2019 ISL American Derby – Day 1 Live Recap

2019 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING LEAGUE – AMERICAN DERBY

• Saturday, November 16 – Sunday, November 17, 2019
• 2:00-4:00 PM Local Time (U.S. Eastern Time)
• Eppley Recreation Center – College Park, MD
• Short Course Meters (SCM) format
• American franchises: Cali Condors, LA Current, DC Trident, New York Breakers
• Preview
• Live Stream (ESPN3)
• Full Day 1 Results

SwimSwam’s Jared Anderson provides live color commentary on each race in italics, below:

After the initial round of “Group A” and “Group B” meets, all four American teams in the inaugural International Swim League season square off this weekend in College Park, MD. The top two teams – based on combined results of previous meets and this one – will head to Las Vegas next month for the ISL championship, and the other two teams will head home. The Cali Condors and LA Current have substantial leads currently, and are the prohibitive favorites to make it to Las Vegas, but the DC Trident and NY Breakers are sure to try to go down swinging, setting up what should be a fun weekend of competition.

Women’s 100 Fly

1. Kelsi Dahlia – CAC – 55.78
2. Kendyl Stewart – LAC – 56.41
3. Tayla Lovemore – NYB -56.93
4. Farida Osman – LAC – 57.18
5. Haley Black – NYB – 57.42
6. Natalie Hinds – CAC – 57.68
7. Remedy Rule – DCT – 57.95
8. Quah Ting Wen – DCT – 58.01

Unsurprisingly, Kelsi Dahlia of the Cali Condors parlayed strong underwaters into a solid win in the first event of the day, touching in 55.78. The Current got 2nd and 4th finishes from Kendyl Stewart (56.41) and Farida Osman (57.18), with the Breakers’ Tayla Lovemore sandwiched between them with a 56.93.

A nice early win for the Condors. Dahlia improves her ISL season-best from Naples, and hits the third-fastest 100 fly time of any swimmer in the league this year. LA showed nice depth with a 2-4 finish – that’s exactly how they finished in both Group B matches as well. Not a good start for DC, which fades to 7-8. They’ll fall behind the Breakers early, who were way better than either of their Group B meets.

Men’s 100 Fly

1. Caeleb Dressel – CAC – 49.16
2. Tom Shields – LAC – 49.70
3. Clyde Lewis – NYB -51.13
4. Jeremy Stravius – DCT – 51.32
5. Giles Smith – DCT – 51.41
6. Jack Conger – LAC – 51.64
7. Jan Switkowski – CAC – 52.12
8. Ryan Coetzee – NYB – 52.33

Tom Shields made things closer than you may have expected, and was actually in lead after the first 50, but Caeleb Dressel came back on the second half to beat Shields by over half a second, 40.16 to 49.70 The two were over a second ahead of anyone else, as the Breakers’ Clyde Lewis took 3rd in 51.13 after being dead last at the 50m mark.

Dressel used a huge underwater to take the win, but Tom Shields pushed him hard. Shields has been one of the more underrated signings in the league, pretty consistently coming through for LA in a range of events. Team points stay pretty close, as Cali went 1-7 and LA 2-6. Dressel’s time was the fastest in the ISL so far this year, and Shields still sits third in the league, though his wasn’t a season-best.

Women’s 50 Breast

1. Lilly King – CAC -29.00
2. Molly Hannis – CAC – 29.18
3. Siobhan Haughey – DCT – 29.88
4. Kathleen Baker – LAC – 30.13
5. Breeja Larson – NYB – 30.15
6. Annie Lazor – LAC – 30.19
7. Emily Escobedo – NYB – 30.40
8. Leiston Pickett – DCT – 30.41

The Condors swept the top two spots, as Lilly King won with 29.00 and teammate Molly Hannis was just behind at 29.18. The two were seven-tenths ahead of the rest of the field, with the Tridents’ Siobahn Haughey taking 3rd in 29.88.

Men’s 50 Breast

1. Felipe Lima – LAC – 25.92
2. Ian Finnerty – DCT – 25.99
3. Michael Andrew – NYB – 26.09
4. Kevin Cordes – DCT – 26.41
5. Nic Fink – CAC – 26.50
6. Will Licon – LAC – 26.58
7. Andrew Wilson – CAC – 26.84
8. Marco Koch – NYB – 27.05

There looked to be a few different swimmers who had a chance coming down the stretch, but it was the Current’s Felipe Lima who got his hand on the wall first with a 25.92. Ian Finnerty of the Tridents was right behind with a 25.99, followed by the Breakers’ Michael Andrew in 26.09.

