Fast Times During Day Three Prelims at USA Swimming Nationals

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 3. FAST times were plenty throughout the 2006 ConocoPhillips USA Swimming National Championships as competitors swam in the 100 breast, 100 fly, 50 free and 400 IM. Overall, swimmers accounted for 126 Olympic Trial cuts, while there were several near misses at meet records.

Women’s 100-meter Breaststroke
No. 3 seed Megan Jendrick posted the fastest time of the preliminaries with a 1:07.78, just .66 seconds off her meet record set as Megan Quann in 2000. Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Jessica Hardy stopped the clock in 1:08.24 as the second-fastest qualifier.

Jendrick led wire-to-wire after splitting a 31.81 at the halfway point. She also came home the fastest with a 35.97 on the way back to the finish. The second-quickest first half came from Hardy with a 31.99, while No. 2 seed Tara Kirk clocked the second-best back half with a 36.12.

Overall, Kirk (1:08.30), No. 5 seed Michelle McKeehan (1:09.33), No. 11 seed Jessica Embick (1:10.34), No. 7 seed Elizabeth Tinnon (1:10.49) and No. 6 seed Keri Hehn (1:10.63) will join them in the championship heat, while No. 28 seed Eleanor Weberg made a drastic move up the board with a sixth-place 1:10.36.

A pair of top-eight seeds missed the big final as No. 4 seed Rebecca Soni (10th) and No. 8 seed Ashley Wanland (15th) could not remain in championship contention. Meanwhile, 22 swimmers cleared the Olympic Trial cut threshold.

Men’s 100-meter Butterfly
The psyche sheet seeding held almost completely to form in the men’s 100 fly as No. 1 seed Ian Crocker cruised in with the top-time of 52.20, while No. 2 seed Michael Phelps clocked a 52.53.

Other swimmers that will join Crocker and Phelps in the championship heat are: Joseph Doyle (53.23), No. 8 seed Ryan Lochte (53.24), No. 5 seed Peter Verhoef (53.38), No. 3 seed Davis Tarwater (53.40), No. 4 seed and Swimming World Magazine’s Male National High School Swimmer of the Year Ricky Berens (53.65) and No. 10 seed Tyler O’Halloran (53.96).

Doyle went out the fastest of any preliminary swimmer as he turned in a 24.20 time at the 50-meter mark. Crocker touched with the second-fastest first half at 24.34. Crocker, however, put together the most consistent race with a 27.86 on the back half. That split stood as the second-quickest second 50 of the morning behind Phelps’ 27.33.

No. 6 seed Jayme Cramer elected to bypass the event, while No. 7 seed Daniel Madwed (13th) was the only top-eight seed to not make it back to the championship heat. Overall, 24 swimmers eclipsed the Olympic Trial cut.

Women’s 50-meter Freestyle
The top seeds held in the women’s 50 free as No. 2 seed Kara Lynn Joyce sprinted in with the fastest-qualifying time of 25.29. Meanwhile, No. 5 seed Lacey Nymeyer clocked a 25.34, while No. 4 seed Amanda Weir took third in 25.37.

Other swimmers joining them in the A final will be: No. 6 seed Courtney Cashion (25.48), No. 1 seed Natalie Coughlin (25.49), No. 3 seed Maritza Correia (25.61), No. 9 seed Brooke Bishop (25.86) and No. 8 seed Samantha Woodward (25.88).

Cashion tied for second with 13th-place Madison Kennedy of Rutgers with a reaction time of .63 seconds, while 87th-place Blair Cross of Raleigh Swimming got off the blocks the fastest with a .61 reaction time. Overall, 22 swimmers surpassed the Olympic Trial cut.

Men’s 50-meter Freestyle
After a surprising first two days of competition where lower seeds snuck into the championship heat, the third day held close to the psyche sheet as the men’s 50 free only had a minor change as No. 9 seed Cameron Hollinger snuck by No. 8 seed Gabriel Woodward to pick up a spot in the big final.

Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Cullen Jones made a statement with a 22.19 in the morning – nearly .3 seconds ahead of the closest qualifier (No. 4 seed Jason Lezak – 22.45). No. 3 seed Nick Brunelli (22.51), No. 7 seed Garrett Weber-Gale (22.66), No. 5 seed Neil Walker (22.67), No. 2 seed Ben Wildman-Tobriner (22.68) and Hollinger (22.87) each made the championship heat.

Additionally, Gary Hall Jr., picked up the seventh-fastest time of the morning with a 22.74 to qualify for the championship heat. Amazingly, Hall will not only be competing at the USA Swimming National Championships, he is heading up to the FINA World Masters Championships immediately after racing in Irvine.

The fastest reaction time belonged to 49th-place Mach 3 Flyer Colin Lee-To and 57th-place Raisin Country Aquatics’ Bradley Matsumoto with .63 seconds. Hollinger owned the quickest start of the championship qualifiers with a .66. Overall, 29 swimmers cleared the Olympic Trial cut in the event.

Women’s 400-meter IM
No. 1 seed Katie Hoff nearly set a meet record during prelims with a top-qualifying time of 4:38.69. Her time came within .11 seconds of tying Janet Evans’ championship standard of 4:38.58 posted at the 1998 Austin Championships.

No. 8 seed Adrienne Binder stood as a distant second with a 4:44.20, while No. 3 seed Ariana Kukors rounded out the top three with a 4:44.33. No. 2 seed Kaitlin Sandeno (4:45.26), No. 5 seed Alicia Aemisegger (4:46.26), No. 13 seed Teresa Crippen (4:47.26), No. 15 seed Kathleen Hersey (4:47.51) and No. 11 seed Kathleen Carroll (4:47.92) will join the top three in the A final.

Hoff took an early lead and never looked back. She posted the fastest butterfly leg with a 1:03.09, just ahead of Sandeno’s butterfly effort of 1:03.89. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Beisel clocked the fastest backstroke leg with a 1:10.65. Hoff answered back in the breaststroke with the quickest split in 1:19.86. Sierra Marlin Stephanie Cota posted the fastest freestyle split with a 1:03.58.

Meanwhile, No. 4 seed Julia Smit finished with a 15th-place 4:51.37 to drop out of the championship heat. Overall, 29 swimmers pocketed Olympic Trial cuts in the event.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

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
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x