified in the final.

 Event 12  Men 400 LC Meter IM
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Litherland, Jay Y      21 Dynamo Swim Club  4:25.69    4:13.79  
                 27.33        58.36 (31.03)
        1:30.61 (32.25)     2:02.02 (31.41)
        2:38.51 (36.49)     3:15.85 (37.34)
        3:45.41 (29.56)     4:13.79 (28.38)
  2 DeVine, Abrahm D       20 Un-Stanford-PC-   4:25.72    4:17.57  
                 27.38        58.57 (31.19)
        1:32.79 (34.22)     2:05.71 (32.92)
        2:42.36 (36.65)     3:19.97 (37.61)
        3:49.58 (29.61)     4:17.57 (27.99)
  3 Smith, Kieran S        17 Ridgefield Aquat  4:22.90    4:21.49  
                 27.89      1:00.04 (32.15)
        1:33.65 (33.61)     2:06.59 (32.94)
        2:43.69 (37.10)     3:21.81 (38.12)
        3:52.34 (30.53)     4:21.49 (29.15)
  4 Calvillo, Mikey J      16 Alamo Area Aquat  4:28.28    4:24.86  
                 28.36      1:00.22 (31.86)
        1:34.18 (33.96)     2:06.80 (32.62)
        2:45.82 (39.02)     3:24.92 (39.10)
        3:55.79 (30.87)     4:24.86 (29.07)
  5 Litherland, Kevin R    21 Dynamo Swim Club  4:27.70    4:25.16  
                 27.90        59.39 (31.49)
        1:33.85 (34.46)     2:07.31 (33.46)
        2:47.28 (39.97)     3:27.32 (40.04)
        3:57.01 (29.69)     4:25.16 (28.15)
  6 Ruvalcaba Cruz, Hecto  19 Unattached-ST-    4:24.59    4:25.69  
                 28.02      1:00.40 (32.38)
        1:35.35 (34.95)     2:09.33 (33.98)
        2:47.11 (37.78)     3:25.86 (38.75)
        3:56.67 (30.81)     4:25.69 (29.02)
  7 Litherland, Mick S     21 Dynamo Swim Club  4:28.90    4:27.78  
                 28.49        59.16 (30.67)
        1:35.89 (36.73)     2:10.80 (34.91)
        2:49.99 (39.19)     3:29.34 (39.35)
        3:59.37 (30.03)     4:27.78 (28.41)
  8 Vargas Jacobo, Ricard  19 Mexico-           4:29.77    4:31.31  
                 28.50        59.89 (31.39)
        1:35.49 (35.60)     2:10.45 (34.96)
        2:50.10 (39.65)     3:30.09 (39.99)
        4:01.51 (31.42)     4:31.31 (29.80)

Women’s 200 Free

Katie Ledecky swam the world’s fastest 200 free of 2017 with a 1:55.34 to win by almost three full seconds on Saturday night in Santa Clara. Ledecky now moves ahead of Sweden’s Michelle Coleman (1:55.64) and Australia’s Emma McKeon (1:55.68) in the world rankings. Ledecky officially moves in front of Femke Heemskerk’s meet record, which I incorrectly cited this morning. Heemskerk’s meet record was a 1:55.68, unlike the 1:56.68 I said this morning. Regardless, Ledecky officially breaks the meet record in the event with that swim. Siobhan Haughey (1:58.14) and Katie Drabot (1:58.85) had impressive swims themselves finishing second and third.

Katie McLaughlin (1:59.11), Cierra Runge (1:59.82), Isabel Ivey (2:02.22), Amy Bilquist (2:02.29), Miranda Heckman (2:02.57) and Mackenzie Padington (2:02.92) also swam in the A-final.