Finnerty’s time appears to be an American Record, breaking the mark of 26.10 formerly held by Michael Andrew himself.

The men’s breaststrokes have been significantly stronger among European teams, with only one American team registering a top-two performance in this 50 breast during the four group matches. LA’s Felipe Lima was the runner-up in Lewisville, and carried the win here in a tight race with DC’s Ian Finnerty. Lima’s time is the second-best swim in that event across the ISL, just a tenth back of Adam Peaty’s league-leading 25.85. Cali leads the team race early, but LA is keeping things very close. There’s not a lot of drama, as those two teams are pretty well locked into the Las Vegas final, but the team battle still carries some prestige, and obviously the athletes are going after top prize money.

Women’s 400 IM

1. Melanie Margalis – CAC – 4:24.46
2. Ella Eastin – LAC – 4:27.53
3. Hali Flickinger – CAC – 4:29.53
4. Bethany Galat – DCT – 4:31.49
5. Bailey Anderson – LAC – 4:32.01
6. Emma Barksdale – DCT – 4:32.03
7. Emily Overholt – NYB – 4:32.09
8. Abbie Wood – NYB – 4:32.16

The Breakers’s Abbie Wood jumped out in front during the fly leg, but   Ella Eastin established control during the middle 200m.  Melanie Margalis moved steadily up, passing Eastin toward the beginning of the freestyle leg  and winning 4:24.46 to 4:27.53. The Condors went 1&3, as Hali Flickinger held was 3rd at the halfway point, and hung on during the second half to finish in 3rd with a 4:29.64.

Margalis’s mark appears to be a new American Record, surpassing the time of 4:24.62 Caitlin Leverenz put up at the 2011 Duel in the Pool.

Margalis won this race in both of Group A’s matches, and though she trailed early, she won this one decisively and remains undefeated in the 400 IM so far this season. She hits the new fastest time in the league this year and now holds the three fastest swims for the season. Cali gets a big boost with a 1-3 finish from the former Georgia teammates, with Flickinger third. LA gets a great swim from Eastin (four seconds faster than she was in Lewisville) but a disappointing one from Andison (three seconds slower than she was in Budapest). Some tight finishes at the bottom, with 5th through 8th separated by just about two tenths, but the Breakers come out on the wrong end of it in 7th and 8th.

Men’s 400 IM

1. Andrew Seliskar – LAC  – 4:02.88
2. Chase Kalisz – LAC – 4:03.49
3. Jay Litherland – DCT – 4:04.17
4. Brendon Smith – NYB – 4:07.09
5. Mark Szaranek – CAC – 4:07.81
6. Anton Ipsen – CAC – 4:08.46
7. Tomas Peribonio – NYB – 4:11.09
8. Zane Grothe – DCT – 4:11.92

Racing not far from his Northern Virginia home, Andrew Seliskar stormed down the stretch to overtake the early leader, Condor teammate, Chase Kalisz, and win in a time of 4:02.88. Kalisz led for most of the way, and ultimately touched in 4:03.49. The Tridents’ Jay Litherland, known for a strong free leg, took 3rd in 4:04.17, almost three seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

It was a battle of undefeateds, as Litherland had won both Group A meets and Seliskar both Group Bs. It was Seliskar who stayed undefeated, and teammate Kalisz (making his ISL debut) built a 1-2 finish. Seliskar now owns the two fastest swims in the ISL this year, and Kalisz just hit the third-fastest swim. That’s big for the Current, who take a points lead by two over the Cali Condors. Meanwhile DC leads New York by just six, not getting the big 400 IM boost from Litherland they got in Group A. New York addition Brendon Smith was impactful, too, taking 4th

Women’s 4×100 Free Relay

1. Cali Condors – 3:29.38
2. NY Breakers 2 – 3:30.01
3. LA Current – 3:30.12
4. DC Trident – 3:31.87
5. Cali Condors 2 – 3:33.23
6. LA Current 2 – 3:34.75
7. DC Trident 2 – 3:37.16
8. NY Breakers – 3:38.36

This was a tight race most of the way, with three teams in it until close to the end. Despite the closeness, the Cali Condors ended up as the only team under 3:30, winning in 3:29.38. Mallory Comerford anchored the Condors with a 51.58 split, the fastest on the day. The Breakers “2” team touched just ahead of the LA Current, 3:30.01 to 3:30.12, while the Trident finished 4th in 3:31.87.

