Mallory Comerford, Zach Apple Lead Quick Morning at Phillips 66 Nationals

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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The first morning of the 2017 Phillips 66 National Championships went off Tuesday morning with lots of fast swimming as the swimmers set themselves up for a chance at a trip to Budapest for the World Championships. Veterans Nathan Adrian, Simone Manuel set themselves up for return trips to World Championships. Newcomers Mallory Comerford and Zach Apple stole the show, however as they lead the 100 free prelims ahead of all those big names. Hali Flickinger and Chase Kalisz lead the 200 fly prelims going into tonight’s finals.

Today’s events:

Women’s 200 Fly
Men’s 200 Fly
Women’s 100 Free
Men’s 100 Free
Women’s 800 Free slower heats
Men’s 1500 Free slower heats

Women’s 200 Fly

Georgia postgrad Hali Flickinger got the 2017 Phillips 66 Nationals and World Trials with a 2:08.43 to lead 17-year-old Dakota Luther of Austin Swim Club. Luther was one of the surprises of the morning with a 2:08.88 dropping nearly two seconds off her entry time.

Those two lead a quick final with a bunch of 2:10’s. Texas A&M’s Sarah Gibson (2:09.96), Cal’s Katie McLaughlin (2:10.00), Texas’ Remedy Rule (2:10.38), Virginia’s Jen Marrkand (2:10.42), Michigan’s Vanessa Krause (2:10.53) and Stanford’s Ella Eastin (2:10.65) will swim in the championship final.

Some of the big names that missed out on the final were Cassidy Bayer (12th, 2:11.22) and Ruby Martin (10th, 2:10.92).

Flickinger could be in line for her first World Championship team after she placed seventh in Rio in the event last summer. All the other swimmers in the final will be looking to make their first World Championship team with the exception of McLaughlin, who placed sixth in Kazan in 2015.

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Men’s 200 Fly

In the prelims of the men’s 200 fly, Georgia swimmers Chase Kalisz and Gunnar Bentz paced each other well to nab the top two spots into tonight’s championship final. Kalisz swam the 10th fastest time of the world for 2017 with a 1:55.60 ahead of Bentz’s 1:55.72.

Four total Georgia swimmers made the A-final with Kalisz, Bentz, Pace Clark (3rd, 1:56.06) and Mick Litherland (7th, 1:57.04) all making the A-final. Arizona’s Justin Wright (1:56.47), Louisville’s Zach Harting (1:56.77), Texas’ Jack Conger (1:56.79) and Michigan’s Miles Smachlo (1:57.64) will all swim in the A-final tonight with Budapest berths on the line. Kalisz will be looking for his third straight World Championships while everyone else will be swimming for their first championships.

Kalisz now stands 10th in the world and the field will be chasing Japan’s Masato Sakai’s world leading time of 1:53.71. One of the big names to miss the A-final was Cal Aquatics’ Tom Shields, who was ninth at 1:57.75. Shields swam at last summer’s Olympics but failed to reach the semi-finals. He also finished eighth in Kazan in 2015 in the event.

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Women’s 100 Free

There has been a lot of hype around Louisville junior-to-be Mallory Comerford. She had not really proved herself long course after she had all that success at the NCAA Championships in short course. Comerford answered those expectations with a 53.26 on Tuesday morning in the 100 free with the fifth fastest 100 free of 2017. Comerford now sits behind Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom (52.08), Australia’s Cate Campbell (52.78), Bronte Campbell (52.85) and Emma McKeon (53.12).

Comerford leads Olympic gold medalist Simone Manuel (53.50) and Louisville teammate Kelsi Worrell (53.87) into the A-final for tonight. Stanford’s Lia Neal (54.02), Georgia’s Olivia Smoliga (54.58), Stanford’s Katie Ledecky (54.70), North Carolina’s Caroline Baldwin (54.91) and Georgia’s Veronica Burchill (55.04) will be vying for the relay spots in Budapest.

Some big names that missed the A-final were Olympians Amanda Weir (14th, 55.28) and Abbey Weitzeil (15th, 55.48).

Manuel, Neal and Ledecky are the only swimmers in the A-final who have swum in a World Championships before. Everyone else will be vying for their first team.

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Men’s 100 Free

Most of the big names made the A-final of the 100 free on Tuesday morning of the 2017 Phillips 66 National Championships and World Championship Trials. Those names include 2012 Olympic gold medalist Nathan Adrian and SCY American Record holder Caeleb Dressel.

But what if I said neither of those are the top seed? Oh, certainly it’s NC State up and comer Ryan Held? Nope. Olympian Blake Pieroni? Nope? Ryan Murphy? Try again.

Actually it’s Auburn’s Zach Apple.

Apple, 20, swam a 48.14 to become the third fastest performer of 2017 behind Great Britain’s Duncan Scott (47.90) and Australia’s Cameron McEvoy (47.91). Apple has a chance to make his first National team tonight as he leads a stacked field. He was only 14th at NCAA’s in March.

Texas’ Townley Haas (48.56), Dressel (48.56), Adrian (48.62), Pieroni (48.65), Held (48.66), Murphy (48.88) and Michael Chadwick (49.02) will all swim in the A-final tonight.

Big names Cullen Jones (10th, 49.16), Matt Grevers (11th, 49.18) and Conor Dwyer (16th, 49.40) all missed the A-final.

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