Editorial coverage for U.S. Senior Nationals proudly sponsored by Master Spas!
IRVINE, California, August 9. KATIE Ledecky delivered a swim for the ages to start off an epic night of swimming at the USA Swimming Senior Nationals.
Scheduled Events
- Women’s 400 free
- Men’s 400 free
- Women’s 100 breast
- Men’s 100 breast
- Women’s 100 back
- Men’s 100 back
- Women’s 400 medley relay
- Men’s 400 medley relay
Women’s 400 free
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
NCAP’s Katie Ledecky got the crowd going at the USA Swimming Senior Nationals as she blasted her way to a world record in the women’s 400-meter freestyle.
Ledecky raced her way to a 3:58.86 to win the middle distance event, and down Federica Pellegrini’s world record (3:59.15) and her own American record (3:59.82) as she blasted through the 3:59 barrier.
Ledecky, who already holds the world records in the 800 (8:11.00) and 1500 (15:34.23) freestyle events, becomes the first swimmer to hold all three records at the same time since Janet Evans did so in the 80s.
Comparative Splits
Ledecky World record:
28.03, 57.74 (29.71), 1:27.67 (29.93), 1:57.72 (30.05), 2:27.95 (30.23), 2:58.40 (30.45), 3:29.41 (31.01), 3:58.86 (29.45)
Ledecky U.S. Open record:
28.25, 58.25 (30.00), 1:28.40 (30.15), 1:58.59 (30.19), 2:29.35 (30.76), 2:59.79 (30.44), 3:30.20 (30.41), 3:59.89 (29.69)
Pellegrini:
28.45, 58.66 (30.31), 1:28.97 (30.31), 1:59.42 (30.45), 2:29.66 (30.24), 2:59.93 (30.27), 3:29.79 (29.86), 3:59.15 (29.36)
Ledecky American record:
28.05, 58.12 (30.07), 1:28.25 (30.13), 1:58.74 (30.49), 2:28.85 (30.11), 2:59.29 (30.44), 3:29.94 (30.65), 3:59.82 (29.88)
Ledecky was swimming against herself as NBAC’s Cierra Runge took second in a 4:04.67 to vault to eighth in the world, while Cavalier’s Leah Smith placed third in 4:06.28.
BlueFish’s Elizabeth Beisel (4:07.46), NBAC’s Becca Mann (4:07.92), Badger’s Lindsay Vrooman (4:09.38), NBAC’s Gillian Ryan (4:11.19) and Aggie’s Sarah Henry (4:12.15) also swam in the historic heat.
Bulldogs went 1-2 in the B final with Amber McDermott topping the consolation heat in 4:08.90, while Jordan Mattern touched second in 4:09.66. Minnesota’s Kiera Janzen raced her way to third in 4:10.25.
Madison Homovich of North Carolina won the C final of the middle distance event in 4:12.77, just off her best of 4:12.30 from juniors last week. Sandpipers’ Erin Emery picked up second in 4:13.18 with Pleasanton’s Moriah Simonds earning third in 4:13.97.
Men’s 400 free
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
The Woodlands’ Michael McBroom pushed the pace early before having to hold off a hard-charging Matt McLean of NBAC, 3:47.19 to 3:47.30. McBroom moved into a tie for 11th in the world, while McLean finished 12th in the world. That put McBroom on the Pan Pacific team, while McLean already was on the team.
Club Wolverine’s Connor Jaeger, already on the team with a 1500 free win, took third in 3:49.42 after turning in a 3:45.34 at the Bulldog Grand Slam earlier this summer.
Reed Malone (3:49.67), Club Wolverine’s Michael Klueh (3:50.82), Club Wolverine’s Sean Ryan (3:51.30), Badger’s Ryan Feeley (3:53.82) and Metroplex’s John Lewis (3:55.54) also battled in the finale.
NBAC’s Frank Dyer edged Mission Viejo’s Janardan Burns, 3:50.54 to 3:50.99, for the B final win. North Texas’ Jonathan Roberts placed third in 3:51.85.
