2016 NCSA Spring Junior National Championship Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2016 NCSA SPRING JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 15th-19th, 2016
• Short Course Yards Prelims/Long Course Meters Finals
• Prelims 8:30 AM Eastern Time/Finals 6:00PM Eastern Time (Except Tuesday, where they’re 4:00PM)
• Orlando YMCA // Orlando, Florida
• Psych Sheets
• Championship Central
• Live Results via MeetMobile: “2016 NCSA Spring Championship”

After a distance and relay opener yesterday evening, the NCSA Junior Nationals gets underway for the majority of swimmers this morning.

Katie Drabot will try to build off her fast opening relay 50 freestyle leg from last night, as she is the clear favorite in the 100 freestyle today. Drabot will also swim the 100 breaststroke, although she is considerably farther back in that event.

On the men’s side, we will get a clash of the titans between Michael Andrew and Reece Whitley in the 100 breaststroke. Andrew is seeded first at 51.75, with Whitley at 52.56. Only one other swimmer in the field is seeded under 54 seconds.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

Magnolia’s Lucie Nordmann will hold on to her top seed from the psyche sheet heading into tonight’s final with 1:54.20.  Erin Earley from Hopkins Mariner made a drop of over two seconds from her seed time to finish just behind her at 1:54.29.  NCAP’s Eireni Moshos (1:55.20,) and Suburban Seahawks’ Alexandra Sumner (1:55.31) landed 3rd and 4th seeds for tonight.  Northern Kentucky Clippers’ Amanda Smith cut exactly four seconds from her seed time to move from 24th to 5th at 1:55.45, and she wasn’t the only Clipper to reach the A-final as teammate Sophie Skinner also earned a shot at 1:56.59 in a tie for 7th with Clayton Shaw Park’s Genevieve Pfeifer.  That time for Pfeifer was a 2.49 second drop that moved her up from 18th seed.  Kristen Romano from Long Island Aquatic Club also moved into the top eight with a 1:56.25 for 6th.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Lucie Nordmann, MAC 1:54.20
2. Erin Earley, HMST 1:54.29
3. Eireni Moshos, NCAP 1:55.20
4. Alexandra Sumner, SSC 1:55.31
5. Amanda Smith, CLPR 1:55.45
6. Kristen Romano, LIAC 1:56.25
7. Sophie Skinner, CLPR 1:56.59  (tie) 7. Genevieve Pfeifer, CSP 1:56.59

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE

Metro Atlanta’s Dean Farris entered the meet as the 5th seed but a 2.34 second drop has given him nearly two seconds of separation from the rest of the field heading into tonight’s final at 1:42.98.  The only other athlete below 1:45 in the prelim was NOVA’s Wade O’Brien at 1:44.90.  NOVA landed two more backstrokers into the A-final with Aaron Schultz at 1:45.77 for 4th and Jacob Johnson at 1:46.24 for 8th. Notably missing from the event is 4th seed in the psyche sheet, Frederick Schubert, also from NOVA, who is listed in the prelim results as a DFS. Another notable absence for tonight’s A final is second seed Ryan Baker from Arlington Aquatics who landed back at 21st place after his preliminary swim.

Matthew Marquardt from Mercy Healthplex in Ohio will enter tonight as third seed with 1:45.48.  Nick Alexander from FAST in St Louis is 5th with 1:45.90.  The top seed from the psyche sheet, Ethan Young from Carpet Capital, heads into tonight at 6th with 1:45.97, but if he can get near his 1:43.52 entry time he will be a threat. Luke Sobolewski from Cincinnati Marlins landed 7th coming out of prelims with a monstrous improvement of 5.65 seconds that moved him up from the 66th rank in the psyche sheet.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Dean Farris, MAAC 1:42.98
2. Wade O’Brien, NOVA 1:44.90
3. Matthew Marquardt, MHSW 1:45.48
4. Aaron Schultz, NOVA 1:45.77
5. Nicholas Alexander, FAST 1:45.90
6. Ethan Young, CCAC 1:45.97
7. Luke Sobolewski, CM 1:46.03
8. Jacob Johnson, NOVA 1:46.24

WOMEN’S 100 FREESTYLE

Ozaukee’s Katie Drabot cruised into the top seed for tonight’s final with 49.15, followed by three more girls below 50 seconds.  Greater Tampa’s Morgan Tankersley moved up from 15th seed to land the #2 spot going into the evening session with 49.52, followed by XCEL’s Riley Gaines with 49.58 and North Bay’s Mikaela Dahlke at 49.61.

