Ledecky, Manuel Shine on Day 3 Prelims of Arena Pro Swim Series Atlanta

by Ailish Dougherty

06 May 2017, 10:05am

The second full day of competition at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Atlanta saw some impressive doubles from Katie Ledecky, Jay Litherland, and Simone Manuel. Ledecky earned the top seed in both the women’s 200-meter freestyle and the 400-meter IM, while Manuel nabbed the fourth place qualifying spot in the 200 and the first spot in the 50-meter freestyle.

Litherland just squeezed in to the top 8 of the men’s 200-meter backstroke, and he sits in the top spot for the men’s 400-meter IM ahead of Georgia teammate Chase Kalisz, who holds the third seed heading into finals tonight.

Ryan Murphy is one to watch in the men’s 200-meter backstroke, as he sits in fourth place heading into finals but is within a second and a half of Jacob Pebley‘s first-seed time.

Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin just missed the A-final for the men’s 50-meter freestyle by 0.02, while youngster Michael Andrew holds the top seed in the event with a 22.77.

Read below for full event-by-event coverage.

Full results

Women’s 200 free

Katie Ledecky managed to stay ahead of a packed field in the women’s 200-meter freestyle, qualifying first in 1:56.97. Close behind was Saint Petersburg Aquatics’ Melanie Margalis with a time of 1:57.69, a five second drop from her swim at Mesa. Third place seed went to Siobhan Haughey of Club Wolverine in 1:58.87.

Simone Manuel was about half a second off her time from Mesa with a 1:59.44 for the fourth place seed, finishing just ahead of fifth-place qualifier Hali Flickinger of Athens Bulldogs, who touched in 1:59.65. 17-year-old Easop Lee of North Baltimore Aquatic Club threw down a 1:59.89 for a sixth-place prelims finish.

Israeli Olympian Andi Murez finished as the seventh-place qualifier, managing to sneak in under the 2-minute mark with a 1:59.98. Cierra Runge rounded out the top eight qualifiers with her time of 2:00.14.

Men’s 200 free

The men’s 200-meter freestyle saw some quick swims, with the top five qualifiers all touching under 1:50.00. South Korea’s Tae Hwan Park continued his stellar meet with a 1:48.24 to finish as the top seed. Cardinal Aquatics’ Joao De Lucca, second-place finisher at Mesa, took the number two spot with his time of 1:49.07. Third seed went to Club Wolverine’s Felix Auboeck in 1:49.27.

Patrick Callan of Trident Aquatic Club grabbed fourth seed with a 1:49.58, Badgers’ Zane Grothe close behind in 1:49.74 for fifth seed.

Sixth-place qualifier Tom Shields swam a 1:50.08, just out-touching seventh-place qualifier Marcos Lavado of Azura Florida Aquatics by 0.02. Clark Smith continued a strong first post-NCAA meet with an eighth-place prelims time of 1:50.25.

Women’s 200 back

Melissa Postoll, swimming for Northwestern University, took the top seed in the women’s 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:11.85. Erin Voss was close behind in 2:11.95 for the second spot heading into finals. Hali Flickinger had a quick turnaround after her top-8 qualifying 200 freestyle, but she managed to finish in the third-place qualifying spot with a time of 2:12.54.

Club Wolverine’s Gabby DeLoof grabbed the fourth place seed with a time of 2:13.02. The top four finishers were over a second ahead of the rest of the top-eight qualifiers, as DeLoof’s teammate Clara Smiddy finished in the fifth spot with her time of 2:14.45.

Jen King was only 0.01 behind Smiddy, touching in 2:14.46 for the sixth seed heading into finals. Hellen Moffitt of North Carolina Aquatic Club took one outside lane with a seventh-place qualifying swim of 2:14.90, while 16-year-old Grace Ariola of Waves Bloomington took the other with her time of 2:15.15.

Men’s 200 back

For the men’s event, Jacob Pebley was the top qualifier with a 1:59.65, just off what he swam at Mesa. Again, he was the only qualifier under 2:00.00, as second-place seed Christian Diener swimming for Germany touched in 2:00.24. Third-place seed went to Sean Lehane of Academy Bullets Swim Club with a 2:00.65.

