Editorial content for the 2015 Arena Pro Swim Series Charlotte is sponsored by Arena. For full Swimming World coverage, check out our coverage page.
SwimMAC’s Katie Meili set yet another lifetime best in the 100-meter breast with a win at the Arena Pro Swim Series Charlotte.
Meili, who broke 1:07 for the first time this morning with a fourth-ranked time of 1:06.79, blasted her way to a sizzling 1:06.50 this evening.
That swim broke a tie with Alia Atkinson for fourth in the world, and put her in sole possession of the spot. Only Yuliya Efimova (1:05.89), Ruta Meilutyte (1:05.99) and Kanako Watanabe (1:06.45) have been faster.
Also of note: Meili’s time tonight would have won the 2014 USA Swimming national title by one hundredth of a second, and would have put her on the world championship team if she had swum that time last summer. Meili was fifth in the event in Irvine last August with a 1:07.44.
Trojan’s Jessica Hardy turned up the heat with a time of 1:06.97 to claim second and stand sixth in the world rankings. SwimMAC’s Micah Lawrence snared third in 1:07.42.
Atkinson wound up in fourth in 1:07.99.
Melanie Margalis (1:08.38), Newburgh’s Lilly King (1:09.08), Tennessee’s Molly Hannis (1:09.77) and BlueFish’s Laura Sogar (1:10.03) put up the rest of the times in the finale.
Meanwhile, Breeja Larson held off a hard-charging Andee Cottrell, 1:08.72 to 1:09.17, for the B final win.
SCHEDULED EVENTS
- Women’s 200 free
- Men’s 200 free
- Women’s 100 breast
- Men’s 100 breast
- Women’s 50 back
- Men’s 50 back
- Women’s 100 fly
- Men’s 100 fly
- Women’s 400 IM
- Men’s 400 IM
She’s an Ivy Leaguer. for goodness sakes, a Columbia graduate. She’s supposed to be making a zillion dollars on Wall Street or going to Harvard Law or writing the next great American romance novel — NOT vying for a spot on the plane to Rio.