2021 PRO SWIM SERIES – MISSION VIEJO (#3)
- April 8-11, 2021
- Marguerite Aquatics Center, Mission Viejo, CA
- LCM
- Prelims – 4:00pm PST/Finals – 10:00am PST
- Meet central
- Meet information
- Psych sheets
- Live stream (USA Swimming – evening prelims & 800 free Thursday)
- Live stream (Olympic Channel – mid-day finals)
- Live results
- Day 4 Prelims Recap
DAY FOUR FINALS: SUNDAY, APRIL 11
The last session of the 2021 Pro Swim Series in Mission Viejo is set begin at 10 am Pacific/12 pm Central/1pm Eastern with its third morning finals session in preparation for Tokyo’s non-traditional PM prelims/AM finals Olympic schedule. The session will start off with the fastest-seeded heats of the women’s and men’s 1500 free, followed by the finals of the 200 IM, 200 back, and 100 free. Following the session will be the second heat of the men’s 1500 free, featuring teens Cornando’s Cole Kuster and Santa Maria’s Parker Reynolds.
With top prelims 100 free seed Caeleb Dressel (48.82) and No. 3 prelims seed Zach Apple (49.13) scratching the final, Nathan Adrian will have a shot to jump them for the top US time this season after his 48.98 on Saturday night. Apple is currently the No. 3 American this season at 48.89 from the 2021 Indiana Speedo Sectionals meet while Dressel set his No. 2 season best during yesterday’s prelims. LSU’s Brooks Curry holds the top time in the nation at 48.45.
Seeded behind Adrian are international swimmers Singaporean Zheng Quah (49.34), Trindad and Tobago’s Dylan Carter (49.55), and German Eric Friese (49.61).
Sunday Finals Heat Sheet
Women’s 1500 Meter Freestyle — TIMED FINAL
- Pro Swim Series Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky (Stanford) — 2018
- Wave II Trials Cut: 16:44.60
- Wave I Trials Cut: 16:49.19
Top 3:
- Katie Ledecky (Nation’s Capital), 15:40.55
- Ashley Twichell (TAC Titans), 16:06.68
- Emma Nordin (Unattached), 16:11.23
Improving her top time in the world was Katie Ledecky, swimming 15:40.55 to drop from her San Antonio swim of 15:42.92. That times registers as the 14th-fastest performance in history, her 12th time in her career. Placing second was TAC Titans’ Ashley Twichell, clocking in an effort of 16:06.68. Twichell is the 2nd-fastest American this season at 16:04.29 from San Antonio.
Placing third was Arizona State’s Emma Nordin, clocking in an effort of 16:11.23. Nordin now moves up to No. 4 in the US and No. 17 in the world this season. Taking a narrow fourth-place finish was Haley Anderson at 16:13.15, just off her season best and World No. 19 time of 16:11.73 from San Antonio.
Men’s 1500 Meter Freestyle — TIMED FINALS
- Pro Swim Series Record: 14:53.12, Jordan Wilimovsky (Santa Monica)
- Wave II Trials Cut: 15:35.69
- Wave I Trials Cut: 15:44.89
Top 3:
- Jordan Wilimovsky (KSwim), 15:10.44
- Will Gallant (Mission Viejo), 15:21.15
- Mikey Calvillo (Indiana), 15:42.38
Remaining the 3rd-fastest American in this event this season was KSwim’s Jordan Wilimovsky, registering a time of 15:10.44. Wilimovsky now ranks 23rd in the world behind Americans Bobby Finke (15:09.14) and Zane Grothe (15:10.29).
Placing second was Mission Viejo’s Will Gallant, who remains the No. 4 American this season with his season best of 15:18.59. Taking third was Indiana’s Mikey Calvillo (15:42.38), finishing 1.29s ahead of Veritas’ Arik Katz (15:43.67).
Out of the post-session 1500 free heat, Cornando’s Cole Ruster swam a time of 16:04.33 to place 7th overall.
WOMEN’S 200 METER INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — FINALS
- Pro Swim Series Record: 2:08.66, Katinka Hosszu (HUN) — 2015
- Wave II Trials Cut: 2:15.26
- Wave I Trials Cut: 2:17.39
Top 3:
- Madisyn Cox (Longhorn), 2:10.00
- Melanie Margalis (Saint Petersburg), 2:11.03
- Kathleen Baker (Team Elite), 2:11.95
Out-splitting front-half leader Kathleen Baker on the breaststroke leg 37.40 to 39.13 was Madisyn Cox, who built an indestructible lead to win the event with a season best of 2:10.00. Passing Baker for second place was another back-halfer, Melanie Margalis, hitting the wall at 2:11.03. Baker settled for third at 2:11.95.