 Event 13  Women 200 LC Meter Freestyle
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Ledecky, Katie G       20 Un-Stanford-PC-   1:56.25    1:55.34  
                 27.81        56.81 (29.00)
        1:26.00 (29.19)     1:55.34 (29.34)
  2 Haughey, Siobhan       19 Hong Kong-        1:59.96    1:58.14  
                 28.25        58.43 (30.18)
        1:28.63 (30.20)     1:58.14 (29.51)
  3 Drabot, Katie G        19 Un-Stanford-PC-   2:00.23    1:58.85  
                 28.51        58.53 (30.02)
        1:28.91 (30.38)     1:58.85 (29.94)
  4 McLaughlin, Katie A    19 Cal-PC-           2:00.21    1:59.11  
                 28.31        58.64 (30.33)
        1:28.95 (30.31)     1:59.11 (30.16)
  5 Runge, Cierra E        21 Wisconsin Aquati  2:01.35    1:59.82  
                 28.28        58.54 (30.26)
        1:29.64 (31.10)     1:59.82 (30.18)
  6 Ivey, Isabel C         16 Gator Swim Club-  2:00.80    2:02.22  
                 28.57        58.98 (30.41)
        1:30.38 (31.40)     2:02.22 (31.84)
  7 Bilquist, Amy M        19 Cal-PC-           2:01.96    2:02.29  
                 27.93        58.57 (30.64)
        1:30.89 (32.32)     2:02.29 (31.40)
  8 Heckman, Miranda D     16 Pleasanton Seaha  2:02.50    2:02.57  
                 28.62        59.79 (31.17)
        1:31.19 (31.40)     2:02.57 (31.38)
  9 Padington, Mackenzie   18 Island Swimming-  2:01.83    2:02.92  
                 28.51        59.58 (31.07)
        1:31.42 (31.84)     2:02.92 (31.50)

Men’s 200 Free

Just 20 minutes after posting a solid 4:13 in the 400 IM, Jay Litherland used a stellar last 50 in the 200 free to win the race at 1:49.28 to just out-touch Long Gutierrez (1:49.49) and Conor Dwyer (1:49.53). Litherland, as well as the rest of the Georgia distance squad, has been known to pull off impressive doubles like this in the past, and no one is surprised at Litherland’s closing speed.

Conor Dwyer was also in the field and is swimming in his first meet since Rio where he was the bronze medalist in this event. Gunnar Bentz (1:49.54), Dion Dreesens (1:49.78), Jack Conger (1:49.96), Chase Kalisz (1:50.47), Jorge Iga (1:50.69) and Michael Weiss (1:50.88) also swam in the A-final.

 Event 14  Men 200 LC Meter Freestyle
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Litherland, Jay Y      21 Dynamo Swim Club  1:49.76    1:49.28  
                 26.06        54.09 (28.03)
        1:21.81 (27.72)     1:49.28 (27.47)
  2 Gutierrez, Long M      22 Cal-PC-           1:49.62    1:49.49  
                 25.84        53.67 (27.83)
        1:22.08 (28.41)     1:49.49 (27.41)
  3 Dwyer, Conor J         28 Trojan Swim Club  1:49.47    1:49.53  
                 25.87        53.61 (27.74)
        1:21.47 (27.86)     1:49.53 (28.06)
  4 Bentz, Gunnar G        21 Georgia-GA-       1:49.96    1:49.54  
                 26.71        54.83 (28.12)
        1:22.65 (27.82)     1:49.54 (26.89)
  5 Dreesens, Dion         24 Una MAC-NC-       1:49.67    1:49.78  
                 25.87        53.87 (28.00)
        1:21.91 (28.04)     1:49.78 (27.87)
  6 Conger, Jack P         22 Una Ncap-PV-      1:50.54    1:49.96  
                 25.78        53.85 (28.07)
        1:22.22 (28.37)     1:49.96 (27.74)
  7 Kalisz, Chase T        23 North Baltimore-  1:50.47    1:50.47  
                 26.50        54.35 (27.85)
        1:23.08 (28.73)     1:50.47 (27.39)
  8 Iga, Jorge A           20 Mexico-           1:50.32    1:50.69  
                 26.28        54.33 (28.05)
        1:22.71 (28.38)     1:50.69 (27.98)
  9 Weiss, Michael T       26 Wisconsin Aquati  1:50.32    1:50.88  
                 26.04        54.04 (28.00)
        1:22.63 (28.59)     1:50.88 (28.25)

