Men’s 100 Breast Battle Sparked Night 2 Races At NCSA Junior Nationals

Carsten Vissering and Andrew Seliskar NCSA junior nationals

Photo Courtesy: SwimmingWorld.TV/TakeItLive.TV

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ORLANDO – With Olympic Trials qualifying times on the line, the long course finals competition tonight at the NCSA junior nationals featured some exciting races, including two swimmers who nearly broke 1:00 in the men’s 100 breaststroke.

Carsten Vissering and Andrew Seliskar, both representing Nation’s Capital but training at different facilities were after the tough 1:00 barrier tonight. Vissering, a former national high school record holder in the 100-yard breast, took the race out hard with a 28.21 and put himself in position to get under 1:00. Seliskar, who nearly broke the 17-18 national age group record today in prelims, was second at the 50 with a 28.94. Vissering continued to hold his blistering pace as Seliskar began to reel him in, and the two lunged for the wall at the same time.

Vissering got the win with a 1:01.00, which is a lifetime best by .18. Seliskar obliterated his lifetime best with a runner-up time of 1:01.19, beating his previous best of 1:02.76. Though the U.S. field in the men’s 100 breast is full of swimmers in the 59-high and 1:00-low range, Vissering and Seliskar could be in that company in 15 months at the Olympic Trials. Placing third in tonight’s race was Ian Finnerty of Counsilman Center Swim Team with a 1:02.63.

Seliskar was back on the blocks about 20 minutes later in his pet event, the 200 fly, and like most people at the meet, the effect of little long course training so far this year showed itself. Seliskar was out fast with a 56.04, putting himself on pace to beat his lifetime best of 1:55.92, but faltered at the end with a 1:56.24. Nearly breaking two minutes was Zach Harting of Huntsville Swim Association, who was second with a 2:00.14. Frederick Schubert of NOVA of Virginia placed third with a 2:01.72 to qualify for the Olympic Trials.

The 2:00 barrier was also on the line in the men’s 200 back final, as three athletes came close to breaking the barrier. Michael Taylor of Dynamo Swim Club, who already owns a 1:59.37 as a lifetime best, won with a 2:00.14. Justin Ress from Marlins of Raleigh and Brennan Balogh of Lincoln Select Swimming were also in the hunt, with Ress placing second with a 2:00.53 and Balogh third with a 2:00.78. Ress chopped two seconds off his lifetime best, while Balogh knocked more than three seconds off his.

Matthew Hirschberger was the class of the field in the men’s 400 free, continuing an already impressive meet with a 3:52.94. This came about nine hours after he broke the 500 free national age group record in the short course yards prelims. The 16-year-old was about two seconds off Larsen Jensen’s national age group record of 3:50.68 from 2002. Hirschberger even-split his race, 1:56.08-1:56.86, to win by five seconds over James Murphy of Machine Aquatics, who was second with a 3:58.00. Joshua McDonald of Cincinnati Marlins took third with a 3:58.92.

The women’s meet featured some new names at the top of the podium, including 14-year-old Lucie Nordmann of The Woodlands Swim Team in the 200 backstroke. After a lifetime best 1:55.59 in prelims, she pulled away from the field in the third 50 to win with a 2:12.20 to get her first Olympic Trials qualifying time. The top four all qualified for Olympic Trials, with Carrie Boone of Nation’s Capital (2:13.73), Alice Treuth of Coastal Aquatics (2:14.11) and Morgan Tankersley of Greater Tampa (2:16.33) getting the opportunity to swim in Omaha next year.

Stanzi Moselely of Roadrunner Aquatics held off a strong charge from Caroline McTaggart of All Star Aquatics to win the 100 free with a 55.14, just off her lifetime best of 55.03. McTaggart obliterated her lifetime best of 56.44 with a 55.62 for second, while Katie Drabot of Ozaukee Aquatics was third with a 55.66.

Rachel Munson celebrated her first swim under 1:10 in the 100 breast tonight with a winning time of 1:09.71. She had two contenders flanking her in the race, as Maggie Aroesty of Long Island Aquatics took second with a 1:09.89 and Alexis Wenger third with a 1:09.90. Wenger broke her own national age group record in short course yards in prelims with a 1:00.02.

Cassidy Bayer of Nation’s Capital, who is believed by many to be a part of the next generation of great American female butterflyers, struggled in the 200 fly final tonight after a strong 1:01.52 at 100 meters. A 1:09.80 in the second 100 meant no lifetime best for the 15-year-old, but it was a dominant win with a 2:11.32. Ruby Martin of Iowa Flyers took second with a 2:13.08 to qualify for the Olympic Trials, while Chattahoochee Gold’s Lauren Case dipped under the Trial qualifying time of 2:14.99 with a 2:14.97 for third.

2015 NCSA junior nationals, day 2 finals – Results

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In the Stands

9 years ago

Correction – Carsten swam a 1:01 tonight (you have 1:00 in the article above). This was a personal best by .40.

Very tricky to jump into long course without any preparation for all these guys, so this serves as a good measure of what they need to do to get into long-course racing shape for the summer.