Trials Cuts from Teens to Pros on Day Three of USA Winter Nationals

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Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Numerous Olympic Trials cuts were made on the third day of the 2018 USA Winter Nationals. Events ranged from two cuts in the men’s 400 IM to 17 qualifiers in the men’s 100 Breaststroke.

Madison Cox, Amanda KendallKatie Ledecky, Micah Sumrall and Kylie Masse claimed top seeds for the women while Jay Litherland, Giles Smith, Mitch D’Arrigo, Kevin Cordes and Christopher Reid did the same for the men.

2018 USA Winter Nationals Day 3 Order of Events:

  • Women’s 400 IM
  • Men’s 400 IM
  • Women’s 100 Butterfly
  • Men’s 100 Butterfly
  • Women’s 200 Freestyle
  • Men’s 200 Freestyle
  • Women’s 100 Breaststroke
  • Men’s 100 Breaststroke
  • Women’s 100 Backstroke
  • Men’s 100 Backstroke

Women’s 400 IM

Olympic Trials Cut: 4:51.79

The top seven finishers in the women’s 400 IM came in under the Olympic Trials standard. The group was led by Longhorn Aquatics’ Madison Cox in 4:44.26. Cox used a strong back half and should be faster in the final. NC State’s Makayla Sargent was next in 4:45.02, followed by 16-year-old Emma Weyant in 4:45.31.

Athens Bulldogs’ Flickinger cruised to the fourth seed in 4:47.12 after out-splitting the field on both the fly (1:03.11) and free (1:04.66) legs. High Performance Vancouver placed two swimmers in the top eight with efforts from Emily Overholt (4:49.23) and Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (4:52.13). Meg Bailey (4:49.39) and Reese Hazan (4:50.25) from the Sandpipers of Nevada will also race in the final.

Men’s 400 IM

Olympic Trials Cut: 4:25.99

Litherland posted a relaxed 4:25.00 to claim the top seed in his first event of the day. He narrowly edged out 16-year-old Matt Fallon who swam a 4:25.30, just three one hundredths off his lifetime best. 15-year-old Zach Tan swam a best time of 4:26.23 while LIAC’s Jason Louser continued the teen trend at 4:28.16 for fourth.

Tristan Cote (4:28.31) was fifth and was followed by three seventeen year olds making their way into the A final. Paige Dacosta (PLS-4:28.70), Nick Vance (WCS-4:29.37) and Sean Conway (NCAP-4:30.03) will round out the heat.

Women’s 100 Butterfly

Olympic Trials Cut: 1:00.69

All eight qualifiers in the women’s 100 Butterfly came in under the Olympic Trials standard. Mission Viejo’s Amanda Kendall continued her successful meet with a quick 58.32. 17-year-old Olivia Bray of the Virginia Gators was second in 59.37. Scarborough’s Rebecca Smith was third in 59.45 followed by Vollmer who raced to a 59.92.

Tac Titans’ Claire Curzan was just off her best in 1:00.13. Megan Kingsley (1:00.45), Leah Gingrich (1:00.48) and Torri Huske (1:00.61) placed sixth through eighth.

Men’s 100 Butterfly

Olympic Trials Cut: 54.19

Phoenix Swim Club’s Giles Smith posted a best time of 52.54 in a dominating first place swim. Kevin Mendoza swam right next to him for second (53.66). High Performance Vancouver’s Josiah Binnema was third in 53.86 and Daniil Antipov of Grand Canyon University was fourth in 54.23.

Upper Main Line’s Brendan Burns was just off his best in 54.30, touching ahead of Los Angeles’ Yoessef Tibazi (54.38), Star’s Noah Henderson (54.42) and NC State’s Stewart (54.48).

Women’s 200 Freestyle

Olympic Trials Cut: 2:01.69

The women continued their quick swimming as all eight A finalist qualifiers achieved the Olympic Trials cut. Ledecky dominated heat eight in 1:56.63, separating herself from the rest of the field across all heats. Simone Manuel led a quartet of pros in 1:59.04 preceding Flickinger (1:59.28), Gabby Deloof (1:59.65) and Kaersten Meitz (2:00.12).

Rebecca Smith was back in the pool to take the sixth seed in 2:00.54, with Kennedy Goss (2:00.78) and Meaghan Raab (2:01.59) claiming seventh and eighth.

Men’s 200 Freestyle

Olympic Trials Cut: 1:50.79

Five men came in under the 2020 cut in the 200 Freestyle. Gator Swim Club’s Mitch D’Arrigo posted a strong 1:49.67 for the top seed. Not far behind was High Performance Vancouver’s Carson Olafson in 1:50.33 and Dynamo’s Jay Litherland in 1:50.35.

Dare Rose of Scarlett continued his strong meet with a 1:50.47 to edge out Jacob Pebley (1:50.60) and Jonathan Rutter (1:50.95). Kevin Litherland (1:51.21) and Andreas Vazaios (1:52.20) will also race in tonight’s final.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke

Olympic Trials Cut: 1:10.99

The women continued their Olympic Trials trend, as the top ten finishers made the new standard for 2020. Sumrall came in at 1:08.16 for the top seed ahead of Sophie Hansson of NC State (1:08.60) and Kelsey Wog (1:09.16) of the Minatoba Bisons.

Cox came back for the fourth seed in 1:09.69, with Condors’ Emily Escobedo in fifth (1:09.78). They will be joined by Abby Arens (1:09.90), Rachel Bernhardt (1:10.09) and Emily Weiss (1:10.62).

Men’s 100 Breaststroke

Olympic Trials Cut: 1:03.29

The top seventeen qualifiers in the men’s race came in under the standard, led by Kevin Cordes in 1:00.04 and Nic Fink in 1:01.25. Fink led six swimmers all at the 1:01 mark.

He was joined by Zane Backes (1:01.30), Chuck Katis (1:01.52), Jonathan Tybur (1:01.83) and Ben Cono (1:01.94). Eli Wall will also compete after swimming a 1:02.03.

Women’s 100 Backstroke

Olympic Trials Cut: 1:02.69

Toronto Swim Club’s Kylie Masse was the lone swimmer under one minute in the women’s 100 Backstroke. Her 59.33 was about one second off her 58.29 from earlier this year. Ali Deloof posted a strong 1:00.57 for second and NCAP’s Phoebe Bacon came in at 1:00.83 for third.

Kentucky’s Bridgette Alexander was fourth in 1:01.32 coming in ahead of Autumn Haebig who posted a big time drop of 1.21 seconds to take fifth in 1:01.91. NCAP’s Caroline Bentz did the same with a 1.68-second drop for sixth in 1:02.04. Drexel’s Alexa Kutch was next in 1:02.36 and Kentucky’s Ali Galyer was eighth in 1:02.40.

Men’s 100 Backstroke

Olympic Trials Cut: 56.59

Crimson Tide’s Christopher Reid blasted a best time of 53.92 for the top spot in tonight’s 100 Backstroke final. Pebley raced again, this time to a second-place finish with a 54.23. Lucas Kaliszak (54.65) and Markus Thormeyer (54.82) also came in under 55 seconds.

Joining them in the final will be Stewart (55.58), Kane Follows (56.03) and Hennessey Stuart (56.12).

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Stephanie Burruano Bruzgul

Dana Vollmer ??????

Tina Klenke Pierce
5 years ago

Woohoo!! Dana made it!!

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