Women’s 200 Back

Canadian veteran Hilary Caldwell out swam a solid field in the women’s 200 backstroke in Santa Clara with a 2:09.20 to be the only swimmer under 2:10 in the final. Caldwell was the Olympic bronze medalist last summer. Caldwell, 26, out raced 15-year-old rising star Regan Smith from the state of Minnesota (2:10.35) and fellow Canadian Olympian Kylie Masse (2:10.41). Smith is now the second fastest American this year behind fellow youngster Eva Merrell (2:10.22 from Austin). Caldwell and Masse will be off to Budapest for Canada later this summer as they sit second and fourth in the world rankings from earlier this year, with Masse in second just behind Australia’s Emily Seebohm.

Erin Voss (2:10.81), Kathleen Baker (2:11.24), Ally Howe (2:12.30), Claudia Lau (2:14.60), Janet Hu (2:14.61) and Allie Szekely (2:14.73) also swam in the A-fnal.

 Event 15  Women 200 LC Meter Backstroke
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Caldwell, Hilary A     26 Island Swimming-  2:10.96    2:09.20  
                 30.96      1:03.51 (32.55)
        1:36.53 (33.02)     2:09.20 (32.67)
  2 Smith, Regan E         15 Riptide Swim Tea  2:10.85    2:10.35  
                 30.77      1:03.69 (32.92)
        1:37.23 (33.54)     2:10.35 (33.12)
  3 Masse, Kylie           21 Windsor-Essex-    2:09.89    2:10.41  
                 30.17      1:03.83 (33.66)
        1:37.50 (33.67)     2:10.41 (32.91)
  4 Voss, Erin E           18 Un-Stanford-PC-   2:12.18    2:10.81  
                 31.47      1:04.72 (33.25)
        1:38.05 (33.33)     2:10.81 (32.76)
  5 Baker, Kathleen S      20 Una MAC-NC-       2:10.79    2:11.24  
                 30.28      1:03.44 (33.16)
        1:37.80 (34.36)     2:11.24 (33.44)
  6 Howe, Ally J           21 Un-Stanford-PC-   2:12.97    2:12.30  
                 31.12      1:04.60 (33.48)
        1:38.46 (33.86)     2:12.30 (33.84)
  7 Lau, Claudia C         24 Hong Kong-        2:13.65    2:14.60  
                 31.95      1:06.09 (34.14)
        1:40.59 (34.50)     2:14.60 (34.01)
  8 Hu, Janet Y            21 Un-Stanford-PC-   2:13.32    2:14.61  
                 32.41      1:06.28 (33.87)
        1:40.95 (34.67)     2:14.61 (33.66)
  9 Szekely, Allie E       19 Un-Stanford-PC-   2:12.54    2:14.73  
                 32.26      1:05.78 (33.52)
        1:40.80 (35.02)     2:14.73 (33.93)

Men’s 200 Back

Ryan Murphy got a good push from Cal teammate Jacob Pebley in the 200 back final on Saturday night in Santa Clara with a 1:57.09 to Pebley’s 1:57.41. Those two were the class of the field, and will be the favorites headed into Indianapolis later this summer at the World Championship Trials. Both of those guys have already swum 1:55’s earlier this year, so they were a little off tonight. Grigory Tarasevich was third at 1:59.41.

Andy Song (2:01.68), Corey Main (2:02.87), Maxime Rooney (2:03.15), Richard Bohus (2:04.43), Curtis Ogren (2:04.99) and Abrahm DeVine (DQ) all swam in the A-final.