Cox now bumps Baker as the fastest American this season, as well as moving up to No. 5 in the world this season. Baker is now No. 7 in the world this season with her 2:10.49 from the 2020 U.S. Open. Margalis’ swim moves her up to No. 10 in the world rankings, ahead of teen sensation Torri Huske (2:11.18). There are now four American women ranked in the top 12 times in the world.
2020-2021 LCM Women 200 IM
McKeown
2:08.19
| 2 | Madisyn Cox | USA | 2:08.51 | 05/22 |
| 3 | Yui Ohashi | JPN | 2:08.52 | 07/28 |
| 4 | Alex Walsh | USA | 2:08.65 | 07/28 |
| 5 | Kate Douglass | USA | 2:09.04 | 07/28 |
| 6 | Abbie Wood | GBR | 2:09.15 | 07/28 |
| 7 | Sydney Pickrem | CAN | 2:09.24 | 06/21 |
| 8 | Miho Teramura | JPN | 2:09.55 | 04/06 |
| 9 | Yu Yiting | CHN | 2:09.57 | 05/04 |
| 10 | Alicia Wilson | GBR | 2:09.61 | 04/17 |
| 11 | Katinka Hosszu | HUN | 2:09.70 | 07/26 |
| 12 | Rika Omoto | JPN | 2:09.85 | 04/06 |
MEN’S 200 METER INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY — FINALS
- Pro Swim Series Record: 1:56.32, Michael Phelps (NBAC) — 2012
- Wave II Trials Cut: 2:03.02
- Wave I Trials Cut: 2:04.09
Top 3:
- Michael Andrew (Race Pace), 1:57.98
- Andrew Seliskar (Cal Aquatics), 2:00.16
- Jay Litherland (Dynamo), 2:00.20
Michael Andrew stuck to his race strategy of taking each stroke out valiantly, splitting 24.07 on the 50 fly followed by 29.78 back and 33.72 breast. Andrew looked sharp throughout the majority of his last 50 until the lactic acid build-up slowed his tempo down into the flags, splitting 30.41. Nonetheless, Andrew pulled out his second 2021 PSS win in the 200 IM with a season best of 1:57.98. Andrew now moves up to No. 8 in the world, remaining the fastest American this season with the only sub-1:59 time.
While Jay Litherland is known for his closing speed, it was Andrew Seliskar who out-split Litherland 28.28 to 28.90 on the final 50 free to place second by four one-hundredths. Seliskar remains the No. 8 American this season at 2:00.16 while Jay Litherland jumped Josh Prenot (2:00.62) for No. 9 in the nation at 2:00.20.
WOMEN’S 200 METER BACKSTROKE — FINALS
- Pro Swim Series Record: 2:05.94, Regan Smith (RIPT) — 2020
- Wave II Trials Cut: 2:12.94
- Wave I Trials Cut: 2:14.69
Top 3:
- Rhyan White (Alabama), 2:07.24
- Isabelle Stadden (Unattached), 2:08.12
- Lisa Bratton (Aggie Swim Club), 2:10.08
It was smooth sailing for Rhyan White, as she led from start to finish in the women’s 200 back final. White split 30.10/32.17/32.71/32.26 to swim another lifetime best of 2:07.24, the fastest American time this season. Inching up on White to take second was Cal freshman Isabelle Stadden, shaving 0.04s off her own lifetime best of 2:08.12. Stadden is now the No. 3 American this season behind Kathleen Baker‘s season best of 2:07.54 from San Antonio. Hitting third place was Lisa Bratton (2:10.08), swimming six-tenths faster than Hali Flickinger (2:10.86). White and Stadden now rank as the No. 8 and No. 10 US performers in history.
Looking at the world rankings, White now moves up to No. 3 this season while Stadden now ranks No. 7, ahead of fellow teen Regan Smith (2:08.80). Meanwhile, Bratton remains at No. 16 with her 2:09.58 SB and Flickinger now ties Israeli Anastasia Gorbenko for No. 25 in the world.
There are now five American women in the top-12 times in the world this season, including World No. 11- and US No. 5-ranked Phoebe Bacon (2:09.16). There are also seven American women under 2:10 this season, including US No. 7 swimmer JoJo Ramey (2:09.72), just 15 years old.
Winning the B-final was Bulgarian Diana Petkova of Alabama, re-setting her hours-old national record of 2:16.46 with a lifetime best of 2:14.98, which ranks in the top-15 European times for the 2021 calendar year.
