Jillian Cox Among Three Repeat Winners at Speedo Summer Championships
During the middle night of racing at the Speedo Summer Championships in Irvine, Calif., three highly-regarded swimmers won their second individual event apiece of the meet.
Texas’ Jillian Cox pulled away for a win in the women’s 400 freestyle, touching on 4:06.31. The victory was her second of the meet after previously topping the 800 free Tuesday evening. Georgia’s Rachel Stege took second (4:07.39), with Kate Hurst well back in third (4:10.89) while Bella Sims, a finalist in the event at last year’s World Championships, fell to fifth in 4:11.42, more than nine seconds off her best time.
Fresh off a dominant 400 IM performance one night earlier, new Texas Longhorn Rex Maurer captured first place in the men’s 400 free in 3:48.72, ahead of Ohio State’s Charlie Clark (3:49.87) and Silas Beth (3:51.21). Also winning for the second time this week was Trenton Julian, with the Mission Viejo swimmer going 51.97 in the men’s 100 butterfly. Julian previously swam a time that would have been good enough to qualify for the Olympic team in the 200 fly. He was followed by Sun Devil’s Grant House (52.56) and Indiana’s Dylan Smiley (52.80).
Foxjets’ Caroline Larsen finished a half-second clear of the field in the women’s 100 fly in 58.73, ahead of Michigan’s Brady Kendall (59.34) and Pitt’s Sydney Gring (1:00.08). The Swim Team’s Macky Hodges topped the women’s 200 backstroke in 2:12.72, followed by Indiana’s Anna Freed (2:13.54) and Kentucky’s Grace Frericks (2:13.89), while the men’s race went to Indiana’s Owen McDonald in 1:59.13, ahead of Michigan’s Jack Wilkening (2:00.10) and McCallie’s Sam Powe (2:01.47).
In the 200 free relay, the Michigan women’s team of Claire Newman, Kendall, Abbey Ketslakh and Lindsay Flynn won in 1:40.39. The Indiana men won in 1:29.27 with McDonald, Smiley, Finn Brooks and Max Lestina.
Forty-six American swimmers qualified to represent the Stars and Stripes at the Paris Olympics, and for those who did not qualify, USA Swimming is offering this summer championship meet that takes the place of a usual late-July/early-August Nationals and Junior Nationals. On day one, Trenton Julian won a mark the 200 butterfly in a mark that would have qualified for the Olympic team, and the meet runs through Saturday, July 27.