Master Spas<\/a>!<\/i><\/p>\nIRVINE, California, August 8.<\/p>\n
NCAP\u2019s Katie Ledecky is incredibly scary across every distance in the freestyle stroke. \u00a0Ledecky, who already is the best distance freestyler in the world having put the 800 and 1500 free world rankings into another stratosphere, beat the defending champion Missy Franklin in the 200-meter freestyle tonight, even leading by the 100-meter mark before pulling away down the stretch. \u00a0Ledecky crushed the field by more than a second in 1:55.16 to move to second in the world rankings. \u00a0Only Sweden\u2019s Sarah Sjostrom has been faster with a 1:55.04 from the Eindhoven Swim Cup. \u00a0It also stands as a World Junior Record, although Franklin still holds the fastest age group swim ever with a 17-18 age group record of 1:54.81. \u00a0FINA just had not recognized World Junior Records at the time.<\/p>\n
Franklin, meanwhile, made sure she hit the wall second with a time of 1:56.40. \u00a0That\u2019s her best time this year, moving her to 10th in the world rankings as Team USA now has two of the top 10 200 freestylers in the world. \u00a0Cavalier\u2019s Leah Smith took third in 1:57.57, her first time under 1:58, while Bulldogs\u2019 Shannon Vreeland checked in with a fourth-place 1:57.73 to earn the fourth spot on the 800 freestyle relay headed to the Pan Pacific Championships.<\/p>\n
Terrapins\u2019 Chelsea Chenault (1:58.60), NBAC\u2019s Cierra Runge (1:58.70), First Colony\u2019s Simone Manuel (1:58.79) and Aggie\u2019s Sarah Henry (1:59.05) also competed in the championship heat .<\/p>\n
NBAC\u2019s Allison Schmitt, who was disappointed not to make the A final, topped the B final tonight with a 1:58.36. \u00a0She has been much faster this year with a 10th-ranked season best of 1:56.39 from the Charlotte stop of the Arena Grand Prix, and just could not put it together in the 200 this week. \u00a0She\u2019ll be refocusing on the 400 free later this week. \u00a0Longhorn\u2019s Madisyn Cox took second in 1:59.22 to down her personal best of 1:59.93, while Bulldogs\u2019 Amber McDermott placed third in 1:59.59 \u2013 her first time under 2:00.<\/p>\n
North Mecklenburg\u2019s Emily Allen cleared 2:00 for the first time with a 1:59.35 to win the C final out of lane 8. \u00a0That\u2019s a huge drop from her previous best of 2:02.71 from this morning. \u00a0Ozaukee\u2019s Katie Drabot hit the wall second in 2:00.13 with York Y\u2019s Courtney Harnish picking up third in 2:00.46.<\/p>\n
A final<\/h2>\n
\n