2020-2021 LCM Women 200 Back
McKeown
2:04.28
| 2 | Kylie Masse | CAN | 2:05.42 | 07/31 |
| 3 | Margherita Panziera | ITA | 2:05.56 | 03/31 |
| 4 | Rhyan White | USA | 2:05.73 | 06/19 |
| 5 | Emily Seebohm | AUS | 2:06.17 | 07/31 |
| 6 | Phoebe Bacon | USA | 2:06.40 | 07/31 |
| 7 | Regan Smith | USA | 2:06.79 | 06/19 |
| 8 | Isabelle Stadden | USA | 2:07.28 | 05/21 |
| 9 | Kathleen Baker | USA | 2:07.54 | 03/05 |
| 10 | Cassie Wild | GBR | 2:07.74 | 05/23 |
| 11 | Minna Atherton | AUS | 2:07.86 | 12/15 |
| 12 | Katalin Burian | HUN | 2:07.87 | 05/23 |
MEN’S 200 METER BACKSTROKE — FINALS
- Pro Swim Series Record: 1:55.04, Xu Jiayu (CHN) — 2017
- Wave II Trials Cut: 2:00.81
- Wave I Trials Cut: 2:02.99
Top 3:
- Ryan Murphy (Cal Aquatics), 1:56.27
- Hugo Gonzalez (Unattached), 1:57.51
- Bryce Mefford (Unattached), 1:59.61
The Cal Bears finished 1-2-3-4-6-8 in the men’s 200 back final, led by Olympic champion Ryan Murphy at 1:56.27. Placing second out of the outside lanes was Cal junior Hugo Gonzalez, swimming 1:57.51. Murphy remains the 5th-fastest swimmer in the world and top American this season with his San Antonio winning time of 1:56.06.
Gonzalez, who represents Spain internationally, now ranks No. 17 in the world as well as No. 2 in his home nation. At the 2021 Spanish Nationals, Nicolas Garcia won the title at 1:57.06 while Manuel Martos placed second at 1:58.05.
Bryce Mefford touched out Cal teammate Daniel Carr by six one-hundredths to place third 1:59.61 to 1:59.67. Carr sits at No. 3 on the US season rankings at 1:58.44, just four-tenths behind Shaine Casas (1:58.04). Meanwhile, Mefford remains the No. 4 American with his SB of 1:59.49.
WOMEN’S 100 METER FREESTYLE — FINALS
- Pro Swim Series Record: 53.12, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) — 2016
- Wave II Trials Cut: 55.56
- Wave I Trials Cut: 56.29
Top 3:
- Abbey Weitzeil (Cal Aquatics), 53.68
- Katie Ledecky (Nation’s Capital), 54.22
- Olivia Smoliga (Athens Bulldog), 54.61
Easily winning her second title in Mission Viejo was Cal’s Abbey Weitzeil, improving from her PM swim of 53.94 to go 53.68 in the morning. Weitzeil remains the 3rd-fastest American this season behind 2016 Olympic teammate Simone Manuel (53.34) and the Torri Huske (53.46). Weitzeil now ranks 13th in the world this season.
Closing in a strong 27.75 closing 50 to place second was distance star Katie Ledecky, nailing the wall at 54.22. Ledecky remains No. 5 in the US and No. 23 in the world this season. Placing third place by four-tenths was backstoker Olivia Smoliga, shaving 0.06s off her SB at 54.61. Smoliga also remains at No. 9 in the nation this season. Allison Schmitt touched out Poland’s Kasia Wasick 54.66 to 54.68 for fourth place. Schmitt remains at No. 10 in the US this season.
MEN’S 100 METER FREESTYLE — FINALS
- Pro Swim Series Record: 48.00, Nathan Adrian (CAL) — 2016
- Wave II Trials Cut: 49.74
- Wave I Trials Cut: 50.49
Top 3:
- Nathan Adrian (Unattached), 48.74
- Eric Friese (Unattached), 49.05
- Zheng Quah (Cal Aquatics), 49.30
Storming to the win in the 100 free was veteran Nathan Adrian, hitting the wall with the No. 2 US time of 48.74, bumping Caeleb Dressel (48.82) and Zach Apple (48.89). Brooks Curry‘s top time of 48.45 lives another week at the top of the US season rankings. Adrian also moves up to No. 19 on the world rankings for the 2020-2021 season
Placing second was German Eric Friese, touching in at 49.05, now the top time in Germany heading into this week’s national meet. Finishing a quarter of a second later for third place was Singapore’s Zheng Quah at 49.30.
