2014 LA Invite Day 3 Prelims: Adrian Rocks Prelims with a 21.90; Coughlin Shines

2014 LA Invite

• Thursday, July 17th-Sunday, July 20th
• Thursday 4PM, Friday-Sunday Prelims 8:30AM/Finals 5PM (Pacific Time)
• Uytengsyu Aquatics Facility, University of Southern California
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

Day Three

There were A and B flights again on Day Three, so the later prelims swimmers were trying to punch their ticket into one of the finals. We should note that “A” “B” and “C” finals are open; “D” is reserved for 18-and-unders swimmers.

Women’s 200 IM Prelims

Caitlin Leverenz. Photo: Anne Lepesant

The top names from Friday’s 400 IM led the way in the shorter distance, as well. Maya DiRado of Stanford Swimming posted the top time in the A flight, going 2:14.14. California Aquatics teammates Elizabeth Pelton and Caitlin Leverenz, with 2:15.35 and 2:15.45 respectively, were the next fastest.

Australia’s Mikkayla Sheridan (2:18.41) and Celina Li of Pleasanton and Cal (2:19.18) battled each other in the first circle-seeded heat; Sheridan made up nearly a second on her final 50 to overtake Li for the heat win. The pair qualified fourth and fifth. Ella Eastin of SOCAL Aquatics (2:19.67) finished second to Leverenz and wound up sixth overall.

Kelly Naze of Cal (2:19.83) and Noelle Tarazona of Bruins (2:20.15) made up the rest of the “A” final qualifiers.

Brianna Francis of Utah popped a 2:22.90 to lead the B flight and earn a second swim in the consolation final.

Men’s 200 Free Prelims

The home team showed up for the 200 free. Nikita Lobinstev (1:50.52), Cristian Quintero (1:50.57), Mads Glaesner (1:51.78), and Alexander Sukhorukov (1:52.40) of Trojan Swim Club all posted top-eight qualifying times in their home pool.

Australian Kurt Herzog put up the fastest prelim time with 1:49.61. His teammate Jack McLoughlin (1:51.80) qualified fifth. LASC’s Max Jaben (1:52.28) and Cal’s Tom Shields (1:52.71) were also among the “A” final qualifiers.

Seven B flight swimmers moved into the top 32: Christopher Webb (1:55.29), Kevin Su (1:55.33), Joe Lastelic (1:55.92), Cary Wright (1:56.05), Joshua Kim (1:56.18), Andrew Porter (1:56.53), and Matt Drum (1:56.70).

200 Breast Prelims

Top-seeded Andrea Kropp of Canyons was the top qualifier in the women’s 200 breast with 2:30.98. Second in her heat was Stanford’s Katie Olsen( 2:35.19), who turned in the third-fastest morning time. Australia’s Jessica Hansen won her heat in 2:34.93, slipping in at second.

Ashley Tse of Brea (2:36.30) won a hotly-contested heat. Tse, Hayley Monteith of Scotland (2:36.82), and Brianna Weinstein of Trojan Swim Club (2:37.55) all made the top eight. Jessican Khojasteh of DACA (2:38.12) and Ella Eastin of SOCAL (2:38.33) will join them in the “A” final tonight.

Heidi Poppe from Stanford went 2:39.22 in the B flight to make the consolation final.

The men’s race had several big names, including Kosuke Kitajima and Kevin Cordes. And yet it was Alabama’s Anton McKee who dropped .8 in prelims to post the top time going into finals. The second-fastest was Nicholas Schafer of Australia with 2:13.18. Kitajima was third with 2:16.38, just in front of Australia’s Buster Sykes (2:16.68).

Carlos Almeida (2:18.04) and Azad Al-barazi (2:19.07) of Trojans, Chuck Katis of Cal (2:18.25), and Ganem Tebet (2:20.53) rounded out the top eight. (Kevin Cordes was DQ’d.)

Wyatt Hodges (2:21.96) and Scott Haeberle (2:23.28) had huge drops in the B flighted prelims; both made it back for finals.

50 Free Prelims

Cal’s Natalie Coughlin won her heat by 3/10 over Abbey Weitzeil of Canyons (25.66); they qualified first and third. Australia’s Yolane Kukla (25.63) and Holly Barratt (25.76) were second and fourth.

Other top-eight qualifiers include: Margo Geer of Tucson Ford (25.77), Australian teammates Marieke D’Cruz and Melissa Mitchell, who BOTH went 25.85, and Stanford’s Maddy Schaefer (25.89).

Jasmine Tosky (26.43), Hayley Shillington (26.80), and Savannah Steffen (26.93) all picked up a second swim out of the B flight.

Nathan Adrian tied Jason Lezak’s 2009 meet record when he blasted a 21.90 in prelims. (See race video here.) He was more than a second faster than anyone else in prelims. Adrian scratched finals, however, so he won’t be breaking that meet record this year.

The next fastest included: Nick Soedel of Utah (22.91), Matt Grevers of FORD (22.97), Cal’s Seth Stubblefield (23.22), Brian Stevens of FORD (23.26), David Hibberd of Simon Fraser (23.31), Joey Hale of Redlands (23.36), and Cal’s Sven Campbell (23.41).

Watch prelims heat 5/7
Watch prelims heat 6/7
Watch prelims heat 7/7

Renny Richmond (23.76) and Charlie Boldison (23.90) clocked sub-24s and made a final.

Women’s 400 Free Prelims

Terrapins’ Chelsea Chenault (4:13.26) and Australia’s Kylie Palmer (4:13.52) were the two fastest from the morning flight of prelims. Haley Anderson of Trojans (4:14.05), Katie Goldman from Australia (4:16.62), Maya DiRado (4:16.69), Leah Neale of Australia (4:17.48), Melanie Klaren of Cal (4:17.57), and Stanford’s Julia Anderson (4:18.03) rounded out the top eight.

Katie Sulkevich came up with a big drop in the B flight to sneak into the “C” final with 4:24.39. Brittany Aoyama, Elizabeth Pepper, Lauren Neidigh, and Michaela Paige also made top 32 out of the B flights.

Men’s 400 IM Prelims

Corey Okubo. Photo: Anne Lepesant

Corey Okubo of AquaZot went 4:21.59 for the top time of the morning. Swim Pasadena’s Garrett Chin dropped an astounding 6.3 seconds and qualified second. Cal’s Adam Hinshaw (4:27.91) and Josh Prenot (4:28.22) were third and fourth.

AquaZot’s Alex Peterson (4:28.44), Hayden Duplechain of Fullerton (4:29.41), Cary Wright of Trojans (4:31.25), and Ryan Nelson of Golden West (4:31.97) got the rest of the spots for the “A” final.

The eight fastest times out of the B flights all knocked someone out of the top 32: Andy Cunningham (4:40.05), Trevor Hoyt (4:40.33), Liam Karas (4:40.69), David Wang (4:40.73), Logan Houck (4:40.93), Micah Ornelas (4:42.07), Matthew Johnson (4:42.89), and Carter Grimes (4:42.91).