Josh Prenot’s Impressive Double Highlights First Night at TYR Pro Swim Series Mesa

Photo Courtesy: Delly Carr

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It is warm outside so it means summer season and long course season is officially underway as the first night of finals from the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series at Mesa kicked off on Thursday night in Arizona.

Josh Prenot and Chase Kalisz had solid in-season swims and Allison Schmitt came back to racing as the first meet of the summer provided some good early racing.

400 IM
100 Fly
200 Back
200 Breast
200 Free
Mixed 4×50 Medley Relay

Women’s 400 IM

WR: 4:26.36, Katinka Hosszu (2016)
AR: 4:31.12, Katie Hoff (2008)
US: 4:31.07, Katinka Hosszu (2015)

The women’s 400 IM field in Mesa was noticeably bare without the presence of some of the premiere 400 IM’ers in the country like Stanford’s Ella Eastin and Brooke Forde. Without the Stanford women, it is the perfect opportunity for swimmers to step up and get their name heard.

Vietnam’s Vien Nguyen took advantage of that with a victory in the 400 IM on Thursday night at the Mesa Pro Swim Series in Arizona. Nguyen swam a 4:44.68 to win the final ahead of Duke’s Connie Dean (4:46.63). Dean used a solid back half but it was not enough to catch Nguyen who led from start to finish.

Northwestern’s Greek native Ilektra Lebl (4:49.68) finished in third well ahead of the rest of the field.

Samantha Tadder (4:58.35), Samantha Shelton (4:58.43), Kate McCarville (4:59.25), McKenna Meyer (5:02.03) and Kate McBratney (5:06.29) also competed in the A-final.

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Men’s 400 IM

WR: 4:03.84, Michael Phelps, USA (2008)
AR: 4:03.84, Michael Phelps, USA (2008)
US: 4:05.25, Michael Phelps, USA (2008)

2017 World Championship gold medalist Chase Kalisz swam a solid 4:14.08 on Thursday night at the TYR Pro Swim Series at Mesa as he won comfortably ahead of fellow 2016 Olympian Josh Prenot 4:08 earlier this year(4:19.56). Kalisz is usually known as a solid in-season swimmer as he was a in Atlanta.

Prenot was second ahead of Louisville’s Daniel Sos (4:22.98) and Pitchfork’s Jarod Arroyo (4:23.75). Prenot was a 400 IM’er in his days at Cal, but has since disappeared from the event after he scratched out of the final at the 2016 Olympic Trials to focus on other events. Prenot could challenge for a spot on the Pan Pac roster this summer if he applies himself for the event.

Carlos Claverie (4:26.57), Nguyen Son (4:34.51), Tarna Tuitama (4:34.73) and Daniel Kober (4:35.06) also swam in the A-final.

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Women’s 100 Fly

Last month at the NCAA Championships, Sweden native Louise Hansson joined Louisville grad Kelsi Dahlia as the only other swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100 SCY fly. The two met for the first time in a matchup of all-time greats as Dahlia got the upper hand on Thursday night at the TYR Mesa Pro Swim Series with a 58.09 over Hansson’s 58.62.

Hansson led at the 50 but could not hold off Dahlia’s closing speed.

New Team Elite member Hellen Moffitt finished in third at 58.78 ahead of Louisville’s Mallory Comerford (59.34).

Aliena Schmidtke (1:00.17), Isabella Paez (1:00.80), Sarah Gibson (1:00.84) and Ruby Martin (1:01.18) also swam in the A-final.

Men’s 100 Fly

Team Elite veteran Tim Phillips, who is now 27 years of age, won the 100 fly final over 18-year-old Michael Andrew with a 52.88 on Thursday night at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Mesa. Phillips ran down Andrew who placed second at 52.93 as Andrew had the early lead at the 50.

Phillips swam at the World Championships last summer where he finished ninth in the semi-finals. Phillips is one of the oldest swimmers on the national team yet to make an Olympic team. He could be the next David Plummer in that regard.

Phillips and Andrew were well ahead of third place Pace Clark (53.60), who also swam at the World Championships in the 200 fly.

Kaan Ayar (53.63), Gianluca Urlando (54.14), Camden Murphy (54.23), Nikola Miljenic (54.38) and Zach Harting (54.46) also swam in the A-final.

