{"id":509742,"date":"2022-07-29T11:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-29T18:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=509742"},"modified":"2022-07-29T11:56:44","modified_gmt":"2022-07-29T18:56:44","slug":"u-s-nationals-isabelle-stadden-leads-four-59s-in-womens-100-back-justin-ress-first-in-mens-100-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-nationals-isabelle-stadden-leads-four-59s-in-womens-100-back-justin-ress-first-in-mens-100-back\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Nationals: Isabelle Stadden Leads Four 59s in Women’s 100 Back; Justin Ress First in Men’s 100 Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Nationals: Isabelle Stadden Leads Four 59s in Women’s 100 Back; Justin Ress First in Men’s 100 Back<\/strong><\/p>\n

Even with swimmers such as\u00a0Regan Smith<\/strong> and Katharine Berkoff<\/strong> missing from U.S. Nationals, the women’s 100 backstroke is still one of the fastest and deepest events of the meet. In prelims,\u00a0Isabelle Stadden<\/strong> posted the fastest time at 59.63, with Alabama’s\u00a0Rhyan White\u00a0<\/strong>just behind at 59.73. Stadden edged out White by two tenths to win the 200 back final Wednesday, and the two will match up again here.<\/p>\n

Two swimmers got under the 1:00 barrier for the first time in the morning, with Nashville’s\u00a0Gretchen Walsh<\/strong> swimming a time of 59.80 and Ohio State’s\u00a0Amy Fulmer\u00a0<\/strong>coming in at 59.87. Walsh posted a rare sub-1:00 performance in a practice suit, which she has been wearing for some races as a means of taking pressure off<\/a>. Walsh, the 100 butterfly winner Friday, will likely don a racing suit for the final after her strong prelims swim.<\/p>\n

Claire Curzan<\/strong> of the TAC Titans was back in the pool for the 100 back after scratching the 100 fly final with a non-COVID illness. She finished in 1:00.36 for the fifth seed, while Tennessee’s\u00a0Kira Toussaint<\/strong>, an Olympic finalist last year for the Netherlands, was sixth in 1:00.46. Eagle’s\u00a0Erika Pelaez<\/strong> (1:00.52) and North Carolina’s\u00a0Sophie Lindner<\/strong> also qualified for the final (1:00.65).<\/p>\n

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The top seed in the men’s 100 backstroke went to Mission Viejo’s\u00a0Justin Ress<\/strong>, the world champion in the 50 back last month after his disqualification for fully submerging at the finish was overturned. In the two-length backstroke race, Ress broke 53 for the first time at International Team Trials in April as he finished third behind\u00a0Hunter Armstrong<\/strong> and\u00a0Ryan Murphy<\/strong> in 52.73. His prelims mark at Nationals was 53.50, comfortably earning him the top seed ahead of Adam Chaney<\/strong>, representing Mason Manta Rays and the University of Florida. Chaney finished in 53.97.<\/p>\n

Swim Atlanta’s\u00a0Jack Aikins<\/strong>, already a national champion in the 200 back, placed third in prelims in 54.22, touching out Alto’s\u00a0Leon MacAlister<\/strong> (54.24) in their heat. Cal’s\u00a0Destin Lasco<\/strong> (54.31), Lake Oswego’s\u00a0Nick Simons<\/strong> (54.63), Indiana’s\u00a0Brendan Burns\u00a0<\/strong>(54.80) and Auburn’s\u00a0Nathaniel Stoffle<\/strong> (54.90) also made the top eight.<\/p>\n

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