The 2nd seed from the psyche sheet, NCAP’s Morgan Hill, will enter the final at 5th with 50.04.  Genevieve Pfeifer from CSP will appear in her second A-final of the session with 6th at 50.13.  City of Mobile’s Paige Madden (50.18) and Greater Nebraska’s Olivia Calegan (50.22) will take the outside lanes ranked 7th and 8th respectively.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Katie Drabot, OZ 49.15
2. Morgan Tankersley, GTSA 49.52
3. Riley Gaines, XCEL 49.58
4. Mikaela Dahlke, NBA 49.61
5. Morgan Hill, NCAP 50.04
6. Genevieve Pfeifer, CSP 50.13
7. Paige Madden, CMSA 50.22
8. Olivia Calegan, GNST 50.22

MEN’S 500 FREESTYLE

Most of tonight’s A-final could have easily been guessed from the rankings in the psyche sheet, with the exception of the top time from prelims.  Team Greenville’s Talmadge Davis cut 6.26 seconds from his seed time to move from 15th to 1st with 4:21.24.  Davis is followed closely by Machine’s James Murphy at 4:21.46 and NOVA’s Frederick Schubert at 4:21.51.

The top seed from the psyche sheet, 15 year old Robert Freeman from Baylor, will be fourth heading into tonight’s final based on his 4:23.75 prelim swim.  NCAP will be represented by Samuel Pomajevich (4:24.20) and Lane Stone (4:24.77) who will be next to each other with 5th and 7th place rankings.  Joseph Milinovich from Academy Bullets (4:24.58) and Brendan Meyer from the Clippers (4:25.69) round out the A-final with 6th and 8th respectively.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Talmadge Davis, TG 4:21.24
2. James Murphy, MACH 4:21.46
3. Frederick Schubert, NOVA 4:21.51
4. Robert Freeman, BAY 4:23.75
5. Samuel Pomajevich, NCAP 4:24.20
6. Joseph Milinovich, ACAD 4:24.58
7. Lane Stone, NCAP 4:24.77
8. Brendan Meyer, CLPR 4:25.69

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE

The top seed from the psyche sheet, Long Island’s Margaret Aroesty, will hold on to her #1 rank heading into finals tonight but with a major improvement to boost her confidence.  She completely skipped the 59’s, and will enter the fast heat at 58.98 after cutting 1.02 from her 1:00.00 seed.  YORK’s Jacqueline Clabeaux is the nearest competitor after the dust settled on the prelim, with 1:00.86.

New Trier’s Ingrid Wall maintains her third place ranking heading into the finals, leading a tight pack with her 1:01.45.  West Chester’s Katherine Douglass moved up from 12th to 4th with 1:01.77.  Just behind her is a tie at 1:01.78 between North Bay’s Halle Morris and Grosse Pointe’s Alexis Wenger. Jaclyn Hill from Chattahoochee Gold goes into the final at 7th with 1:01.85, and Alexis Yager from Academy Bullets claimed 8th rank with 1:01.91.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Margaret Aroesty, LIAC 58.98
2. Jacqueline Clabeaux, YORK 1:00.86
3. Ingrid Wall, NTSC 1:01.45
4. Katherine Douglass, WEST 1:01.77
5. Halle Morris, NBA 1:01.78
6. Alexis Wenger, GPG 1:01.78
7. Jaclyn Hill, GOLD 1:01.85
8. Alexis Yager, ACAD 1:01.91

MEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE

Michael Andrew and Reece Whitley are now set for their head to head match up.  Andrew will take lane 4 based on his 52.25 preliminary swim, while Whitley will occupy lane 5, entering the final at 52.80. Neither prelim swim was a personal best for these boys, but it must be noted that Andrews’ prelim time is faster than Whitley’s 52.56 seed time. Grosse Pointe’s Jacob Montague improved to 53.78 to land the third ranked position out of prelims, followed by Barracuda’s Daniel Chang at 54.25.

