After competing in short course this morning, finals of the 2016 NCSA Junior Nationals switched gears to give the athletes opportunities to participate in the long course version of their events.
Magnolia’s Lucie Nordmann maintained her first-place spot in the women’s 200 back with a final time of 2:10.86. Genevieve Pfeifer and Amanda Smith battled for second, exchanging the lead throughout the race, to tie with a final time of 2:13.44. Pfeifer split faster on the first 100 with a 1:05.06 (31.53 and 33.53) before coming back in a 1:08.38 (34.42 and 33.96). Smith caught up from a 1:05.60 split (31.95 and 33.65) for the first 100 with a 1:07.84 (33.92 and 33.92) in the back half.
Wade O’Brien of NOVA out-touched MAAC-GA’s Dean Farris, this morning’s top seed, with a final time of 2:01.88 in the men’s 200-meter back. Farris slipped to second with a time of 2:02.91, while Matthew Marquardt of MHSW joined them under the 2:05-mark with a final time of 2:03.68.
Ozaukee Aquatics’ Katie Drabot claimed her first individual win of the meet in the women’s 100-meter free. Despite not being first to the wall at the halfway mark, Drabot turned on the heat to stop the clock at 55.03. Nation’s Capital’s Morgan Hill grabbed second overall with a time of 56.08, and was followed closely behind by Riley Gaines and her time of 56.31.
Switching gears from this morning’s 500-yard free to the 400-meter free proved beneficial to Northern Kentucky Clippers’ Brendan Meyer as he blasted to first with a final time of 3:54.60 from lane eight, well under the USA Swimming Olympic trial cut. Meyer finished over two seconds ahead of Baylor’s Trey Freeman and his time of 3:56.99. Talmadge Davis slipped to third with a 3:57.27.
After being the only athlete under the 1-minute mark this morning, Margaret Aroesty kept the fire going with a sizzling 1:09.25 in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke. Aroesty, the only swimmer under the 1:10-mark, delivered splits of 33.08 and 36.17. Kate Douglass posted a lifetime best of 1:10.49 for second place, and was followed to the wall by Halle Morris (1:10.63).
Perhaps the most anticipated race of the night was the men’s 100-meter breaststroke. Michael Andrew and Reece Whitley returned as the top two qualifiers after posting short course times of 52.25 and 52.80 in prelims this morning. Andrew immediately shot to the lead, splitting a 28.37 with Jacob Montague touching second at the halfway mark with a 28.90, .05 seconds ahead of Whitley.
A strong surge from Whitley put him in contention for the title with Andrew, but Andrew hung on for first with a 1:01.01, nearing his NAG record of 1:00.68. Whitley posted a final time of 1:01.24 ahead of Montague’s 1:02.01.
Taylor Pike of Razorback Aquatic Club posted the top time in the women’s 200-meter fly to maintain her position as the top seed with a time of 2:10.89. Delaney Walz grabbed second overall with a time of 2:11.92, while Azra Avdic of Wildcat Aquatics turned in a 2:13.81 for third.
After delivering a stunning performance in the men’s 400-meter free, Meyer soared to another individual win and USA Swimming Olympic trial cut in the men’s 200-meter fly, stopping the clock at 1:59.98 to be the only athlete under the 2-minute mark. Nation’s Capital’s Samuel Pomajevich grabbed second with a time of 2:00.72, while NOVA’s Frederick Schubert finished third overall with a time of 2:01.31.
osaka aquatics? And what was Katie’s second win?
She only won one event. The only double winner was that Meyer kid from somewhere in KY.