The final day of competition at the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series Clovis closed out the Series for the season as well.
Erica Sullivan kicked things off with a bang in the women’s 1500, after already winning the 400 freestyle on night three. Akaram Mahmoud did likewise in the men’s race.
Other event winners on the final night of the 2019 TYR Pro Swim Series circuit included Sydney Pickrem and Luca Urlando (200 IM), Isabelle Stadden and Markus Thormeyer (200 Back), Alia Atkinson and Brandon Fischer (50 Breast) and Mallory Comerford and Michael Chadwick (100 Free).
Women’s 1500 Freestyle
Sandpipers of Nevada’s Erica Sullivan ran away with the 1500 free to close out her meet at Clovis. Not only was her 15:55.25 a lifetime best by seven seconds, it was also the third-fastest time in the world this year.
Among Americans, Sullivan is second only to Katie Ledecky for 2019, and is right behind distance legend Janet Evans on the USA Swimming 17-18 All Time rankings in this event. Sullivan’s 500 splits were 5:18.21 – 5:18.89 – 5:18.15.
Canada’s Mackenzie Padington was a distant second, coming in at 16:56.58. She had a battle against Mexico’s Ayumi Macias throughout the race. Macias ultimately took third (16:56.76) after a great closing 500.
Clovis Swim Club’s Averee Preble was fourth in 16:59.72. She was followed by Allison Bernier (17:29.05) and Claudia Chang (17:39.43).
Men’s 1500 Freestyle
Egypt’s Akaram Mahmoud got to the wall first in the men’s 1500 (15:26.12). DART Swimming’s Chris Wieser was also in the mix through the 1000-meter mark, but could not withstand a charging Mahmoud in the back third. The victor dropped to 30s in the final 200 and came home in 29.64.
Teen duo Sawyer Grimes (SAND) and Aidan Reagan (FORD) picked up their Olympic Trials cuts in this event, with Reagan sneaking under the mark by four one hundredths of a second. Their times of 15:38.38 and 15:44.85 earned them third and fourth place, respectively.
Rounding out the top eight finishers were Blake Simpson (16:00.93), Scott Pekarske (16:06.51), Parker Reynolds (16:11.34) and Brodie Young (16:13.04).
Women’s 200 IM
Canada’s Sydney Pickrem won her fourth title of the weekend with a dominating 200 IM of 2:11.78. The swim was off her season-best 2:08.61 from Indiana’s FINA Champions Series but was enough for the win in Clovis.
Pickrem used a quick 37.61 breaststroke leg to get the upper hand over Canadian teammate Emily Overholt who took second in 2:13.45. Mexico’s Monika Gonzalez-Hermosillo completed the international sweep with her third-place time of 2:14.54.
Evie Pfeifer was the top American in the field, coming in at 2:15.00 for fourth. She was followed by Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (2:15.34), Claire Tuggle (2:18.26), Melissa Rodriguez (2:19.35) and Bailey Nero (2:21.17).
Men’s 200 IM
DART Swimming’s Luca Urlando picked up his second win of the meet, claiming the 200 IM in a lifetime best 2:00.12. The time bumps him from fifteenth to ninth in the USA Swimming All Time 17-18 rankings in this event, coming in just one one hundredth ahead of National Teamer Carson Foster.
Urlando used a strong opening 100 (25.93-31.84; 57.77) to take the lead in this event. Puerto Rico’s Jarod Arroyo was second in 2:03.29.
15-year-old posted a quick 2:05.60 four fourth place. Mexico’s Hector Ruvalcaba Cruz (2:06.17), Jonathan Affeld (2:08.97), Spencer Klinsky (2:12.30) and Brodie Young (2:13.20) placed fifth through eighth.
Women’s 200 Backstroke
16-year-old Isabelle Stadden posted a strong win in the 200 back, coming in right on her lifetime best at 2:08.67. The swim is a best for this year for Stadden, and bumps her up to tenth in the world so far this year. She is the fourth-best American.
Sydney Pickrem added a second-place finish to her Clovis resume after racing to a 2:13.17. Taylor McCoy took third in 2:14.46 and 15-year-old Natalie Mannion was fourth in 1:15.74.
Rounding out the top eight finishers were Mexico’s Athena Meneses Kovacs (1:16.52), Skylar Dikeman (2:17.17), Yulduz Kuchkarova (2:20.00) and Erika Seltenreich-Hodgson (2:20.18).
Men’s 200 Backstroke
Canada’s Markus Thormeyer raced to victory in the 200 back, coming in at 1:59.24. His season best is a 1:57.42 form earlier this year. Thormeyer was the only man under the two-minute barrier this time around.
Mexico’s Andy Song was in the mix through the 100, as was Harrison Lierz who actually had a solid lead at the halfway point (58.57). In the end, Song took second in 2:02.73 with Lierz third (2:02.95). The latter dipped right under the Olympic Trials standard in this event by four one hundredths of a second.
Also racing in the final heat were Josiah Binnema (2:06.35), Erick Gordillo (2:06.55), Robby Moseley (2:07.03), Nicolas Duke (2:07.04) and Zachary Tan (2:10.04).
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson won her first event of the meet, finishing just off her season-best in the 50 breast. She was the only swimmer under 31 seconds with a 30.69.
Danielle Herrmann (31.55) and Melissa Rodriguez (31.86) had a tough duel for second, whole Olivia Anderson was fourth (32.04).
Also competing in the final were Ali Harrison (32.46), Hillary Metcalfe (32.65), Jordyn Wentzel (33.12) and Larisa Tam (33.63).
Men’s 50 Breaststroke
Brandon Fischer doubled up on breaststroke wins this meet after blasting a 27.26 fifty. The swim is the second-best time by an American so far this year and ranks nineteenth overall.
Pavel Romanov was second (27.71) and Youssef Elkamash third (27.89). Mauro Castillo Luna led the remaining finishers in 28.08. Coming in next were Richard Funk (28.14), Miguel de Lara Ojeda (28.19), Lionel Khoo (28.47) and Azad Al-Barazi (28.75).
Women’s 100 Freestyle
Cardinal Aquatics posted a one-two finish in the 100 freestyle with great effort from Mallory Comerford (53.90) and Kelsi Dahlia (54.56). Comerford was slightly off her season-best 53.33, while Dahlia earned a best for 2019 after going 55.33 earlier this year.
Julie Meynen took a close third in 54.63. Catie Deloof was also under 55 seconds, grabbing fourth in 54.91.
Louise Hansson (55.05), Kendyl Stewart (55.48), Linnea Mack (55.54) and Anelise Diener (55.78) took fifth through eighth.
Men’s 100 Freestyle
Michael Chadwick went a season-best 100 free for the win in Clovis. His 48.70 now moves him into the top thirty world rankings for 2019. He got off to a quick start in 23.26 and out-split the field on the second fifty as well (25.44).
Christian Quintero (49.43) won a tight race for second over 50-fly champion Peter Holoda (49.46). The men were followed by Tate Jackson (49.55) and Dylan Carter (49.64).
Townley Haas took sixth this time around in 49.74. Federico Grabich was seventh in 50.31 and Gabe Castano was eighth in 51.03.
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