Editorial content for the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa is sponsored by Arena. For full Swimming World coverage, check out our coverage page.
The second night of finals at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa will feature Michael Phelps’ first swim back from suspension under the lights, while Katinka Hosszu will be looking for a stunner in the 400-meter IM. Hit refresh for the latest coverage.
Women’s 200 free
In the first high profile head-to-head finale between Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Katie Ledecky and FINA Swimmer of the Year Katinka Hosszu, Ledecky managed to pick up the women’s 200-meter free triumph at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.
Ledecky raced her way to a 1:56.79 to win the finale by a wide margin. That swim fell just a bit shy of her third-ranked 1:56.16 from the Austin stop of the Arena Pro Swim Series. Only Femke Heemskerk (1:54.68) and Emma McKeon (1:55.88) have been faster this year.
Hosszu, meanwhile, snatched second overall in 1:57.51. That’s a bit off her season best of 1:57.19 that ranks her 11th in the world.
NBAC’s Allison Schmitt raced her way to third with a 1:57.86 as she initially moved ahead of Hosszu but couldn’t hold her off in the final 50.
Katie McLaughlin (1:58.00), SMU’s Nina Rangelova (1:59.40), NBAC’s Lotte Friis (2:01.79), Vien Nguyen (2:02.32) and Patricia Castro Ortega (2:02.82) closed out the finale.
Stanford’s Maya DiRado turned in a strong backhalf to win the B final in 2:00.51 with fellow Cardinal Simone Manuel taking second in 2:00.91.
Men’s 200 free
NBAC’s Conor Dwyer, the series points leader, claimed a valuable first-place finish in the men’s 200-meter free at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.
Dwyer posted a top time of 1:48.28 for the win, while SwimMAC’s Ryan Lochte touched nearly a full second back with a time of 1:49.28. SwimMAC’s Tyler Clary rounded out a star-studded podium with a third-place time of 1:49.85.
Those times are well off the top 10 in the world currently anchored by James Guy with a 1:46.94 from the Speedo Flanders Cup.
Club Wolverine’s Michael Klueh posted a fourth-place time of 1:50.73 with Dion Dreesens in fifth in 1:50.76.
Emmanuel Vanluchene (1:51.81), Tiger’s Craig Hamilton (1:51.85) and The Woodlands’ Michael McBroom (1:52.35) comprised the rest of the championship heat.
NBAC’s Frank Dyer turned in a 1:51.15 to win the B final, while SMU’s Christian Scherubl clocked a time of 1:51.37 in what proved to be a close finish.
Women’s 100 breast
SwimMAC’s Katie Meili nearly duplicated her lifetime best from prelims with a win in the women’s 100-meter breast at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa tonight.
Meili clocked a time of 1:07.26, just off her ninth-ranked 1:07.16 from this morning that broke her lifetime best. She’s the fastest American in the world right now with Breeja Larson second with a 1:07.33 at the Austin stop of the Arena Pro Swim Series.
SoFlo’s Alia Atkinson checked in with a second-place time of 1:08.01 with Larson taking third overall tonight in 1:08.60 in front of a hometown crowd as she is from Mesa.
SwimMAC’s Micah Lawrence, who had a leg injury earlier this year and has been in recovery mode, took fourth in her first meet back as she clocked a 1:08.93.
Minnesota’s Haley Spencer (1:10.05), Laura Lindsay (1:10.59), Badger’s Emily McClellan (1:11.34) and Tucson Ford’s Emma Schoettmer (1:11.52) closed out the top eight.
Trojan’s Jessica Hardy, fresh off surgery, won the B final with a time of 1:10.87. She had a race on her hands as Louisville’s Andee Cottrell touched just behind with a second-place 1:10.94.
Men’s 100 breast
In a finale that featured seven total countries represented, eight if you count Mike Alexandrov twice, Louisville’s Carlos Claverie edged the field in the men’s 100-meter breast at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.
Claverie touched out Trojan’s Azad Al-Barazi, 1:02.42 to 1:02.44, while NYAC’s Alexandrov took third overall in 1:02.59.
None of the top three even came close to the top 10 in the world currently anchored by legend Kosuke Kitajima’s 1:00.18 from Japanese Nationals.
Club Wolverine’s Zach Hayden, who went out hard, wound up taking fourth overall in 1:02.76.
SoFlo’s Jorge Murillo Valdes (1:03.08), Grand Canyon’s Youssef El Kamash (1:03.0), Uldis Tazans (1:03.55) and Grand Canyon’s Eetu Karvonen (1:04.01) placed fifth through eighth.
