TYR Pro Swim Series: Shaine Casas Goes 51.1 in 100 Fly Prelims

Shaine Casas; Photo Courtesy: Luke Jamroz Photography

TYR Pro Swim Series: Shaine Casas Goes 51.1 in 100 Fly Prelims

Shaine Casas set the pace in the morning session of the TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio on Thursday, going 51.14 in the men’s 100 fly.

That’s a best time for the former Texas A&M standout, with his seed time of a 51.22 from a Texas Senior Circuit Long Course Meet last summer. That swim came a week after he finished third in the event at U.S. Olympic Trials, just missing out on a spot in Tokyo. Thursday’s 51.14 was quicker than the time Tom Shields used (51.19) to get to Tokyo last summer.

Casas led the way in prelims by more than a second, with Coleman Stewart second in 52.42. Eric Friese of Florida followed, with Olympians Zach Harting (53.03) and Caeleb Dressel (53.07) in fourth and fifth, respectively.

Eighth in the final, should he not scratch, is Michael Andrew, who went 53.72. Earlier in the session, Andrew posted the second-fastest 100 breast time in 59.95. Only he and Caspar Corbeau broke a minute, the Dutch swimmer by way of the University of Texas going 59.87 to get the top seed.

Cody Miller, Nic Fink and Tommy Cope followed in the next three spots. Will Licon went 1:02.60 to miss out the A final.

Katie Ledecky started the morning by leading the way in the 200 free. Her time, a rock solid 1:56.19, is the fastest in the field by n early three seconds. She’s followed by Hali Flickinger in 1:59.08. Bella Sims (1:59.81) also cracked two minutes. Leah Smith, Paige Madden, Beata Nelson and Melanie Margalis fill out the A final, all in 2:00s.

The biggest swim of the morning came in the women’s 100 breast, where Anna Elendt of the University of Texas set the pace in 1:05.96. That’s a German record. It put her ahead of Olympians Lilly King (second in 1:06.30) and Annie Lazor (third in 1:08.07). Those three are the only ones under 1:10, with Mona McSharry of Ireland/University of Tennessee bang on the mark.

The women’s 100 fly featured a best time for Texas’s Emma Sticklen, who tied for the third seed in 58.89. She entered with a seed time of 59.54. Sticklen is even with Kelsi Dahlia for the second seed. Claire Curzan set the pace in 57.76.

Also in the A final is Beata Nelson in 59.17. Three Texas swimmers – Kelly Pash sixth, Olivia Bray seventh – fill the A final, along with Dakota Luther and Natalie Hinds. The B final includes Rhyan White, Phoebe Bacon and Mallory Comerford. Sims quietly followed her 200 free with a 1:01.49 in the 100 fly.

The men’s 200 free is led by a pair of swimmers fresh off NCAAs. Minnesota’s Bar Soloveychik led the way in 1:49.39, three tenths up on Texas’s Drew Kibler. Jay Litherland, Maxime Rooney and Zach Apple are also in the A final. Dressel went 1:51.86 to finish ninth.

In the 400 IMs, Flickinger led the way in 4:50.14, the quickest by more than four seconds. Katie McCarthy, the 17-year-old Minnesota signee from Edina, was second in 4:54.35. Leon Marchand, fresh off his scintillating NCAAs, set the pace in the men’s race in 4:17.80. Florida freshman Joaquin Gonzalez Pinero was second in 4:21.47 with Litherland third.

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