 Event 16  Men 200 LC Meter Backstroke
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Murphy, Ryan F         21 Cal-PC-           2:01.04    1:57.09  
                 27.59        57.37 (29.78)
        1:27.83 (30.46)     1:57.09 (29.26)
  2 Pebley, Jacob M        23 Cal-PC-           2:00.72    1:57.41  
                 27.83        57.60 (29.77)
        1:28.04 (30.44)     1:57.41 (29.37)
  3 Tarasevich, Grigory A  21 Cardinal Aquatic  2:01.05    1:59.41  
                 28.54        58.83 (30.29)
        1:29.36 (30.53)     1:59.41 (30.05)
  4 Song, Andy X           18 Cal-PC-           2:03.49    2:01.68  
                 28.77        59.42 (30.65)
        1:30.78 (31.36)     2:01.68 (30.90)
  5 Main, Corey C          22 Gator Swim Club-  2:02.02    2:02.87  
                 28.71        59.98 (31.27)
        1:31.79 (31.81)     2:02.87 (31.08)
  6 Rooney, Maxime P       19 Pleasanton Seaha  2:03.54    2:03.15  
                 28.94        59.58 (30.64)
        1:31.69 (32.11)     2:03.15 (31.46)
  7 Bohus, Richard         24 Un-Arizona State  2:03.52    2:04.43  
                 29.09      1:00.99 (31.90)
        1:33.55 (32.56)     2:04.43 (30.88)
  8 Ogren, Curtis E        21 Un-Stanford-PC-   2:03.70    2:04.99  
                 29.27      1:00.85 (31.58)
        1:32.95 (32.10)     2:04.99 (32.04)

Women’s 50 Free

In the women’s 50 free final, Kelsi Worrell out-touched Lia Neal by .01 in the event on Saturday night in Santa Clara. Worrell swam a 25.11 to out-touch Neal at 25.12. Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil was third in the race at 25.25. Worrell won the race without Olympic silver medalist Simone Manuel who scratched this morning before prelims. Worrell or Neal would be valuable assets for the US on the 4×100 free relay moving forward if they end up making the team in Indianapolis.

Katrina Konopka (25.31), Farida Osman (25.42), Marta Ciesla (25.65), Rebecca Millard (25.69), Amy Bilquist (25.71) and Caroline Baldwin (25.75) also swam in the A-Final.

 Event 17  Women 50 LC Meter Freestyle
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Worrell, Kelsi E       22 Cardinal Aquatic    25.70      25.11  
  2 Neal, Lia M            22 Un-Stanford-PC-     25.43      25.12  
  3 Weitzeil, Abbey R      20 Cal-PC-             25.47      25.25  
  4 Konopka, Katrina M     20 Tucson Ford Deal    25.94      25.31  
  5 Osman, Farida H        22 Cal-PC-             25.63      25.42  
  6 Ciesla, Marta K        18 1968-FG-            26.05      25.65  
  7 Millard, Rebecca A     22 Una Txla-ST-        25.92      25.69  
  8 Bilquist, Amy M        19 Cal-PC-             25.77      25.71  
  9 Baldwin, Caroline G    21 North Carolina A    25.81      25.75

Men’s 50 Free

Trojan Swim Club’s Vladimir Morozov won the 50 free on Saturday night in Santa Clara with a 21.97 to swim away from Indiana’s Ali Khalafalla (22.12) and Cal’s Nathan Adrian (22.27). Morozov already has the second fastest time in the world this year with his 21.44 from April at Russian Championships, but nonetheless had a good swim here in Santa Clara.

Dillon Virva (22.47), Marcelo Chierighini (22.56), Paul Powers, Michael Andrew (22.70), Justin Lynch (22.76) and Michael Jensen (22.83) also competed in the A-final.

 Event 18  Men 50 LC Meter Freestyle
==================================================================
    Name                  Age Team              Prelims     Finals        
==================================================================
                        === A - Final ===                         
 
  1 Morozov, Vladimir V    24 Trojan Swim Club    22.37      21.97  
  2 Khalafalla, Ali A      21 Una IU-IN-          22.36      22.12  
  3 Adrian, Nathan G       28 Cal-PC-             22.71      22.27  
  4 Virva, Dillon R        23 King Aquatic Clu    22.66      22.47  
  5 Chierighini, Marcelo   26 Unattached-SE-      22.52      22.56  
  6 Powers, Paul Q         21 Un Michigan-MI-     22.95      22.70  
  6 Andrew, Michael C      18 Race Pace Club-M    22.68      22.70  
  8 Lynch, Justin J        20 Cal-PC-             22.99      22.76  
  9 Jensen, Michael A      19 Cal-PC-             22.93      22.83

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