USA Swimming Senior Nationals: Exciting Battle Highlight Final Night

Editorial coverage for U.S. Senior Nationals proudly sponsored by Master Spas!

IRVINE, California, August 10. The final night of the USA Swimming Senior Nationals featured a handful of amazingly close swims, as well as some statement swims, Sunday night.

Scheduled Events

  • Women’s 1500 free
  • Women’s 200 IM
  • Men’s 200 IM
  • Men’s 800 free
  • Women’s 50 free
  • Men’s 50 free

LIVE STREAM

LIVE RESULTS

HEAT SHEETS

Women’s 1500 free

Photo Courtesy: David Farr

Photo Courtesy: David Farr

Swim Pasadena’s Katy Campbell had a powerful final 500 as she overtook early leader Danielle Valley of Sarasota Y to capture the 2015 Worlds spot in the non-Olympic 1500-meter freestyle.  Campbell won the event in 16:17.59 to move to 13th in the world behind Laura Crockart’s 16:17.36 from Australia.  That’s a 30-second drop for Campbell as she won the finale from out in lane 8.

Valley posted a second-place time of 16:19.83 to move to 16th in the world rankings.  That’s a big drop from her previous best of 16:24, but wasn’t enough to secure an international roster spot tonight.  Badger’s Lindsay Vrooman rounded out the top three in 16:22.83.

NBAC’s Gillian Ryan, one of the fastest Americans this year with a ninth-place 16:12.64 from the Charlotte stop of the Arena Grand Prix, took fourth in 16:25.74.

Cavalier’s Leah Smith (16:27.37), NCAP’s Kaitlin Pawlowicz (16:28.31), NCAP’s Isabella Rongione (16:32.24) and Badger’s Anina Lund (16:36.89) also made the podium.

World record holder Katie Ledecky elected to scratch this event after setting a world record in the 400-meter free last night.  She will already swim it at Pan Pacs with her time there likely putting her on the 2015 Worlds roster alongside Campbell.

Janet Evans, who Ledecky joined as a 400-800-1500 free world record holder, presented the awards tonight.

Women’s 200 IM

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Saint Petersburg’s Melanie Margalis put on a show in the big final with a blazing time of 2:10.20.  That swim put her third in the world behind only Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (2:08.21) and Alicia Coutts (2:08.89) this year, and should have more in the tank as she heads to Australia for Pan Pacs.

Stanford’s Maya DiRado ripped off another special swim, this time with a second-place time of 2:10.57.  That performance moved her to seventh in the world rankings.  Meanwhile, California’s Caitlin Leverenz likely earned a spot on the Pan Pacs roster with a third-place time of 2:11.05 to take 13th in the world.

York Y’s Meghan Small, already heading to the Youth Olympics, took fourth in 2:11.83, while BlueFish’s Elizabeth Beisel placed fifth in 2:12.46.

PASA’s Karlee Bispo (2:12.66), Pleasanton’s Celina Li (2:12.86) and Longhorn’s Madisyn Cox (2:15.02) also competed in the finale.

Aggie’s Sarah Henry had a superb finish to her B final swim to win in 2:13.91.  SwimMAC’s Kathleen Baker finished second in 2:14.05 with Cavalier’s Kaitlyn Jones placing third in 2:14.71.

Bethany Galat, a future member of the Texas A&M Aggies, topped the C final in 2:14.91.  PASA’s Ally Howe wound up second in 2:15.72 with Lakeside’s Leah Stevens taking third in 2:16.24.

Men’s 200 IM

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

The top two 200 IMers in history unleashed a pair of incredible IMs this evening in what was a powerhouse finale.  SwimMAC’s Ryan Lochte went out hard and held off a hard-charging Michael Phelps, in what is a race strategy we’ve all seen a billion times before.  Lochte charged his way to the win in 1:56.50, while Phelps took second in 1:56.55. Those are the top two times in the world behind only Kosuke Hagino’s 1:55.38 from the Japanese Nationals.  The two will look to put up even faster times in Australia.

SwimMAC’s Tyler Clary had a strong third-place finish with a 1:57.94 to move to a ninth-ranked tie with Chad le Clos, while NBAC’s Conor Dwyer placed fourth in 1:58.03.  Dwyer was faster this morning with a 1:57.41.

NBAC’s Chase Kalisz (1:58.85), California’s Josh Prenot (1:59.09), Club Wolverine’s Kyle Whitaker (1:59.44) and SwimMAC’s Ty Stewart (2:01.25) also made the podium as part of the finale.

Dynamo’s Gunnar Bentz blasted the B final with a sizzling time of 1:59.19.  That swim vaulted him to 18th in the world rankings.  Stanford’s Max Williamson placed second with a time of 2:00.12, while NCAP’s Andrew Seliskar touched third in 2:00.22.