Women’s 200 Back

Georgia post grad swimmer Olivia Smoliga is more known as a sprinter, but on Thursday night at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Mesa, Arizona, she won the 200 back final with a solid time of 2:10.94. Smoliga last swam the 200 back in any course three years ago in a duel meet against Georgia Tech. Her time tonight would have placed her fifth at last summer’s World Championship Trials.

Smoliga finished ahead of fellow Georgia teammate Hali Flickinger who finished second in an unconventional event as well (2:12.34). Flickinger had a strong last 50 ahead of third place Sonnele Oeztuerk (2:12.37) from Auburn.

Katharine Berkoff (2:13.22), Callie Dickinson (2:16.88), Audrey Reimer (2:17.48), Keaton Blovad (2:18.04) and Maddie Hess (2:18.73) also swam in the championship final.

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Men’s 200 Back

2016 Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy out-dueled longtime teammate Jacob Pebley in Mesa in the 200 back final on Thursday night. Murphy used a solid back half to swim away from Pebley as Murphy swam a 1:56.51 to Pebley’s 1:58.30. Those two Cal swimmers were the only ones under two minutes in the final as Arizona State’s Zachary Poti was third at 2:02.35.

Murphy’s time was just off of Mitch Larkin’s gold medal winning time in the 200 back at the Commonwealth Games as Larkin won that final last week with a 1:56.10. Murphy would have been second in that final in the Gold Coast as Australia’s Bradley Woodward won the silver at 1:56.57.

Joey Reilman (2:04.13), Nicolas Albiero (2:04.23), Isaac Stump (2:04.26), Kevin Kalember (2:06.58) and Yeziel Morales (2:06.65) also swam in the A-final.

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Women’s 200 Breast

UMBC Athletics has more than just men’s basketball as former Retrievers student athlete Emily Escobedo won the 200 breast on Thursday night at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Mesa with a 2:26.80. Escobedo held consistent splits as she won ahead of Micah Sumrall (2:27.09) and Mesa native and 2012 Olympian Breeja Larson (2:27.77).

Those three were well ahead of the rest of the field as it was Stanford commit Zoe Bartel in fourth place at 2:31.55.

Manuela Mendolicchio (2:32.01), Angela Mavrantza (2:32.62), Morgan Friesen (2:34.45) and Peyton Kondis (2:36.24) also swam in the A-final.

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Men’s 200 Breast

The TYR Pro Swim Series moves quickly and doubles are not easy, no matter how much time you get in between events. Cal postgrad swimmer Josh Prenot showed off his endurance tonight with a 2:11.30 in the 200 breast final after he swam the 400 IM earlier in the night. Prenot won ahead of a very stacked field including 2017 World Championship finalist Nic Fink (2:12.73) and Louisville senior Carlos Claverie (2:12.78).

Early leader Kevin Cordes fell off pace after being in the race early. Cordes fell to fourth at the finish with a 2:13.14, but he isn’t known as an in-season swimmer.

Cody Miller (2:14.11), AJ Pouch (2:14.96), Michael Andrew (2:18.96) and Andrew Wilson (2:19.15) also swam in the A-final.

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Women’s 200 Free

It was a heavily anticipated race as 2012 Olympic Champion Allison Schmitt was making her return to swimming tonight at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Mesa. Schmitt had an impressive swim in her first meet back as she was second to World Championship finalist Leah Smith in the 200 free final. Smith won the final with a 1:59.12 and Schmitt was second at 1:59.57, just ahead of Melanie Margalis (1:59.58).

Smith was sixth in the 200 free in Budapest so this is a very impressive early swim for Schmitt, who has not swum a race at a big meet since she won gold in the 4×200 free relay in Rio in 2016.

Hali Flickinger (2:00.75), Cierra Runge (2:01.21), Leonie Kullmann (2:01.24), Mallory Comerford (2:02.72) and Margo Geer (2:04.12) also swam in the A-final.

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Men’s 200 Free

Marwan El Kamash surged to a 200 free win on Thursday night with a 26.97 last 50 split as he out-touched Zane Grothe with a 1:49.05 to Grothe’s 1:49.07. El Kamash, Grothe and third place finisher Patrick Callan (1:49.85) were the only three swimmers in the field who came home under 28 seconds. Callan is a future Michigan Wolverine as his 200 free time will be a welcomed addition to Ann Arbor in the fall.

Fynn Minuth (1:52.14), Zach Harting (1:52.14), Rafael Davila (1:52.64), Michael Chadwick (1:53.18) and Matias Koski (1:54.40) also swam in the A-final.

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