Grant Shoults won a Litherland-loaded C final with a time of 3:52.78. Townley Haas took second in 3:53.26 with Santa Clara’s Aidan Burns placing third in 3:53.28. Kevin (3:54.16), Jay (3:55.80) and Mick (3:57.94) Litherland of Dynamo placed fifth, seventh and eighth.
Women’s 100 breast
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
It’s a TIE! Trojan’s Jessica Hardy and SwimMAC’s Micah Lawrence turned in a pair of sizzling swims with times of 1:06.51. The two are now tied for sixth in the world rankings, with both improving on 1:06s as Hardy was seventh with a 1:06.86 and Lawrence had a 1:06.97 season best.
Aggie’s Breeja Larson had to turn on the jets down the stretch as she took third in 1:06.73. That swim pushed her up to eighth in the world rankings and could give Team USA a striking threesome headed to Pan Pacs if the team winds up taking the top three.
SwimMAC’s Emma Reaney, the American record holder in the 200-yard breaststroke, missed a chance for the team with a fourth-place 1:06.74 to take ninth in the world, while her teammate Katie Meili earned fifth in 1:07.44.
Newburgh’s Lilly King (1:08.22), Tennessee’s Molly Hannis (1:08.82) and Louisville’s Andee Cottrell (1:09.10) also competed in the finale.
Alabama’s Kaylin Burchell put up a 1:08.65 to win the B final, while Stanford’s Katie Olsen finished second in 1:08.80. Emily McClellan wound up third in 1:08.91.
Bethany Galat tops C final in 1:09.17. Roadrunner’s Jorie Caneta took second in 1:09.41 with Aquajet’s Olivia Anderson earning third in 1:09.43.
Men’s 100 breast
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
In what has continued to be the surprise stroke for Team USA since Brendan Hansen had a stranglehold on the National Team for a decade, Badger’s Cody Miller broke 1:00 to shock the rest of the field with a 59.91. That time tied him with Yasuhiro Koseki and Felipe da Silva for ninth in the world as he made the Pan Pacific Championships team.
Heading into tonight, everyone had eyes on Kevin Cordes and Brendan McHugh as the potential winners of the race. Neither even took the top two. Bulldogs’ Nic Fink finished second in 1:00.38 for 14th in the world, while Cordes placed third in 1:00.63. McHugh, who already is a lock for the 2015 Worlds team after winning the 50 breast early this week, fell to seventh in 1:01.10.
Tennessee’s Brad Craig (1:00.82), Ohio State’s DJ MacDonald (1:00.83), Club Wolverine’s Zach Hayden (1:01.00) and PASA’s BJ Johnson (1:01.84) also swam in the championship heat.
Mike Alexandrov of NYAC won the B final in 1:00.91 with Tucson Ford’s Marcus Titus taking second in 1:01.63. NCAP’s Carsten Vissering wound up third in 1:01.90.
Connor Hoppe of Clovis earned the C final win in 1:01.84. Canyons’ Peter Kropp touched second in 1:02.07 with Tide’s Austin Temple placing third in 1:02.53.
Women’s 100 back
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
Teri McKeever had to be ecstatic after the A final of the 100-meter back as the California Golden Bears went 1-2-3 in the event. Missy Franklin, who won her fifth straight national title in the event, overcame a bit of a tough start to win the event with a blistering 59.38. That time shot her to third in the event, behind only Emily Seebohm (58.92) and Mie Nielsen (59.36). That sets up an epic battle in Australia between Franklin and Seebohm at Pan Pacs.
Rachel Bootsma then clipped teammate Elizabeth Pelton, 1:00.71 to 1:00.76, for second-place honors. It’s an amazing finish for the U.S. to see that it was robbed of during NCAAs when Franklin wound up focusing on the freestyle events during her freshman year.
SwimMAC’s Kathleen Baker hit the wall fourth in 1:00.90 with Bulldogs’ Olivia Smoliga capturing fifth in 1:01.08.