Olympic gold medalist Ryan Murphy touched close behind in the fourth qualifying spot with a time of 2:00.83. SwimMAC Carolina’s Irie Ryosuke grabbed fifth seed with a 2:00.96, while sixth seed went to 33-year-old Arkady Vyatchanin of New York Athletic Club with his time of 2:01.22.

Rounding out the top eight qualifiers were Quest Swimming’s Clark Beach, touching in 2:01.48, and Olympian Jay Litherland, swimming for Georgia’s Dynamo Swim Club, who finished in 2:01.77.

Finals should be a tight race, with Murphy looking for a win over Pebley.

Women’s 50 free

Manuel took her rightful place in the women’s 50-meter freestyle, finishing as the top qualifier with her time of 25.43. As Canada’s Penny Oleksiak has scratched the entire meet, second seed went to Michelle Toro of Hpc Ontario with a 25.52. Madison Kennedy, competing with SwimMAC Carolina, grabbed the third qualifying spot with a 25.57.

Fourth seed went to Olivia Smoliga in 25.61, just 0.01 ahead of fifth seed Mallory Comerford, coming off of a red-hot NCAA performance. Kelsi Worrell took the sixth qualifying spot in 25.77, while Ariola snuck into seventh seed with a 25.82. Hpc Ontario’s Sandrine Mainville rounded out the top eight prelims qualifiers with a 25.92.

Men’s 50 free

Nathan Adrian scratched the men’s 50-meter freestyle, giving 18-year-old Michael Andrew a chance to nab the top seed in the men’s 50-meter freestyle with his time of 22.77. Michael Chadwick was close behind in 22.81 for the second spot, while Black Pieroni finished in the third spot with 22.83. With the top three qualifiers all under 23.00 and within such a close time range, the final event should be a nail-biter.

The fourth qualifying spot went to Josh Schneider of New York Athletic Club with his time of 23.09. Marcus Schlesinger and Sirens’ Andrew Chetcuti tied for the fifth seed with a 23.12, while Auburn’s Santiago Grassi was close behind in 23.17. Matias Koski of Dynamo Swim Club rounded out the top eight qualifiers with his time of 23.20.

Olympic gold medalist Anthony Ervin was just barely edged out of the A-final with his time of 23.22.

Women’s 400 IM

Ledecky continued her strong performance, dominating the 200-meter freestyle and 400-meter IM double by taking the top seed in the 400-meter IM with a 4:43.32. Vien Nguyen, who swims for St. Augustine Swim Team in Florida but represents Vietnam internationally, rose to the challenge of racing the fastest woman in the world by qualifying second with a time of 4:45.90, five full seconds from her finals time at Arena Pro Series Mesa. Third seed went to Lakeside Swim Team’s Brooke Ford in 4:46.74.

Texas A&M’s Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo grabbed the fourth seed spot with her time of 4:48.57. Bethany Galat was close behind in a 4:49.93 for fifth, while Brooke Zeiger sits in the sixth spot with a 4:50.16.

Long Island Aquatic Club’s Margaret Aroesty and Northwestern’s Valerie Slowing Gruest rounded out the outside lanes for the A-final with their respective times of 4:50.78 and 4:53.44.

Men’s 400 IM

To round out a morning of fast swimming, Olympian Litherland, swimming for Dynamo Swim Club, nabbed the top spot in the men’s 400-meter IM heading into finals with his time of 4:24.52. Close behind was Grant Sanders of Saint Petersburg Aquatics in 4:24.65 to qualify in second place. Swimming for Athens Bulldogs, Chase Kalisz‘s time of 4:25.57 gives him the third seed heading into finals.

Kentucky’s Carlos Claverie qualified in fourth place, as he touched the wall in 4:25.80. Georgia’s Gunnar Bentz sits in the fifth seed spot with a time of 4:27.62, and sixth seed went to Saint Petersburg’s Robert Finke with a 4:27.70.

Club Wolverine’s Charlie Swanson took seventh seed for the outside lane in finals with a qualifying time of 4:28.84, and his teammate, eighth seed Stephen Holmquist, was not far behind in 4:29.02.

It will be a battle of teammates on their home turf for Litherland and Kalisz in the A-final of this event.

Competition will resume this evening with finals, beginning at 7pm.

Subscribe

Login

Notify of

new follow-up comments new replies to my comments

Label

{} [+]

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

Label

{} [+]

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments