Zane Grothe’s American Record, Ashley Neidigh’s Big Drop Lead AT&T Winter Nationals

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The second full night of competition featured an American Record from Zane Grothe in the 500 (4:07.25) to become the first swimmer ever to break 4:08 in the event. He broke Clark Smith‘s record from last year’s NCAA’s at 4:08.42. Another big swim on the night was fellow IU post grad swimmer Ashley Neidigh in the 500 with a five second drop of her own at 4:34.47.

Melanie Margalis, Chase Kalisz, Olivia Smoliga and Nathan Adrian were also winners on the night in their events, posting fast times in all four.

Tonight’s events:

500 Free
200 IM
50 Free
400 Medley Relay

Women’s 500 Free

Not a lot of people expected that race to play out as it did. But IU postgrad swimmer Ashley Neidigh pulled off a minor upset in the 500 free final with a huge 4:34.47 for the win. Neidigh took the race out hard and held off Louisville’s Mallory Comerford as she placed second at 4:35.78. In an equally as impressive swim, Erica Sullivan, who is still in high school, swam a 4:38.13 for third. Sullivan is 17-years-old and is now 29th all-time in the 17-18 age group with that swim.

For comparison and context, Neidigh’s fastest 500 in college was a 4:39.91 her senior year at SEC’s. That 4:34 would have placed her third at last year’s NCAA’s behind Katie Ledecky and Leah Smith. Neidigh already graduated from Auburn and is now swimming postgrad at Indiana with former coach Coley Stickles, taking a similar path to fellow post grad swimmer at IU, Zane Grothe.

Sophie Cattermole (4:40.99), Kristen Romano (4:41.41), Molly Kowal (4:42.28), Autumn Haebig (4:42.80) and Madelyn Donohoe (4:44.63) also swam in the A-final.

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Men’s 500 Free

Last year, Clark Smith said the American Record was soft after he broke Peter Vanderkaay’s 11-year-old American Record with a 4:08.42 at the NCAA Championships. Tonight, Zane Grothe swimming post grad at Indiana University smashed the American Record with a 4:07.25 for the fastest swim ever in the event.

Grothe, 25, made his World Championship debut this past summer in Budapest where he finished in the top eight in the 400 and 800 freestyles. Grothe has been rapidly improving and flying under the radar ever since he joined the post grad group at Indiana.

This is a bit of a shock as Grothe’s best was a 4:12.98 from the 2015 OKC Elite Pro-Am in December of that year. Grothe’s time moves past Smith’s as the fastest in history and is the first swimmer under 4:08 in the event.

The Indiana post grads are already off to a flying start at the AT&T Winter Nationals as Grothe joins fellow Auburn grad Ashley Neidigh as national champions in the 500. Neidigh also had a big drop earlier tonight when she dropped five seconds to win the 500.

Grothe used a solid back half to move past Mitch D’Arrigo who had a stellar swim himself with a 4:10.78. Marwan El-Kamash (4:16.10), Marcelo Acosta (4:16.35), Brayden Seal (4:19.37), Nick Hogsed (4:20.43), Max Irwin (4:22.24) and Din Selmanovic (4:22.65) also swam in the A-final.

This is also the first time the American Record in the event will not be a 4:08 since Chad Carvin swam a 4:11.59 in March 1994 and Tom Dolan broke it the next year with a 4:08.75.

Smith’s splits:

22.68
47.34 (24.66)
1:12.37 (25.03)
1:37.47 (25.10)
2:02.43 (24.96)
2:27.44 (25.01)
2:52.86 (25.42)
3:18.30 (25.44)
3:43.93 (25.63
4:08.42 (24.49)

Grothe’s splits:

22.65
47.58 (24.93)
1:12.75 (25.17)
1:38.07 (25.32)
2:03.15 (25.08)
2:28.30 (25.24)
2:53.31 (24.92)
3:18.07 (24.76)
3:43.19 (25.12)
4:07.25 (24.06)

500-free-nationals

Women’s 200 IM

Melanie Margalis used her strong breaststroke leg to separate herself from the rest of the field as she ran away from the field with a 1:52.63 for the win and a new meet record. She breaks her own meet record from a year ago that was a 1:53.16 and she also breaks the pool record that was held by long course world record holder Katinka Hosszu of 1:53.47 from the 2010 Winter Nationals.