2020-2021 Men’s 100 FR LCM — Top US Times
- Brooks Curry (LSU), 48.45 — 2021 Dynamo Long Course Elite Meet
- Nathan Adrian (UN), 48.74 — 2021 Pro Swim Series – Mission Viejo
- Caeleb Dressel (GSC), 48.82 — 2021 Pro Swim Series – Mission Viejo
- Zach Apple (MVN), 48.89 — 2021 Combined Indiana Speedo Sectionals
- Ryan Held (NYAC), 49.00 — 2020 U.S. Open
Any news our update on titmus??? She had a shoulder injury and was out for 3 months I heard and now she swimming in next week’s australian national championship (not their trials because they are hosting there trials in June like the US)
So, uh, Katie Ledecky’s time would have put at 3rd place….for the men’s race.
Jeepers.
Claire curzan just went 59.37 in the 100 back, another name in the hat for that event at trials
There isn’t a B final. There are two semi final heats. Do you mean that someone will go a 58 that won’t make the final heat?
ain’t no B final at OTs 🙂
I’m kind of surprised with Ledecky’s (54.22, 54.26) at 100 race. It matches very well the pair of her best not tapered results in this event shown at 2016 OT (53.99, 54.04). But there wasn’t 15:40 race between them one hour prior the final race.
I don’t think that Ledecky is such an experienced sprinter who can dose her efforts in prelim race to the level enough to get to the final. I think she showed yesterday whatever she had at the moment. That she isn’t 53 sec sprinter this season yet.
And therefore I cannot find any reasonable explanation of today’s 54.22 shown just in one hour after 15:40 race. Are the conservation laws of physics not… Read more »
If my memory serves me correctly didn’t ledecky go 53.75 in season against Sjöström in Jan 2016?
She did. But she was tapered for this meet. Besides personal best in 100 she also broke the world record at 800 and made the personal best in 200. For the Trials 2016 she probably was also somehow prepared but not to the level of January meet in Austin and defiantly not to the level going in Rio.
The only challenge she had at Trails 2016 was getting on 4×100 relay. And she failed with that being the 7th if not the 8th.
Ledecky was tapered? Did she say that? Her coaches?
@Swimswam: Friese’s time isn’t Germany’s top time currently. Both Wierling (48.8) and Salchow (48.7) have been faster this weekend.
Can someone fill me in re chase kailsz? Why did he change his evemts?
Ryan Held apparently wasn’t thrilled with his 100 FR today, so he ate a dq in the fly and went a few hundredths faster 48.61
It was surprisingly slow given how great his 50 was.
There have been so few racing opportunities in the last year, I really don’t understand the scratches today. Also if we want the sport to continue to grow, the best swimmers peacing out on the last day of big meets doesn’t help. AM finals should make it easier to finish racing, and be home in bed at a normal time.
Also these are “pro’s”. Leaving competition to get to bed or continue with training seems a little soft
It’s flight timing. If you have finals starting at 10 am, you aren’t making the 12:45 flight to Atlanta, which means you now have to wait for the 15:50 flight, which means you can’t connect with the last flight leaving for Gainesville at 20:55 because your flight doesn’t get to Atlanta until 22:55. So unless you want to drive 7 hours home, you now have to stay in Atlanta overnight, or spend an extra day in California, which means you’re traveling on Monday and disrupting your training cycle two months out from Olympic Trials.
If they took the redeye home after prelims last night, they were home by 9 am today to rest up for a new week of… Read more »
I dunno, a quick Google search shows a Delta Sunday 3:00 pm PT nonstop flight from LAX to MCO that arrives at 10:39 pm, then a 2 hour drive to Gainesville.
My point about traveling is that if I, as a Masters swimmer who has to take time off work and pay to travel to meets, can figure out how to arrange travel (inventively, if need be) for meets to both not skip out on the meet and work the next day while adulting, why can’t the pros who are being paid to attend these meets?
These meets are treated as quality sets that fit into a training cycle. That’s it. If your only real full day of rest is Sunday, and you’re two months out from the biggest meet of your career, would you rather be home by Sunday morning so you can rest, stretch, properly hydrate, get over jetlag, get a good meal and a good night’s sleep, and set yourself up for the week of training ahead, or would you rather spend all of Sunday traveling so you can do virtually none of those things and get home by 1am Monday with practice in just a few hours?
Really? Five hour flight to the east coast. If you leave at 3 p.m. Pacific time, you’re landing at 11 p.m. Eastern time assuming all goes well and you have a direct flight.
If I can do the late flight home from a west coast masters meet to my east coast home and go to work and practice the next day, I would certainly hope the pros can, too!
You must be superior. Maybe they don’t want to??
you