Justin Ress, Michael Andrew Threaten American Records On Third Morning In Irvine

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

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The third morning of the 2018 Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships saw some American Records threatened with Michael Andrew and Justin Ress getting dangerously close in the heats of the 50 breast and 50 back respectively.

The world rankings could be shaken up tonight in finals as Chase KaliszKelsi Dahlia and company looked strong and smooth in prelims and could pop off some good swims in finals on Friday night in Irvine.

Women’s 400 IM

Leah Smith of Tucson Ford Dealers cruised to the number one time in the 400 IM heats on Friday morning at the Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine, California. Smith is seeded first ahead of Georgia’s Melanie Margalis as Smith came in with a 4:38.11 to Margalis’ 4:38.37.

There were a couple big names that dropped out of the race with Katie Ledecky not entering it, Madisyn Cox getting suspended and Ella Eastin scratching this morning, so it is giving a lot of swimmers valuable experience moving forward.

Penn State’s Ally McHugh is the third seed coming into tonight with a 4:39.67 as her and Stanford’s Brooke Forde (4:39.85) were the only other girls under 4:40 in the heats.

Evie Pfeifer (4:40.28), Allie Szekely (4:41.23), Kay Sargent (4:41.33) and Emma Weyant (4:42.19) also placed in the top eight tonight.

There were some big A-Final misses with Texas A&M’s Bethany Galat placing 15th (4:47.81). Hali Flickinger also declared a false start in the heats.

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Men’s 400 IM

Chase Kalisz absolutely cruised in the 400 IM heats with a 4:11.09 to lead the qualifiers on Friday morning in Irvine at the Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships. Kalisz is two seconds ahead of fellow Bulldog Jay Litherland (4:13.34) and Sam Stewart of Texas (4:13.88).

Kalisz and Litherland have been 1-2 at the last two US National Championships and are favored to do that for the third year in a row. Kalisz already has the fastest time in the world this year with a 4:08.92, just ahead of Japan’s Daiya Seto (4:08.98). Kalisz could challenge that world record of 4:03.84 by the end of the summer if he is on.

Litherland moved up to sixth in the world rankings with his swim this morning, while Stewart is now eighth.

There are a few outside contenders to get on the plane to Japan as Gunnar Bentz (4:15.33), Sean Grieshop (4:15.53) and Abrahm DeVine (4:15.56) are within striking distance of the top three. It will be a dog fight behind Kalisz to get that second spot to the Pan Pacs.

Charlie Swanson (4:15.89) and Kieran Smith (4:17.70) are the last two swimmers in to tonight’s championship final.

2018 World Rankings:

  1. Chase Kalisz, USA, 4:08.92
  2. Daiya Seto, JPN, 4:08.98
  3. Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 4:10.69
  4. David Verraszto, HUN, 4:11.98
  5. Clyde Lewis, AUS, 4:13.12
  6. Jay Litherland, USA, 4:13.34
  7. Mark Szaranek, GBR, 4:13.72
  8. Sam Stewart, USA, 4:13.88

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Women’s 100 Fly

Louisville’s Kelsi Dahlia moved to fourth in the world rankings in the 100 fly heats on Friday morning at the 2018 Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine. Dahlia swam a 56.86 in her heat to sit just behind Rikako Ikee (56.23), Sarah Sjostrom (56.29) and Emma McKeon (56.61).

Dahlia is well in front of the rest of the field as Kendyl Stewart is the second seed for tonight with a 57.97 and Katie McLaughlin (58.04) is the third seed.

The United States needs a solid second 100 butterflyer behind Dahlia as Stewart is only 16th in the 2018 World Rankings with that swim.

Last year, Sarah Gibson finished second in the 100 fly behind Dahlia and she is the fourth seed for tonight at 58.09.

Mallory Comerford (58.32), Hellen Moffitt (58.56), Dakota Luther (58.58) and Veronica Burchill (58.62) also made it to tonight’s championship final.

Big A-Final misses came from Regan Smith in 10th (58.83) and Amanda Kendall in 9th (58.79). Erika Brown was 13th at 59.12.

2018 World Rankings:

  1. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 56.23
  2. Sarah Sjostrom, SWE, 56.29
  3. Emma McKeon, AUS, 56.61
  4. Kelsi Dahlia, USA, 56.86
  5. Madeline Groves, AUS, 57.19
  6. Svetlana Chimrova, RUS, 57.23
  7. Brianna Throssell, AUS, 57.30
  8. Elena Di Liddo, ITA, 57.38

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Men’s 100 Fly

In a bit of a surprise, it was Jack Saunderson on top of the rankings after the 100 butterfly heats at the Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine, California. Saunderson swam a 51.48 to move up to fifth in the world rankings for 2018.

Saunderson is in front of a pretty stacked A-Final that includes Jack Conger (51.79), Michael Andrew (51.98) and Caeleb Dressel (52.00) sitting right behind him in a row.

Matthew Josa (52.10), Zach Harting (52.23), Andrew Seliskar (52.24) and Tom Shields (52.26) are all within striking distance of stealing a spot on the Pan Pac team in the event.

Some notable A-Final misses came from Tripp Cooper (53.02) in 21st and Tim Phillips (53.14) in 24th.

