ISL Match Ten Day 1 Notes: Beata Nelson & Hali Flickinger’s Versatility Gives Condors Breathing Room
ISL Match Ten Team Scores:
- Cali Condors 285
- LA Current 238
- London Roar 212
- Aqua Centurions 142
Even when the Cali Condors are down one of their top swimmers in Melanie Margalis, who is resting for the semi finals next week, they still don’t lose the events where she normally would swim. Margalis’ absence was no problem for the top ranked Condors, who have not lost a match yet this season in the International Swimming League, as even though she was not there to win her usual 18 points across the 200 IM and 400 freestyle, the Condors still picked up wins in those events thanks to the versatility of Beata Nelson and Hali Flickinger.
Hali Flickinger. Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL
Nelson, who is making her ISL debut after a stellar NCAA career at the University of Wisconsin, has been more known as a backstroker as she won the 200 back on Monday afternoon in Budapest with a 2:02.51, not far off her 2:01.3 best time that puts her third in the league. But Nelson filled in nicely for Margalis in the 200 IM as the 2019 NCAA champ threw down a 2:05.95 to win ahead of London’s Sydney Pickrem (2:05.97). It was a season best for both swimmers as Nelson now ranks fifth in the ISL this season while Margalis still leads after setting the league record last month at 2:04.06.
Flickinger, who is more known as a 200 butterflyer, finished runner-up to Nelson in the 200 back with a 2:03.02, putting her eighth in the league thus far this season. And later on in the session, she won the 400 freestyle, an event where Margalis leads the ISL rankings, with a 3:59.78 in just holding off Valentine Dumont of the Aqua Centurions at 4:00.05. Flickinger ranks fourth in the league this season with that swim as Margalis still sits first. Flickinger has filled in wherever the Condors need her, splitting a 53.0 on the B 4×100 free relay, which was faster than any of the swimmers on that relay including sprinters Kelsi Dahlia, Veronica Burchill and Lia Neal.
Nelson and Flickinger’s versatility are a big reason why the Condors have not lost a meet yet this season, and remain a favorite to take down reigning champs Energy Standard if (or when) they meet in the final four in two weeks time.
Margalis was not the only key swimmer missing in this match, as London was without team captain Adam Peaty, who is presumably resting for next week’s semi finals that the Roar have safely qualified for.
The Queen Dethroned
Lilly King was handed her first defeat in ISL match ten. Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL
Lilly King, who had yet to lose a race in her entire ISL career, saw the number 2 next to her name for the first time as a professional swimmer on Monday in ISL match ten as her first defeat came at the hands of none other than her training partner in Annie Lazor of the London Roar in the 200 breaststroke. Lazor stayed close to King through 100 meters and made her move on the third 50, passing King to lead 1:42.19 to 1:42.78. King, the American record holder in the 200 breast SCM, fought back on the final 25 but it was not enough as Lazor, who trains alongside King every day in Bloomington, Indiana, touched first at 2:17.04 to King’s 2:17.18.
The time was a lifetime best for Lazor, who now sits third in the ISL rankings while King still leads with her 2:15 from last month. But the win ends King’s perfect streak. This sets up an intriguing race moving forward if the Roar can make the finals, pitting Lazor and King up against each other again. King has risen to the occasion time and time again when the lights come out, but Lazor has been the first to knock her off her throne. This didn’t seem to faze King however, who has probably taken a few losses in workouts behind closed doors at their training base in Bloomington, Indiana, as this puts the American record up for grabs if both swimmers can rest ahead of the semi finals next week.
King returned in the 50 breast to another second place, this time to Condors teammate Molly Hannis in the 50 breast, with the former Tennessee Volunteer touching at 29.17 to King’s 29.18. Both swims are slower than their season bests, and it really shouldn’t be a cause of concern for King, who hasn’t seen many back to back losses in her career.
Tomorrow, she will line up in the 100 breaststroke where her biggest challenge should come from Hannis and London Roar’s Alia Atkinson, who sits second in the ISL rankings this season.
Hello Federica!
Federica Pellegrini stretching ahead of ISL match ten. Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL
Federica Pellegrini made her long awaited debut after delaying her arrival in Budapest due to a positive COVID-19 test that kept her isolated at home in Italy. Two weeks ago, she received a negative test and was permitted to join her Aqua Centurions teammates, who are swimming their last meet of the season this weekend due to the fact they will not advance to the semi finals. She came to Budapest November 4 safely reunited with her coach Matteo Giunta and Italian teammates.
Pellegrini, in her short stint in ISL match ten, raced to fifth in the 200 back (2:05.64) and swam on both Centurions relays where she split a 53.8 in the free relay and led off the medley with a 59.0 backstroke. Pellegrini’s bread and butter is the 200 free, where she is the two-time reigning World champ, and will be racing in that event tomorrow. Although the Centurions will not be advancing to the semi finals next week, the athletes and coaches were happy to see her on the deck, albeit for only two short days.
LA Current Dark Horse
Ryan Murphy. Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS
With a lot of attention looming over the impending matchup between the Cali Condors and Energy Standard in the final four, the LA Current, and London Roar for that matter, seem to be lost in the shadows. The Current have an MVP candidate in Ryan Murphy, who took wins in both the 50 (22.75) and 200 back (1:48.60) today, and also have one of the top sprinting duos of Beryl Gastaldello and Abbey Weitzeil, the latter winning the 50 free with a new American record on Monday.
If the Current have any achilles heel, it is the lack of a women’s breaststroker or a men’s “distance” swimmer as the team has a contender everywhere else. But if the meet comes down to the Skins and the women’s medley relay winner picks breaststroke, which Cali, Energy and London all have strong cases to make, it may not spell good news for the Current, although they were able to advance Anastasia Gorbenko to the final in a breaststroke Skins race before.
But the Current men have been strong all season, with Tom Shields leading the league in both the 100 and 200 fly, Murphy leading the 200 back and third in the 200 back, and Maxime Rooney coming up clutch time and time again on relays, the Current are a dangerous team moving ahead to next week. The team was leading the Condors at a few points today in match ten, and will certainly not go down without a fight.
In this ISL match ten, the Current men actually have the most points with 125 followed by the Condors (113) and the Roar (107).
But looking forward to next week, the Current have the pieces to give the Condors and Energy a run for their money – it is just a matter of putting them in the right places.