2020 Pro Swim Series – Des Moines: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2020 PRO SWIM SERIES – DES MOINES

• March 4-7, 2020
• Des Moines, Iowa
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Info
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

Friday Finals Heat Sheet

Day 3 of the 2020 Pro Swim Series in Des Moines will feature the finals of the 200 free, 200 back, 400 IM, and 100 fly.

Tonight will begin with the women’s 200 free, where Katie Ledecky leads a stacked field by 3 seconds. Behind her is a tight field for 2nd place, led by 200 fly champ Hali Flickinger and 100 free champ Siobhan Haughey. On the men’s side, it will be the battle of the SCY record-holders between Townley Haas and Caeleb Dressel.

Then in the women’s 200 back, Lisa Bratton leads another great final alongside Kathleen Baker, Regan Smith, Ali DeLoof, and Catie DeLoof. Olympic teammates Jacob Pebley and Ryan Murphy will then face-off in the men’s 200 back.

Melanie Margalis will then headline the distance IM race, where she is seeded 2 seconds ahead of Madisyn Cox. In the men’s 400 IM, Germany’s Jacob Heidtmann leads USA trio Abrahm DeVine, Ryan Lochte, and Jay Litherland.

The session will end with the women’s and men’s 100 fly finals. Teen phenom Smith will aim to sweep both the 200 back and 100 fly, where she leads an elite field. Contending behind Smith will be another tight field, led by Farida Osman and Beryl Gastaldello. Michael Andrew, who won the 100 breast last night, leads the men’s sprint fly race. Seeded closely behind Andrew are Germany’s Marius Kusch and USA’s Caeleb Dressel.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINALS

• PSS Record: 1:54.43, Katie Ledecky (USA), 2016

Top 3

• GOLD: Katie Ledecky (NCAP)- 1:54.59
• SILVER: Siobhan Haughey (CW)- 1:56.48
• BRONZE: Simone Manuel (ALTO)- 1:56.92

NCAP’s Katie Ledecky commanded the race from start to finish, putting up the top time in the world at 1:54.59, dropping a second from Greensboro (1:55.68). That is her 4th-fastest career performance as well as the 18th-fastest performance all-time. Ledecky now owns six of the top 25 fastest performances in history.

Taking second was Club Wolverine’s Siobhan Haughey, clocking in a 1:56.48. Haughey’s season best is 1:55.21 from the 2020 FINA Champions Series, which is currently #3 in the world this year. Simone Manuel took third place in a season best of 1:56.92, moving her to 7th in the world.

Cal’s Katie McLaughlin won the B-final in a 1:59.51. Team Elite’s Andi Murez took second, also clocking under 2 minutes at 1:59.76.

MEN’S 200 FREE FINALS

• PSS Record: 1:44.82, Sun Yang (CHN), 2016

Top 3

• GOLD: Andrew Seliskar (CAL)- 1:46.93
• SILVER: Townley Haas (NOVA)- 1:47.48
• BRONZE: Caeleb Dressel (GSC)- 1:47.55

Storming in with a sub-1:47 swim was Cal’s Andrew Seliskar, clocking in a World #11 time this season at 1:46.93. NOVA’s Townley Haas settled for second at 1:47.48, roughly one and a half seconds over his season best of 1:45.92 from the US Open. Florida’s Caeleb Dressel took a tight third place finish at 1:47.55, shaving 0.03s off his US Open season best. Dressel remains 22nd in the world this season with his season best.

Mikel Schreuders won the B-final in a sub-1:50 time of 1:49.84. Indiana’s Zach Apple finished in third at 1:50.1 but wound up getting DQed.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK FINALS

• PSS Record: 2:05.94, Regan Smith (USA), 2020

Top 3

• GOLD: Regan Smith (RIPT)- 2:06.16
• SILVER: Kathleen Baker (TE)- 2:06.46
• BRONZE: Lisa Bratton (AGS)- 2:09.63

Regan Smith led the race from the start, pushing through fatigue as Kathleen Baker gained on her during the last 25 meters. Smith touched first at 2:06.16 while Baker’s lunge forward earned her a PB and 2020 World #3 time of 2:06.46. Baker was just three-tenths off her lifetime best of 2:06.14.