2018 World Rankings:

  1. Chad Le Clos, RSA, 50.65
  2. Jack Conger, USA, 51.00
  3. James Guy, GBR, 51.31
  4. Vini Lanza, BRA, 51.42
  5. Jack Saunderson, USA, 51.48
  6. Grant Irvine, AUS, 51.50
  7. Kristof Milak, HUN, 51.50
  8. Egor Kuimov, RUS, 51.50

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Women’s 50 Breast

After a disappointing 200 breast swim on Thursday night in Irvine, Lilly King came back with a solid 50 breast heat swim at 30.16. The world record holder in the 50 breast is just ahead of Tennessee’s Molly Hannis (30.21) and Big Ten rival Lindsey Kozelsky (30.55) of Minnesota.

The winner of the 50 stroke events at finals will automatically qualify to swim the event at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

Breeja Larson (30.79), Jorie Caneta (30.81), Emily Weiss (30.87), Katie Meili (30.94) and Bethany Galat (30.99) also qualified for the A-Final tonight.

King and Hannis are already on top of the world rankings in 2018 as them and Yulia Efimova are the only three women to break 30 seconds this year. Kozelsky moved to seventh in the world rankings with her time.

2018 World Rankings:

  1. Lilly King, USA, 29.62
  2. Molly Hannis, USA, 29.71
  3. Yulia Efimova, RUS, 29.84
  4. Breeja Larson, USA, 30.42
  5. Alia Atkinson, JAM, 30.53
  6. Natalia Ivaneeva, RUS, 30.54
  7. Lindsey Kozelsky, USA, 30.55
  8. Sarah Vasey, GBR, 30.60
  9. Imogen Clark, GBR, 30.60
  10. Leiston Pickett, AUS, 30.60
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Men’s 50 Breast

19-year-old Michael Andrew is on a roll this week in Irvine at the Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships. Andrew won the 50 fly last night ahead of Caeleb Dressel, securing his spot on the 2019 World Championship team in Gwangju, South Korea. Andrew narrowly missed the American Record on Friday morning with a 26.86.

The American Record was a 26.76 held by Kevin Cordes from the 2015 World Championships. Andrew could have another shot at the record tonight. He did tie the US Open Record of 26.86 held by Adam Peaty of Great Britain from the 2017 Indianapolis Pro Swim Series.

Andrew is now tied for fifth in the world with Belarus’s Ilya Shymanovich with that swim.

The field is tight behind Andrew as the men’s breaststroke events in the United States is extremely deep.

Ian Finnerty (26.96), Kevin Cordes (27.06), Devon Nowicki (27.10), Andrew Wilson (27.15) and Nic Fink (27.18) are all within striking distance of capturing a spot on the World Championship team for next summer.

Max McHugh (27.27) and Connor Hoppe (27.30) also placed in the top eight for the championship final tonight.

Dressel and Cody Miller did not swim this morning.

2018 World Rankings:

  1. Adam Peaty, GBR, 26.41
  2. Cameron van der Burgh, RSA, 26.58
  3. Fabio Scozzoli, ITA, 26.73
  4. Joao Gomes, BRA, 26.85
  5. Michael Andrew, USA, 26.86
  6. Ilya Shymanovich, BLR, 26.86
  7. Felipe Lima, BRA, 26.87
  8. Yasuhiro Koseki, JPN, 26.94

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Women’s 50 Back

In the women’s 50 back heats, it was Michigan’s Ali DeLoof on top of the leaderboard with a 27.79 on Friday morning in Irvine, California at the Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships. DeLoof is ahead of Olivia Smoliga who swam a 27.94. Those two were the only swimmers under 28 seconds in the 50 back heats.

The winner of the 50 stroke events clinches a spot on the 2019 World Championships team. DeLoof is looking to make her first Worlds while Smoliga is looking to make her second. DeLoof has to be fired up after watching her sister Gabby DeLoof finish third in the 200 free on Thursday night.

Elise Haan (28.06), Katharine Berkoff (28.27), Keaton Blovad (28.29), Isabelle Stadden (28.40), Alex Walsh (28.40) and Caroline Baldwin (28.43) also placed in this morning’s top eight.

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Men’s 50 Back

NC State’s Justin Ress narrowly missed the American Record in the 50 back on Friday morning at the 2018 Phillips 66 USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine. Ress swam a 24.46 in the heats as he was just off the American Record of 24.33 by Randall Bal from 2008. Ress is also just off of the US Open record of 24.36 by Junya Koga from 2015.

Ress is now tied for second in the world rankings for 2018.

Ress has a chance to break both records tonight as he is the top seed ahead of Matt Grevers (24.53), Michael Andrew (24.59), Ryan Held (24.59) and Ryan Murphy (24.63).

Any five of those guys could take the top spot tonight in the championship final as a plane ticket to the 2019 World Championships in South Korea is on the line for the winner.

Daniel Carr (24.86), Luke Kaliszak (25.22) and Chris Staka (25.33) placed in the top eight this morning after the prelim heats.

2018 World Rankings:

  1. Vladimir Morozov, RUS, 24.35
  2. Justin Ress, USA, 24.46
  3. Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS, 24.46
  4. Matt Grevers, USA, 24.53
  5. Junya Koga, JPN, 24.56
  6. Michael Andrew, USA, 24.59
  7. Ryan Held, USA, 24.59
  8. Ryan Murphy, USA, 24.63
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