That is also a best time for Margalis, as she bested her 1:52.64 from the 2014 NCAA’s. She remains as the ninth fastest performer in the event.

Margalis was even with the field at the halfway point but used a 32.24 breaststroke split to move away from Isabel Ivey who finished second at 1:55.77. Louisville’s Mariia Astashkina finished in third at 1:57.06. Ivey is still a junior in high school and has not made a college decision.

Emma Muzzy (1:57.45), Rachael Bradford-Feldman (1:57.62), Meg Bailey (1:57.88), Lina Rathsack (1:58.39) and Andrea Cottrell (1:59.01) also competed in the A-final.

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Men’s 200 IM

World Champion Chase Kalisz swam away from a field of four Cal bears as he went toe to toe with fellow World Championship team member Ryan Murphy. Both of these guys are swimming in their first year of professional swimming as Kalisz won the final tonight at the AT&T Winter Nationals with a 1:41.79 ahead of Murphy’s 1:42.29. Kalisz’s 29.13 breast split was the difference maker here from Murphy.

Kalisz is the reigning World Champion in the 200 IM but has not been as successful in short course, as he was actually beaten by Murphy at NCAA’s last year where Murphy was third and Kalisz was fifth.

Cal’s Josh Prenot finished in third at 1:42.84 just ahead of Georgia’s Nic Fink (1:43.45), future Cal swimmer Reece Whitley (1:43.55) and Cal grad Jacob Pebley (1:45.27).

Carlos Claverie (1:45.70) and Nick Zito (1:46.86) also swam in the A-final.

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Women’s 50 Free

In the splash and dash, Olivia Smoliga had the best start and the furthest kick-out as she held off at the finish with a 21.70 just ahead of Margo Geer at 21.72. Geer joins the long list of post grads at Indiana University despite swimming undergrad at Arizona. Geer was listed under unattached Arizona but was wearing an IU cap during the race. Louisville’s Mallory Comerford finished third at 21.88 for her second medal of the meet.

Geer is listed as a volunteer assistant coach at Ohio State although she swam the race tonight in an Indiana cap.

Kelsi Worrell (21.98), Casey Fanz (22.04), Lainey Visscher (22.22), Aliena Schmidtke (22.25) and Freya Rayner (22.25) also swam in the A-final.

Smoliga is also in her first year swimming post-grad at Georgia as she ended her eligibility in March for the school.

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Men’s 50 Free

The king of consistency, Nathan Adrian won the 50 free final on Thursday night in Columbus, Ohio at the AT&T Winter Nationals with an 18.77 for the 50 free win. That is a good time for Adrian as he was a little off his 18.66 best time from the 2011 NCAA’s. Adrian’s time tied Caeleb Dressel’s pool record of 18.77 from the 2015 Ohio State Invite. Adrian also broke his own meet record of 18.81 from 2014.

Adrian got serious pressure from Michael Andrew as he placed second at 19.17. Andrej Barna (19.44), Matias Koski (19.62), Kasey Foley (19.62), Michael Chadwick (19.68), Josh Fleagle (19.77) and Corey Main (19.81) also swam in the A-final.

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Women’s 400 Medley Relay

Louisville showed off its impressive depth with a 3:31.92 for the win in the women’s medley relay. That time puts them third in the national rankings in that event behind Texas A&M (3:29.47) and Stanford (3:29.54). Alina Kendzior (53.26), Mariia Astashkina (1:00.32), Grace Oglesby (51.83) and Mallory Comerford (46.51) swam for the Cardinals as their B-team finished in second at 3:33.94. Ohio State was third at 3:36.95 which puts them 15th in the NCAA this season.

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Men’s 400 Medley Relay

The Cal post-grads put on a show in heat one with a 3:06.69 to win the event overall with four Olympians. Jacob Pebley (46.27), Josh Prenot (52.18), Ryan Murphy (45.63) and Nathan Adrian (42.61) won the race comfortably. Louisville was the fastest college team with a 3:08.73, which puts them eighth in Division I this year. Ohio State was third here at 3:10.40, putting them in ninth nationally.

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