Aquakids’ Clara Smiddy (1:01.37), Fresno’s Cheyenne Coffman (1:01.57) and Club Wolverine’s Ali Deloof (1:02.21) claimed sixth through eighth to close out the championship finishes.
California’s Melanie Klaren turned up the heat down the stretch to win the B final in 1:01.81. Longhorn’s Sarah Denninghoff finished third in 1:01.99 with Missouri’s Hannah Stevens earning third in 1:02.07.
Dynamo’s Kylie Stewart powered her way to a win in the C final with a 1:01.62, just edging Carmel’s Claire Adams (1:01.63) in the process. Y-Sparta’s Danielle Galyer finished third in 1:02.53.
Men’s 100 back
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
Tucson Ford’s Matt Grevers, who already won the 50 fly earlier this week, took home the gold in the 100 with a 52.75. That’s the third-best in the world this year, behind only Xu Jiayu (52.34) and Ryosuke Irie (52.57). Grevers will be putting on a show in Australia later this month at the Pan Pacific Championships squad.
California’s Ryan Murphy, just 19, blistered the rest of the field with a 53.21 to take second tonight. That swim was just off his 53.20 from prelims that ranks him seventh in the world. SwimMAC’s Nick Thoman rounded out the top three with a 53.46 to tie Mitch Larkin for eighth in the world.
NYAC’s David Plummer, the 50 back winner, took fourth in 53.57 with California’s Jacob Pebley placing fifth in 53.90.
NBAC’s Michael Phelps, who made the Pan Pacs roster via the 100 fly last night with a second-place finish to Tom Shields, had some trouble in the 100 back with a sixth-place 53.95. He hit the lane line several times and could not find his typical back-half speed.
Stanford’s Eugene Godsoe (54.66) and Indiana’s James Wells (55.41) placed seventh and eighth.
Shane Ryan shot to 18th in the world with a 53.90 to win the B final. Machine’s Jack Conger hit the wall second in 55.26 with Wisconsin’s Drew teDuits placing third in 55.34.
Michael Andrew, the 15-year-old pro swimmer, picked up another heat win this week after his first junior national title last week. Andrew clocked a 55.73 to tie his personal best to win the C final. BlueFish’s Connor Green earned second in 56.13 with Ethan Young of Carpet Capital taking third in 56.15.
Women’s 400 medley relay
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
Longhorn’s Sarah Denninghoff (1:01.50), Gretchen Jaques (1:10.57), Kelsey Leneave (59.81) and Lisa Boyce (55.85) cruised to victory in the medley relay finale with a time of 4:07.73.
Missouri’s Hannah Stevens (1:02.58), Katharine Ross (1:10.32), Dani Barbiea (1:00.63) and Anna Patterson (55.54) touched second in 4:09.07, while SwimMAC’s Nora McCullagh (1:04.32), Micah Lawrence (1:07.45), Caitlin Casazza (1:00.75) and Melissa Gates (56.77) finished third in 4:09.29.
Tennessee (4:09.73), Cavalier (4:11.04), NBAC (4:12.79), Wisconsin (4:12.88) and Louisville (4:13.17) also made the podium in the timed final event.
Men’s 400 medley relay
Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
SwimMAC had their hands full against Tennessee in the final event of the night, but managed to still win the men’s 400-meter medley relay in half-a-second. Ryan Lochte (54.48), Nic Eriksson (1:02.81), Tim Phillips (51.84) and Dax Hill (49.38) combined to win the national crown in 3:38.51.
Tennessee’s Sean Lehane (55.49), Brad Craig (1:01.70), Kyler Van Swol (52.15) and Troy Tillman (49.69) took second in the timed finale with a 3:39.03. Ohio State’s Steven Zimmerman (55.12), DJ MacDonald (1:00.16), Garrett Trebilcock (54.70) and Michael DiSalle (49.31) placed third in 3:39.29.
Stanford (3:42.18), Missouri (3:44.63), Louisville (3:45.32), NBAC (3:45.74) and Wisconsin (3:46.12) rounded out the podium.
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