It was a great battle, with three teams in the mix for the win through the final leg. Comerford anchored Cali strongly to hold on for the win. The Condors were a tick faster than their best in Group A meets, but the key here was that none of the American teams had to deal with powerhouses London or Energy Standard. It was maybe the best relay event yet this season for the New York Breakers, as they finished second and were in the hunt for the win. Their depth still struggled to 8th place, but a runner-up finish is going to be a big points boost. All four A relays beat all four B relays, as teams are starting to lock in who their fastest four are – earlier in the year, that was a lot more of an unpredictable struggle.

Score Update Through First Break

1. Cali Condors – 93
2. LA Current – 87
3. DC Trident – 60
4. NY Breakers – 56

Men’s 200 Back

1. Radoslaw Kawecki – CAC – 1:51.68
2. John Shebat – CAC – 1:52.15
3. Markus Thormeyer – NYB  – 1:52.38
4. Christopher Reid – NYB – 1:54.29
5. Tom Shields– LAC – 1:54.50
6. Tristan Hollard – DCT – 1:54.67
7. Jay Litherland – DCT – 1:55.95
8. Jack Conger – LAC – 1:56.72

Condors teammates Radoslaw Kawecki and John Shebat were the first two flip at the 50m mark, and while the Tridents’ Tristan Hollard briefly passed Shebat, he was able to regain 2nd as the Condors finished 1-2. The Breakers’ Markus Thormeyer finished strong the last 50 to pick up 3rd.

Neither of the Group A/B winners (Rylov/Murphy) are present here, so we get a brand-new winner in Kawecki, who was just 4th and 3rd in the Group A meets. It was another great event for the New York Breakers, who are really relying on Markus Thormeyer – he’s swum great this ISL season. The Breakers go 3-4, which helps them against DC (6th/7th), and also blocks the LA Current out of the top four and helps Cali build their points lead.

Women’s 200 Back

1. Kathleen Baker – LAC – 2:01.57
2. Amy Bilquist – LAC – 2:01.61
3. Kylie Masse – CAC – 2:01.93
4. Lisa Bratton – DCT – 2:02.33
5. Mikkayla Sheridan – NYB – 2:04.59
6. Ali DeLoof – NYB – 2:04.74
7. Hali Flickinger – CAC – 2:05.19
8. Simona Kubova – DCT – 2:05.35

Coming down the final few meters, three women were fairly close to each other, but the Condors’ Kathleen Baker got her hand on the wall first after leading the entire race, winning in 2:01.57. Teammate Amy Bilquist was right behind at 2:01.61, with the Condors’ Kylie Masse touching 3rd in 2:01.93.

Men’s 50 Free

1. Caeleb Dressel – CAC – 20.81
2. Michael Andrew – NYB – 21.05
3. Ryan Held – LAC / Michael Chadwick – LAC – 21.39
4. (tie)
5. Zach Apple – DCT – 21.68
6. Marcelo Chierighini – NYB – 21.73
7. Bowe Becker – CAC – 21.86
8. Robert Howard – DCT – 21.89

Caeleb Dressel got off to his normal fast start, and brought it home for the Condors for a time of 20.81, just off the new US Open Record of 20.77 sent by Florent Manaudou in Indy. The Breakers’ Michael Andrew took 2nd in in 21.05, while Current teammates Ryan Held and Michael Chadwick tied for 3rd in 21.39.

Women’s 50 Free

1. Beryl Gastaldello – LAC – 23.81
2. Pernille Blume – NYB – 24.19
3. Kasia Wasick – CAC – 24.23
4. Olivia Smoliga – CAC – 24.29
5. Margo Geer – LAC – 24.30
6. Catie DeLoof – NYB – 24.42
7. Madison Kennedy – DCT – 24.54
8. Anika Apostalon – DCT – 24.65

The Current’s Beryl Gastaldello rocketed off the blocks with a 0.60 reaction time, and kept the lead the whole way, winning in 23.81. Gastadello won by 0.38s, while only 0.11s separated the next four swimmers. The Breakers’ Pernille Blume topped that group with. 24.10, while Condor teammates Kasia Wasick (24.23) and Olivia Smoliga (24.29) finished just ahead fo the Current’s Margo Geer (24.30).

Beryl Gastaldello has been an awesome pickup for the LA Current – the Texas A&M alum was third in Group B’s second meet, and now comes up with a major win here for LA. The women’s skins race looks wide open for tomorrow, but Gastaldello winning here by three tenths probably makes her the odds-on favorite. In a flip of the men’s race, Cali took third and fourth with solid depth, and New York once again grabbed second. The women’s 50 really clears out with the European teams gone, so almost every team here has a far greater points opportunity here and in the skins than they did in group play.

Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay

1. LA Current – 3:23.63
2. DC Trident – 3:25.22
3. Cali Condors – 3:26.61
4. NY Breakers 2 – 3:30.70
5. DC Trident 2 – 3:30.74
6. Cali Condors 2 – 3:31.25
7. NY Breakers – 3:37.09
8. LA Current 2 – DQ

The LA Current rocketed out to an early 1-2 lead, thanks to Matt Grevers and Shane Ryan. The DC Trident closed the gap with Ian Finnerty‘s 56.13 breaststroke leg, the fastest in the field, and Jeremy Stravius kept them in the race with a solid fly leg . Caeleb Dressel looked good on fly despite having just swam the 50 free, and in fact, his 49.54 split was the fastest of the day. Tom Shields (49.73) and Michael Chadwick (47.20) easily preserved the Currents’ lead over the back half, while Zach Apple’s 46.63 anchor helped secure the Trident’s 2nd-place finish. The Current’s ‘2’ team touched 3rd, but was DQ’d, apparently due to an early takeoff by breaststroker Will Licon, costing the Current big points.

It looked like a massive swim for the LA Current. They’ve got elite relay depth, even with a true standout star like Dressel, and they were 1-2 for a good portion of the race. The Current ultimately goes 1-3 – they really benefitted from keeping Matt Grevers completely fresh for this relay. But a DQ of their B relay cost them a dozen points and moved the Cali Condors up to third place. That’s a massive swing, and probably the kind of luck DC needs if they want to pull off the major upset to have a shot at the league final.

Score Update Through Second Break

1. Cali Condors – 157
2. LA Current – 148
3. NY Breakers – 106
4. DC Trident – 101

Results Through Second Break

Women’s 200 Free

1. Siobahn Haughey – DCT – 1:51.99
2. Madison Wilson – NYB / Mallory Comerford – CAC  – 1:54.34
3. (tie)
4. Melanie Margalis – CAC – 1:54.40
5. Leah Neale – DCT -1:55.75
6. Catie DeLoof – NYB – 1:55.85
7. Leah Smith – LAC – 1:56.08
8. Anastasia Gorbenko – LAC – 1:57.78

Siobahn Haughey dominated the entire way, leaving almost no doubt from the beginning who would win, as she kept the pedal to the metal and won in 1:51.99 to help the Tridents. The Breakers’ Madison Wilson and the Condors’ Mallory Comerford tied for 2nd in 1:54.34, while 400 IM winner Melanie Margalis, also of the Condors,was just behind at 1:54.40.

Hong Kong’s Haughey has been an outstanding pickup for the DC Trident. She wins her third 200 free of the ISL season and remains undefeated there. Her 1:51.99 stands up as the top time in the ISL this season, as well as a U.S. Open record for the fastest swim ever on American soil. Haughey crushed the field here, winning by two full seconds. DC is in a tight battle with the New York Breakers, and New York took second here on a great swim from Madi Wilson. DC will build their lead, though, finishing one spot ahead of New York with both swimmers. LA struggled hard – Leah Smith was only 7th in her ISL debut and the Current went 7-8.

Men’s 200 Free

1. Blake Pieroni – LAC – 1:43.48
2. Andrew Seliskar – LAC – 1:43.66
3. Joao de Lucca – NYB – 1:43.76
4. Clyde Lewis – NYB – 1:43.92
5. Velimir Stjepanovic – DCT – 1:44.12
6. Kacper Majchrzak – CAC – 1:44.20
7. Townley Haas – CAC – 1:45.87
8. Zane Grothe – DCT – 1:46.87

The Condors 1-2 as Blake Pieroni gets his first ISL win. Pieroni was only in 4th heading into the final 50, as only two-tenths of a second separated 1st from 4th, but he brought it home with a 26.42 split to take the win in 1:43.48  Andrew Seliskar looked great despite swimming the 400 IM earlier in the race, and actually was the leader at the 150. While he couldn’t hold off Pieroni, he did take 2nd in 1:43.66 to just clip a pair of Breakers, Joao de Lucca (1:43.76) and Clyde Lewis (1:43.92).