Dynamo’s Jay Litherland touched out North Texas’ Jonathan Roberts by the slimmest of margins, 2:01.95 to 2:01.96, for the C final win.  Nitro’s Sean Grieshop picked up third in an equally close finish against BlueFish’s Connor Green, 2:02.60 to 2:02.61.

Men’s 800 free

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

The Woodlands’ Michael McBroom polished off another distance freestyle victory with a sizzling time of 7:49.66 in the finale.  That swim cleared his already third-ranked season best of 7:49.96 from the Santa Clara stop of the Arena Grand Prix, but wasn’t enough to beat either of the top two swimmers Gabriele Detti (7:42.74) or Gregorio Paltrinieri (7:43.01).  McBroom, however, is in a strong position heading to both Pan Pacs and the 2015 World rosters.

NBAC’s Matt McLean powered his way to second in the event with a 7:55.78 to take 16th in the world, while Club Wolverine’s Michael Klueh earned third in 7:58.13.

Arthur Frayler placed fourth in 8:01.38, while Mission Viejo’s Janardan Burns took fifth in 8:01.43.  Badger’s Ryan Feeley earned sixth in 8:01.96.

Crimson’s Liam Egan, from the earlier heats, took seventh in 8:02.98, while another early-heat swimmer Jacob Ores of Loveland placed eighth in 8:03.22.

Women’s 50 free

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott

First Colony’s Simone Manuel crushed the final field of the splash-and-dash with a winning time of 24.56.  That time pushed her to ninth in the world, and demolished the 17-18 U.S. National Age Group record of 24.80 set by Abbey Weitzeil during a time trial earlier this week.  Manuel also had a previous lifetime best of 24.80 as she smashed through that time as well.

Wisconsin’s Ivy Martin put up a sterling time of 24.72 for second, just off her 11th ranked season best of 24.62 from this morning.  But, her time tonight was good enough to secure a spot on the Pan Pacific Championships roster.

Manuel’s teammate Madeline Locus took third in 24:81 with SwimMAC’s Madison Kennedy placing fourth in 24.83.  Weitzeil wound up fifth in 24.91.

California’s Natalie Coughlin missed out on her fifth Pan Pacific Championships squad.  She previously made the team in 1999, 2002, 2006 and 2010, and was looking to tie Lea Maurer (1989, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997) for five times on the roster.  Maurer managed her record when the meet was held every two years.

Tucson Ford’s Margo Geer (25.06) and Stanford’s Maddy Schaefer (25.07) finished seventh and eighth.

SwimMAC’s Katie Meili touched out Tennessee’s Faith Johnson, 25.30 to 25.33, in the B final.  Fresno’s Cheyenne Coffman placed third in 25.48.

Mission Viejo’s Katie McLaughlin clipped Y-Sparta’s Katrina Konopka, 25.56 to 25.66, in the C final of the sprint free.  Bethany Galat, fresh off a 200 IM C final win, took third in 25.73.

Men’s 50 free

Photo Courtesy: David Farr

Photo Courtesy: David Farr

California’s Anthony Ervin nailed his start and it proved to be huge for the 33 year old as he put up a surprising time of 21.55 for the win.  That swim tied him with Vlad Morozov for third in the world behind only Cesar Cielo (21.39) and Bruno Fratus (21.45) as Ervin continues to prove he’s found the fountain of youth.

The huge favorite, Ervin’s teammate Nathan Adrian, had previously had the top time by an American with a 21.66 at the Monte Carlo stop of the Mare Nostrum, had to settle for silver with a 21.69.  That’s a big 1-2 punch for Team USA heading into Australia.

SwimMAC’s Cullen Jones, who had needed a last-ditch effort to make the team, posted a third-place 21.83 with his first no-breather 50 in competition.  That moved him up to 10th in the world.

NYAC’s Josh Schneider (21.88), Tucson Ford’s Matt Grevers (22.25), NYAC’s Jimmy Feigen (22.32), California’s Seth Stubblefield (22.34) and SwimMAC’s Mark Weber (22.62) also vied for the national title in the finale.

Bolles’ Caeleb Dressel edged Patriot’s Brad deBorde, 22.50 to 22.51, for the B final win.  SwimAtlanta’s Caleb Weir managed a 22.78 for third.

NCAP’s James Jones turned in a 22.93 to win the C final of the sprint free.  Nitro’s Tate Jackson took second in 23.09 with Canyons’ Cole Cogswell placing third in 23.38.

Awards

Highpoint Winners: Missy Franklin, Matt Grevers

Phillips 66 Performance Award: Katie Ledecky 400 free world record

Team Scores

Combined:

  1. SwimMAC – 756
  2. California – 566
  3. NBAC – 522
  4. Stanford – 324
  5. Club Wolverine – 288

Men

  1. SwimMAC – 384
  2. NBAC – 305
  3. California – 259
  4. Club Wolverine – 259
  5. Stanford – 199

Women

  1. SwimMAC – 372
  2. California – 307
  3. NBAC – 217
  4. Athens Bulldog – 159
  5. Tennessee – 131

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