Taking third also under 2:10 was Aggie Lisa Bratton, clocking in at 2:09.63. Winning the B-final was 15-year-old Mackenzie Lanning, touching in at 2:15.34.

MEN’S 200 BACK FINALS

• PSS Record: 1:55.04, Xu Jiayu (CHN), 2017

Top 3

• GOLD: Ryan Murphy (CAL)- 1:55.22
• SILVER: Christopher Reid (WOLF)- 1:58.10
• BRONZE: Jacob Pebley (TE)- 1:58.53

Dropping 4.55 seconds from prelims to take the 200 back win was Cal’s Ryan Murphy, clocking in a new World top time of 1:55.22. Taking second was Wolfpack’s Christopher Reid (1:58.10), touching out Team Elite’s Jacob Pebley (1:58.83).

Pebley is currently 4th in the world with his August season best of 1:56.37, but ranks 19th with this 2020 swim. Reid sits in 11th with his US Open season best of 1:57.04.

Winning the B-final was 18-year-old Allen Dempster, clocking in a 2:04.12.

WOMEN’S 400 IM FINALS

• PSS Record: 4:31.07, Katinka Hosszu (HUN), 2015

Top 3

• GOLD: Melanie Margalis (SPA)- 4:32.53
• SILVER: Madisyn Cox (TXLA)- 4:38.88
• BRONZE: Ally McHugh (WA)- 4:42.50

Melanie Margalis dazzled the 400 IM with a lifetime best by 3 seconds, clocking in the fastest time in 2020 at 4:32.53. That performance makes her the 4th-fastest US performer and 15th-fastest World performer in history.

Taking second was Madisyn Cox, clocking in a season best of 4:38.88, which remains 11th in the world. Wisconsin’s Ally McHugh took third place at 4:42.50.

MEN’S 400 IM FINALS

• PSS Record: 4:08.92, Chase Kalisz (USA), 2018

Top 3

• GOLD: Jacob Heidtmann (TE)- 4:12.40
• SILVER: Jay Litherland (DYNA)- 4:15.81
• BRONZE: Hsing-Hao Wang (TE)- 4:18.43

After Jay Litherland took the early lead, Jacob Heidtmann used his back-half speed to catch Litherland, storming away to a 2020 World #4 time. Heidtmann is now the 7th German swimmer to qualify for Tokyo after breaking the Olympic standard of 4:15.00.

Taking second was Litherland, clocking in a World #15 time of 4:15.81. Team Elite’s Hsing-Hao Wang took third at 4:18.43, just off his season best of 4:17.06. Winning the B-final was 17-year-old James Doromal, clocking in at 4:32.89.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY FINALS

• PSS Record: 56.38, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2016

Top 3

• GOLD: Kelsi Dahlia (CARD)- 57.33
• SILVER: Regan Smith (RIPT)- 57.34 *17-18 NAG
• BRONZE: Kendyl Stewart (TE)- 57.98

The top four women in the sprint fly were all tightly bunched, but it was Kelsi Dahlia and Regan Smith who pulled away from the pack. At the finish, it was Dahlia who touched in a 2020 World #3 time of 57.33. Meanwhile, despite being touched out by 0.01s, Smith re-broke her own 17-18 NAG with a World #4 time of 57.34.

Taking third was Team Elite’s Kendyl Stewart (57.98), just three-tenths off her World #7 season best of 57.65. Louisville’s Mallory Comerford took first in the B-final with a 59.53, touching three-tenths ahead of Hali Flickinger (59.86).

MEN’S 100 FLY FINALS

• PSS Record: 51.00, Jack Conger (USA), 2018

Top 3

• GOLD: Caeleb Dressel (GSC)- 50.92 *PSS Record
• SILVER: Michael Andrew (RPC)- 51.33
• BRONZE: Marius Kusch (TE)- 51.68

After taking out an early lead, Michael Andrew slowly began to fade as Caeleb Dressel gained on him. At the finish, it was Dressel who blasted a 2020 top World time of 50.92. Meanwhile, Andrew’s second-place time of 51.33 re-set his PB from this morning, good enough for 6th in the world. German Marius Kusch set a season best of 51.68 for third. During prelims, Kusch set a World #8 time of 51.54.

Harvard’s Umitcan Gures won the B-final in a 52.69, touching out John Shebat (52.79) by a tenth.