U.S. Nationals: Ryan Murphy Owns Top Spot in 100 Back Prelims; Destin Lasco Also Sub-53
Having already wrapped up a spot on the World Championships team in the 200 backstroke, Ryan Murphy used a strong second 50 to claim the top spot out of prelims in the 100-meter race. Murphy came over the top of 50 back winner Justin Ress to touch the wall in 52.79. The time was Murphy’s best of the year so far, and he now ranks fifth globally.
The only other swimmer to get under 53 was Destin Lasco, Murphy’s training partner at Cal. Lasco was entered at 54.31, but he got down to 52.93 in the heats. Lasco got his long-awaited long course breakthrough as he qualified for his first World Championships earlier in the meet, finishing fourth in the 100 free and second behind Murphy in the 200 back.
Hunter Armstrong, the bronze medalist at Worlds last year in the 100 back and the world-record holder in the 50 back, placed third in 53.11. He owns the country’s top time this season at 52.59. Armstrong overtook Murphy in the event at last year’s International Team Trials, and he is desperate for a top-two finish in finals after missing the 100 free final and finishing second behind Ress in the 50 back, with only one swimmer selected for Worlds in that event.
Ress was fourth in 53.21, and then there was a big gap back to the remainder of the field. Christopher O’Connor was fifth in 53.73, ahead of Jack Aikins (53.75), Wyatt Davis (53.93) and Adam Chaney (53.98). It took a sub-54 performance to make the final, with Nate Stoffle (54.00) and Daniel Diehl (54.07) locked out. Diehl was the fifth seed entering the meet with a time of 53.07, and he tied for third in an impressive performance in the 200 back. But this time, Diehl will have to aim for his first 52-second swim in the B-final.
Absent from prelims was Shaine Casas, who owns a top time of 52.51. Casas was one of four men to break 53 in last year’s final, joining Armstrong, Murphy and Ress, but it has been a rough meet so far for Casas. He missed the A-final in the 100 free and 200 back before placing third in the 100 fly. His last chance to get on the team for Fukuoka will be in Saturday’s 200 IM.
Further down in the field, there was a tie for 16th between Jack Wilkening and Chris Thames, with both touching in 54.66. They swam off for the final spot in the B-final, with Thames coming out on top in 54.09 and Wilkening placing second at 54.84.
