U.S. Open Swimming Championships: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Everything you need to follow along live with day one prelims of the 2016 U.S. Open Swimming Championships. Hit refresh for the latest coverage.

Events:

Women’s 200 Fly
Men’s 200 Fly
Women’s 100 Free
Men’s 100 Free

Women’s 200 Fly:

Schroeder YMCA’s Hannah Saiz topped the prelims heats of the women’s 200 fly with a sizzling 2:09.61 to squeak past her entry time of 2:09.83. Saiz was the only swimmer to post a sub 2:12 swim for the morning.

Picking up the second place seed was Aggie Swim Club’s Sarah Gibson with a 2:12.02, adding slightly to her entry time of 2:10.84.

York YMCA’s Courtney Harnish and Marlins of Raleigh’s Madison Homovich posted similar times of 2:13.86 and 2:13.99 to return tonight as the third and fourth place seeds respectively.

Hannah Kastigar of Aberdeen Swim Club turned in a 2:14.41 to grab the fifth place seed in tonight’s final, while North Baltimore’s Easop Lee finished sixth in prelims with a 2:14.65.

Olivia Carter from Marlins of Raleigh and Marah Pugh of Cardinal Aquatics return as seventh and eighth with times of 2:14.84 and 2:15.13 respectively.

Men’s 200 Fly:

Zach Harting of Cardinal Aquatics delivered the top time in prelims for the men’s 200 fly at a 1:59.22, leading a trio of 1:59’s.

Australia’s Nicholas Brown grabbed the second place seed going into tonight’s final with a time of 1:59.72, just ahead of Indiana University’s Vini Lanza’s 1:59.94.

Irish Aquatics’ Matthew Grauslys turned in a 2:00.23 to return as fourth, while fifth was picked up by Marlins of Raleigh’s Zach Brown (2:00.55).

Gator Swim Club’s Mark Szaranek (2:01.28), Kentucky Aquatics’ Isaac Jones (2:01.44), and Columbia Aquatics’ Jack Saunderson (2:01.61) round out the top eight qualifiers.

Women’s 100 Free:

The women’s 100 free heats were a tight field with the top five athletes posting sub-56 times. Mallory Comerford of Cardinal Aquatics led the charge with a 55.05, just ahead of Australia’s Shayna Jack and her time of 55.19. Both athletes have been in the mid-54 range this year so expect them to sneak below that 55-mark this evening.

Aquazot’s Eva Merrell turned in a 55.63 to grab the third place seed in tonight’s final, while Wisconsin Aquatics’ Chase Kinney returns as fourth with a 55.70.

The young Isabel Ivey of Gator Swim Club grabbed fifth with a 55.84 to be the last swimmer under the 56-second mark.

Not long after making the final of the 200 fly, Gibson delivered a 56.38 to earn herself a spot as sixth in tonight’s final.

Temarie Tomley of the University of Alabama picked up seventh with a 56.46, while Aggie Swim Club’s Claire Rasmus was eighth with a 56.62.

Men’s 100 Free:

Curtis Coulter of Ireland delivered the fastest time of the morning in prelims of the men’s 100 free, stopping the clock at a 49.72. A trio of close times followed Coulter setting up an exciting finals heat for tonight.

Wisconsin Aquatics’ Cannon Clifton turned in a 49.80 to claim the second place seed, just ahead of Greater Omaha’s Jacob Molacek and his time of 49.85. Not to be left behind, however, was Australia’s Alexander Graham clocking a 49.89 to round out the sub-50 swims.

Calum Jarvis of Swim Vales picked up the fifth place seed with a 50.00 swim, while Ohio State’s Joshua Fleagle turned in a 50.02 for sixth.

Australia’s Blake Jones (50.07) and William Stockwell (50.08) rounded out the top eight qualifiers.

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