LA bounced back big-time with a 1-2 finish here in the 200 free. It’s the second 1-2 finish that Seliskar has been involved in. Indiana’s pros appear to be swimming pretty well, as Pieroni wins this race. The Breakers had another strong showing – their struggles in Group B are looking to be well behind them. It hasn’t been perfect here in DC, but the Breakers are leaps and bounds better than they were in Lewisville and Budapest. They go 3-4 here, winning a tight finish. Cali struggled (6th/7th), as did DC.

Women’s 50 Back

1. Beryl Gastaldello – LAC – 26.18
2. Kathleen Baker – LAC – 26.21
3. Oliva Smoliga – CAC – 26.32
4. Ali DeLoof – NYB – 26.52
5. Kylie Masse – CAC – 26.78
6. Simona Kubova – DCT – 26.85
7. Natalie Coughlin – DCT – 29.29
8. Haley Black – NYB – 28.63

Beryl Gastaldello earned her second win of the day, just touching out teammate Kathleen Baker, 26.18 to 26.21, as the Current went 1-2. Olivia Smoliga was just over a tenth behind, taking 3rd in 26.32 for the Condors.

Men’s 50 Back

1. Michael Andrew – NYB / Matth Grevers – LAC – 23.38
2. (tie)
3. Jeremy Stravius – DCT – 23.49
4. Andreas Vazaois – DCT – 23.51
5. John Shebat – CAC – 23.77
6. Grigory Tarasevich – NYB – 24.58
7. Radoslaw Kawecki – CAC – 25.04
8. Shane Ryan – LAC – DQ’d

With such an absolutely stacked field, fans could expect a close race,  and sure enough, it was as tight as it could be at the finish. So tight, in fact, that the Breakers’ Michael Andrew and the Current’s Matt Grevers touched at the same time, 23.38, tying for 1st place. The Trident’s Jeremy Stravius (23.49) and Andreas Vazaois (23.51) were close behind, taking 3rd and 4th.

The Current got hit by the DQ bug again, as Shane Ryan drew a disqualification after initially finishing 4th.

Women’s 200 Breast

1. Lilly King – CAC – 2:17.78
2. Kelsey Wog– CAC – 2:18.26
3. Emily Escobedo – NYB – 2:19.26
4. Annie Lazor – LAC – 2:19.30
5. Breeja Larson – NYB – 2:22.05
6. Bethany Galat – DCT – 2:24.24
7. Bailey Andison – LAC – 2:25.55
8. Emma Barksdale- DCT – 2:26.88

Another big 1-2 finish, this time for the Condors. Lilly King swam another world-leading time; she was 2:18.25 at the Indy meet, but bettered that by nearly half a second today, winning in 2:17.78. It wasn’t an easy victory for King, however, as teammate Kelsey Wog battled her the whole way, and in fact was in the lad for roughly half the race. King was able to out split her 34.54 to 36.39 down the final 50, as Wog took 2nd in 2:18.26. The Breakers’ Emily Escobedo touched 3rd in 2:19.26.

*full results will be posted shortly*

Men’s 200 Breast

1. Ian Finnerty – DCT – 2:02.76
2. Marco Koch – NYB – 2:03.79
3. Will Licon – LAC – 2:04.09
4. Josh Prenot – LAC – 2:05.40
5. Nic Fink – CAC – 2:06.69
6. Cody Miller – DCT – 2:07.06
7. Andrew Wilson – CAC – 2:11.09
8. Tomas Peribonio – NYB – 2:12.49

Ian Finnerty went out like a rocket, touching under world record pace the 100m mark, and held on to win by over a second, with a world-leading time of 2:02.76 for the Trident. The Breakers’ Marco Koch was only 6th after the first 50, but steadily narrowed the gap from three, ultimately touching 2nd in 2:03.79, followed by the Current’s Will Licon with a 2:04.09.

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay

1. Cali Condors – 3:08.52
2. LA Current 2 – 3:09.65
3. LA Current – 3:09.81
4. DC Trident – 3:10.27
5. NY Breakers – 3:10.34
6. Cali Condors 2 – 3:12.49
7. DC Trident 2 – 3:14.69
8. NY Breakers – 3:17.81

Caeleb Dressel got the Condors off to a fast start, swimming a 46.21 leadoff that appears to be a U.S. Open Record. Kacper Majchrzak, Bowe Becker, and Justin Ress held off a pair of strong LA Current teams, giving the Condors the victory by over a second, while the two Current squads picked up big points with 2nd and 3rd place finishes in 3:09.65 and 3:09.82.

Team Scores Through Day 1

1. Cali Condors – 234.5
2. LA Current – 234.0
3. NY Breakers – 167.5
4. DC Trident – 165.0