NCAP’s Spencer Rowe improved over a second to move up to 5th rank heading into finals with 54.30.  He is followed by Georgia Coastal’s Brennan Pastorek (54.36,) Thomas Cope from Dayton Raiders (54.42) and Dillon Hillis from Manhattan Makos (55.16) claiming lanes in the A heat at 6th through 8th.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Michael Andrew, IS 52.25
2. Reece Whitley, PCAC 52.80
3. Jacob Montague, GPG 53.78
4. Daniel Chang, BSC 54.25
5. Spencer Rowe, NCAP 54.30
6. Brennan Pastorek, GCAT 54.36
7. Thomas Cope, DR 54.42
8. Dillon Hillis, MAKO 55.16

WOMEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY

Every swimmer to claim a spot in tonight’s A-final for the 200 fly swam faster than their seed.  Razorback Aquatic Club’s Taylor Pike cut nearly a second for a solid top ranking on her 1:55.57.  She was not the only swimmer from HAWG’s of Fayetteville, Arkansas to excel in the prelim, as teammate Luciana Thomas dropped over two and a half seconds to move up from 16th seed to 7th, earning a spot in the A final at 1:58.58.

NCAP’s Kylie Jordan also cut 2.61 from her seed to claim lane 5 tonight at 1:56.72, followed by Azra Avdic from NASA Wildcat Aquatics who dropped 1.74 to finish in 1:57.59.  Highlander’s Carley Lowe also improved upon her seed by well over a second to claim 4th with  1:57.74 and was followed closely by GPAC’s Delaney Walz (1:57.86) and unattached Halladay Kinsey at 1:57.89.  The largest time drop to make the A heat was GOLD’s Emma Cole whose 1:59.08 moved her up from 27th seed into the medal round.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Taylor Pike, HAWG 1:55.57
2. Kylie Jordan, NCAP 1:56.72
3. Azra Avdic, WILD 1:57.59
4. Carley Lowe, HIGH 1:57.74
5. Delaney Walz, GPAC 1:57.86
6. Halladay Kinsey, UNAT 1:57.89
7. Luciana Thomas, HAWG 1:58.58
8. Emma Cole, GOLD 1:59.08

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY

NOVA’s Frederick Schubert turned in another stellar preliminary swim, this time cutting nearly half a second from his seed to take the top position in tonight’s final for the 200 fly.  His 1:44.49 is joined by NCAP’s Sam Pomajevich at 1:44.80 in landing ahead of the top seed, Kingfish’s Camden Murphy who turned in 1:45.11.  NOVA also put Aaron Schultz into the A heat with a 1:45.30 at 4th.

Miles Smachlo from Albany Starfish moved up from 9th to 5th on a 1.92 second drop for 1:46.00.  Brendan Meyer from the Clippers moved up as well with a 1.21 second drop for 1:46.21.  Joseph Milinovich from Academy Bullets is 7th with 1:46.86, and Nick Alexander squeaked into the A-final with a two second improvement to claim 8th at 1:47.38.

Tonight’s A-final:

1. Frederick Schubert, NOVA 1:44.49
2. Samuel Pomajevich, 1:44.80
3. Camden Murphy, KAW 1:45.11
4. Aaron Schultz, NOVA 1:45.30
5. Miles Smachlo, ALBS 1:46.00
6. Brendan Meyer, CLPR 1:46.21
7. Joseph Milinovich, ACAD 1:46.86
8. Nicholas Alexander, FAST 1:47.38