Maksim Shcherbakov won the B final with a time of 1:02.81 while Tucson Ford’s Marcus Titus put up a second-place 1:03.77.
Women’s 100 fly
Louisville’s Kelsi Worrell followed up her barrier-breaking efforts at the NCAA Championships with a lifetime best in the women’s 100-meter fly tonight at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.
Worrell threw down a strong time of 58.24, downing her previous best of 58.44 from last summer’s U.S. Nationals. That’s a huge win as Worrell refocuses on her long course season after a phenomenal short course yard effort.
Western Kentucky’s Claire Donahue, who has had to deal with WKU’s hazing-based program suspension this week, finished second tonight in 59.19.
Katie McLaughlin picked up third overall this evening in 59.32, while Stanford’s Felicia Lee also cleared 1:00 with a fourth-place time of 59.95.
Hannah Saiz (1:00.34), SwimMAC’s Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (1:00.41), SwimMAC’s Cammile Adams (1:00.46) and Ellen Thomas (1:01.14) also competed in the A final tonight.
NBAC’s Allison Schmitt put up a 1:00.70 to win the B final tonight. That was nearly a lifetime best as she previously posted her best with a 1:00.16 at the 2011 Minneapolis stop of the Arena Grand Prix.
Men’s 100 fly
In his first final back since completing his six-month suspension for a DUI arrest, Michael Phelps picked up the gold medal in the men’s 100-meter fly at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.
Phelps raced his way to a 52.38 for the win, cutting half-a-second off his prelim time of 52.92. He still has a bit of time to drop to catch up to the top 10 in the world currently held by David Morgan with a 52.03 from Australia.
SwimMAC’s Ryan Lochte took second tonight in 53.11 on the back end of a tough double with a second-place finish in the 200 free earlier.
California’s Tom Shields raced his way to third overall in 53.18 with SwimMAC’s Tim Phillips taking fourth in 53.54.
Matt Josa (53.67), Phoenix’s Alex Coci (53.79), Palo Alto’s Eugene Godsoe (54.08) and Grand Canyon’s Marcus Schlesinger (54.33) closed out the rest of the top eight.
Guatemala’s Luis Martinez took the B final title in 53.62, while Carl Weigley took second in 54.45. Singapore’s Zheng Wen Quah wound up third in 54.49.
Women’s 400 IM
Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu demonstrated just why she’s one of the best in the world in the IMs with a dominant effort in the women’s 400-meter IM at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.
After blasting a second-ranked time of 4:36.00 this morning to stand behind only Aimee Willmott’s 4:35.74, Hosszu threw down a 4:36.77 for the win tonight to win by more than three seconds.
California’s Caitlin Leverenz raced her way to second overall in 4:40.29 with Vien Nguyen snaring third in 4:42.60.
Stanford’s Maya DiRado clocked in fourth with a 4:43.72 with NCAP’s Katie Ledecky taking fifth in 4:45.41. Ledecky fell well off her personal best of 4:42.82 from this morning.
SwimMAC’s Cammile Adams (4:47.02), Ohio State’s Lindsey Clary (4:51.15) and Louisville’s Tanja Kylliainen (4:51.83) tracked down the rest of the times in the A final.
Gator’s Elizabeth Beisel, the series points leader, won the B final of the 400 IM with a time of 4:46.75. No one else came close in the consolation heat as Scottsdale’s Taylor Ruck took second in 4:52.28.
Men’s 400 IM
SwimMAC’s Tyler Clary held off a hard-charging Conor Dwyer in the men’s 400-meter IM at the Arena Pro Swim Series Mesa.
Clary, who went out well ahead of the pack, cruised in to win the finale, 4:19.59 to 4:20.25, against Dwyer as Dwyer threw down a 58.43 freestyle split as he tried to track down Clary.
Nitro’s Sean Grieshop took third tonight in 4:23.16 with Louisville’s Carlos Claverie taking fourth in 4:28.31.
Connor Green (4:29.60), Mission Viejo’s Ken Takahashi (4:29.99), Mission Viejo’s Dan O’Connor (4:31.79) and Scarlet’s Jonathan Gomez (4:37.92) placed fifth through eighth.
Arizona Gold’s Mark Jurek took home the B final title in 4:29.76 with SwimMAC’s Marko Blazevski posting a second-place time of 4:30.56.
SCHEDULED EVENTS
- Women’s 200 free
- Men’s 200 free
- Women’s 100 breast
- Men’s 100 breast
- Women’s 100 fly
- Men’s 100 fly
- Women’s 400 IM
- Men’s 400 IM
- Women’s 400 free relay
- Men’s 400 free relay
Go go goooo