Longhorn Elite Classic: Madisyn Cox Cruises to 2:10, Foster Hits Season Best 1:59.2 200 IM Prelims

Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

The Longhorn Elite Classic reached its final day of competition from Austin with some of the best from Texas, Stanford, Cal and Texas A&M getting in some last minute race preparation 22 days ahead of the start of the delayed Olympic Trials in Omaha.

On the final day of prelims, Madisyn Cox swam the top time in the 200 IM heats with a 2:10.54 as she was just off her own season best of 2:10.0 from last month’s Pro Series in Mission Viejo. Cox set a lifetime best earlier this week in the 400 IM as she currently leads the national rankings in the 200 IM as she is training for what would be her first Olympic Games if she is to make the team in Omaha. Cox will be headed to medical school after this summer so this will be all she wrote in terms of her swimming career this summer. She is ahead of teammate Evie Pfeifer (2:13.14) and Allie Raab (2:13.42) in tonight’s final.

Raab earlier in the session swam a 1:08.11 in the 100 breast heats as the Stanford product put herself 10th nationally ahead of next month’s Trials. She is seeded ahead of Texas freshman Anna Elendt (1:08.16), who has solidified her Olympic qualification for Tokyo but will be looking to get under the A standard of 1:07.07 to gain some momentum for Germany nine weeks out from the Games.

Fellow Texas freshman Carson Foster, who set a lifetime best in the 400 IM earlier in the week, cruised to a 1:59.23 in the 200 IM heats as that improves his season best, coming from a 1:59.8 to put himself fourth nationally. Foster leads the nation in the 400 IM as the 19-year-old looks to be a Tokyo favorite in a few events to get on the team for Japan, which would cap a tremendous age group career for him. He is seeded ahead of Angel Martinez (2:00.18) of Texas A&M, who is chasing the 1:59.67 FINA A standard for his native Mexico. Jake Foster (2:00.89) and Will Licon (2:01.49) are seeded third and fourth ahead of tonight’s final.

Stanford’s Katie Drabot, the reigning Worlds bronze medalist in the 200 fly, swam to a 2:10.02 in the heats as she was ahead of Texas’ Olivia Bray (2:11.44) and Texas A&M’s Taylor Pike (2:11.79). The time is just off a season best for Drabot as she is sixth nationally in this event at 2:09.2 and will be fighting for a spot on her first Olympic team next month.

Stanford’s Daniel Roy, fresh off a solid performance in the 200 breast last night with the nation’s top time, swam a 1:01.13 in the heats of the 100 which is a season best that puts him 11th nationally. Roy is ahead of Licon (1:01.83) and Texas’ Andrew Couchon (1:02.35).

Texas A&M’s Shaine Casas will be swimming the 100 back in finals after swimming a 55.15 in the heats to grab the second seed behind Leon MacAlister (55.09) of Stanford. Casas has been as quick as a 54.3 this season.

Isabelle Stadden is leading the women’s 100 back heats at 1:00.17 ahead of teammate Isabel Ivey (1:01.26) while Gunnar Bentz is leading the 200 fly at 1:58.10 ahead of Texas A&M’s Hector Ruvalcaba (1:58.52), who is chasing the FINA A standard of 1:56.48 for his native Mexico.

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