Night one of finals of the 2017 Speedo Grand Challenge kicked off this evening at the Woollett Aquatic Center in Irvine, California. It was a night of tight four-person finals and exciting Olympic speed.
Competition began with the women’s 200-meter IM, as USC’s Riley Scott took the win with a time of 2:15.33. Host team Novaquatics’ Ayla Spitz blasted a 2:17.60 for second place, while third place went to 28-year-old Keaton Blovad, swimming for Cal-Berkeley, with a 2:18.18.
=== A - Final ===
1 Riley Scott 19 UN-PC/USC-CA 2:17.64 2:15.33 NATL
29.85 1:05.76 (35.91)
1:42.67 (36.91) 2:15.33 (32.66)
2 Ayla Spitz 16 NOVA-CA 2:20.03 2:17.60 NATL
30.11 1:05.46 (35.35)
1:46.45 (40.99) 2:17.60 (31.15)
3 Keaton Blovad 28 CAL-PC 2:18.69 2:18.18 NATL
29.52 1:03.31 (33.79)
1:45.44 (42.13) 2:18.18 (32.74)
4 Zoe Thatcher 20 AUB-SE 2:20.11 2:18.46 NATL
30.48 1:05.41 (34.93)
1:47.14 (41.73) 2:18.46 (31.32)
The men swam the 200-meter freestyle this evening, with Cristian Quinte of Trojan Swim Club finishing first in 1:48.77, just ahead of USC’s Dylan Carter, who touched in 1:49.12. Zach Apple of Auburn University finished in third place with a 1:50.88. All three times were national qualifying times.
=== A - Final ===
1 Cristian Quinte 24 TROJ-CA 1:50.83 1:48.77 NATL
25.38 52.72 (27.34)
1:20.79 (28.07) 1:48.77 (27.98)
2 Dylan Carter 21 UN-04-CA/USC-CA 1:49.07 1:49.12 NATL
25.51 52.86 (27.35)
1:21.21 (28.35) 1:49.12 (27.91)
3 Zach Apple 20 AUB-SE 1:52.61 1:50.88 NATL
26.01 53.79 (27.78)
1:22.40 (28.61) 1:50.88 (28.48)
4 Justin Nguyen 17 NOVA-CA 1:51.66 1:52.22 JNR
25.65 53.64 (27.99)
1:22.23 (28.59) 1:52.22 (29.99)
Scott bested the field again for the women, this time in the 100-meter breaststroke. Her time of 1:08.80 was good for first place in the event. It was a battle for second place between Roadrunner’s Jorie Caneta, who touched in 1:09.03 for second place, and Cal’s Marina Garcia, who was not far behind in 1:09.08.
=== A - Final ===
1 Riley Scott 19 UN-PC/USC-CA 1:10.59 1:08.80 OT
32.74 1:08.80 (36.06)
2 Jorie Caneta 20 UN-01-GU 1:09.44 1:09.03 OT
32.94 1:09.03 (36.09)
3 Marina Garcia U 22 CAL-PC 1:09.64 1:09.08 OT
32.91 1:09.08 (36.17)
4 Ali Harrison 17 BUEN-CA 1:10.65 1:10.33 OT
33.43 1:10.33 (36.90)
Cal’s Connor Hoppe swam a 1:02.87 in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke, good for first place. 32-year-old Mike Alexandrov of New York Aquatic Club was close behind with a 1:02.99, and third place went to Cal’s Matt Whittle in 1:04.01.
=== A - Final ===
1 Connor Hoppe 21 CAL-PC 1:03.31 1:02.87 OT
29.29 1:02.87 (33.58)
2 Mike Alexandrov 32 NYAC-MR 1:03.51 1:02.99 OT
29.53 1:02.99 (33.46)
3 Matt Whittle 21 CAL-PC 1:04.77 1:04.01 JNR
30.74 1:04.01 (33.27)
4 Carson Sand 19 CAL-PC 1:04.15 1:04.04 JNR
30.16 1:04.04 (33.88)
Familiar faces appeared in the next event, the women’s 50-meter freestyle, as Olympian Abby Weitzeil of Cal took first place with a 25.35. Teammate Farida Osman was right there with her, touching in 25.49. Cementing the Cal sweep, Amy Bilquist rounded out the top three finishers with her time of 25.50.
=== A - Final === 1 Abbey Weitzeil 20 CAL-PC 25.45 25.35 NATL 2 Farida Osman 22 CAL-PC 25.88 25.49 NATL 3 Amy Bilquist 19 CAL-PC 25.90 25.50 NATL 4 Kendyl Stewart 22 TROJ-CA 25.88 25.71 NATL
Next, the men tackled the 200-meter IM. Brock Bonetti took the win with a 2:05.47, Daniel Gloude of Aquazot Swim Team touched second in 2:06.52, and Auburn’s Russell Noletto took the bronze with a 2:07.57.
=== A - Final ===
1 Brock Bonetti 21 UN-01-GU 2:07.31 2:05.47 JNR
26.47 58.08 (31.61)
1:35.19 (37.11) 2:05.47 (30.28)
2 Daniel Gloude 20 UN-17-OH/AZOT-CA 2:07.04 2:06.52 JNR
27.13 59.35 (32.22)
1:36.63 (37.28) 2:06.52 (29.89)
3 Russell Noletto 20 AUB-SE 2:07.65 2:07.57 JNR
26.44 59.38 (32.94)
1:37.51 (38.13) 2:07.57 (30.06)
4 Hunter Sa-Nguan 20 AZOT-CA 2:08.87 2:08.62 JNR
27.31 1:00.34 (33.03)
1:37.39 (37.05) 2:08.62 (31.23)
In the last event of the evening, the women’s 400-meter freestyle, Cal’s Katie McLaughlin stopped the clock in 4:13.53 for a first place finish over Auburn’s Ashley Neidigh (4:15.12), and 16-year-old Erica Sullivan of Sandpipers of Nevada (4:18.52).
=== A - Final ===
1 McLaughlin, Kat 19 CAL-PC 4:16.36 4:13.53 NATL
29.66 1:01.32 (31.66)
1:33.40 (32.08) 2:05.71 (32.31)
2:38.19 (32.48) 3:10.42 (32.23)
3:42.38 (31.96) 4:13.53 (31.15)
2 Neidigh, Ashley 22 AUB-SE 4:18.25 4:15.12 NATL
29.70 1:01.33 (31.63)
1:33.35 (32.02) 2:05.65 (32.30)
2:37.92 (32.27) 3:10.39 (32.47)
3:42.94 (32.55) 4:15.12 (32.18)
3 Sullivan, Erica 16 SAND-CA 4:17.81 4:18.52 JNR
30.00 1:01.65 (31.65)
1:34.26 (32.61) 2:06.73 (32.47)
2:39.70 (32.97) 3:12.37 (32.67)
3:45.54 (33.17) 4:18.52 (32.98)
4 Thatcher, Zoe M 20 AUB-SE 4:20.61 4:23.31 MIN
30.50 1:02.85 (32.35)
1:35.81 (32.96) 2:09.01 (33.20)
2:42.62 (33.61) 3:16.29 (33.67)
3:50.07 (33.78) 4:23.31 (33.24)
Competition resumes tomorrow morning at 8:30am for the second day of the 2017 Speedo Grand Challenge.
SW, no love for the 7-12 finalists?
Way to swim fast Riley!
Keaton Blovad is 18, not 28.
Youssef Yasser/Shahd Yasser/Marwa Elshenawy