2018 Indianapolis Pro Swim Series: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

2018 INDIANAPOLIS PRO SWIM SERIES

• May 16th-20th, 2018
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• 50m
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Omega Results
• Friday Finals Heat Sheet
• Live Stream

Friday night finals are set to get underway from Indianapolis at the TYR Pro Swim Series, with plenty of heavy hitters raring to go in a fast night of racing.

Katie Ledecky will take on a tough double in the 400 IM and 200 free, though the timeline indicates she’ll have over an hour between the two. Melanie Margalis took the 2nd seed to Ledecky in both events this morning, but has scratched the 200 to solely focus on the 400 IM.

Chase Kalisz, Jay Litherland and Gunnar Bentz will have an intriguing battle in the men’s 400 IM, while Nathan Adrian (50 free), Jacob Pebley (200 back) and Blake Pieroni (200 free) would have to be considered favorites in the other three men’s events.

Simone Manuel and Taylor Ruck will clash once again in the 50 free after going 1-2 in the heats, while Manuel will also contest the 200 free and Ruck the 200 back.

WOMEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• PSS Record: 4:31.07, Katinka Hosszu, 2015

1. Melanie Margalis, SPA, 4:36.81
2. Ella Eastin, UN, 4:38.43
3. Katie Ledecky, STAN, 4:38.88

Melanie Margalis of Saint Petersburg and reigning NCAA champion Ella Eastin separated themselves from the field on the breaststroke leg of the women’s 400 IM, but Margalis’ freestyle was the difference maker as she charged home in 29.52 to win in a time of 4:36.81, a new PB. Margalis, who sat 7th in the world rankings with her 4:37.43 at the Austin Pro Swim, moves up to 4th in the world.

Eastin ended up 2nd in 4:38.43, slotting her into 11th in the world, while top seed from prelims Katie Ledecky moved up from 7th at the 300 to 3rd at the finish in 4:38.88, thanks to a sub-minute final 100. Eastin’s swim was a personal best.

Hali Flickinger (4:40.36) had a strong freestyle leg as well for 4th, and Ally McHugh (4:40.51) nearly ran her down but settled for 5th. Leah Smith had a solid rebound swim after a sub-par 4:52 in prelims, winning the B-final in 4:43.20.

MEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• PSS Record: 4:08.92, Chase Kalisz, 2018

1. Chase Kalisz, ABSC, 4:10.55
2. Jay Litherland, DYNA, 4:17.09
3. Daniel Sos, UN, 4:18.12

To no surprise Chase Kalisz was the leader wire-to-wire in the men’s 400 IM, looking strong on all four strokes as he won by over six seconds in 4:10.55. His 4:08.92 from Atlanta is #1 in the world this season, but that swim is still faster than the 2nd ranked man (Kosuke Hagino, 4:10.69).

Jay Litherland maintained 2nd place throughout the race, characteristically closing strong in 57.8 to go 4:17.09, with youngster Daniel Sos hot on his tail for 3rd in 4:18.12. That swim is a new best time for Sos, who previously had a best of 4:20.46 from the World Junior Championships last summer.

Gunnar Bentz (4:21.34) closed in 27.89 attempting to run down Sean Grieshop for 4th, but ran out of room with Grieshop (4:21.05) holding him by three tenths.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE FINAL

• PSS Record: 24.17, Sarah Sjostrom, 2016

1. Simone Manuel, STAN, 24.59
2. Margo Geer, MVN, 24.72
3. Taylor Ruck, HPCO, 24.76

Stanford’s Simone Manuel threw down an impressive 24.59 to edge out Margo Geer and Taylor Ruck to win the women’s 50 freestyle, moving her up into 10th in the world after getting into the top-20 this morning.

Geer was 24.72 for 2nd, which improves her lifetime best of 24.78 done earlier this year, and Ruck proved she’s a consistent 24-second swimmer by dipping below 25 again in 24.76. She sits 7th in the world with her 24.26 from the Commonwealth Games.

Mallory Comerford (25.09) took 4th, and Kayla Sanchez (25.33) edged Kelsi Dahlia (25.36) for 5th.

MEN’S 50 FREE FINAL

• PSS Record: 21.56, Nathan Adrian, 2015

1. Nathan Adrian, CAL, 21.97
2. Ali Khalafalla, IST, 22.14
3. Justin Ress, WOLF, 22.51

After going 48-point once again last night in the 100 free final, Nathan Adrian produced another sub-22 second 50m swim tonight in 21.97, picking up the victory of Indiana’s Ali Khalafalla and Wolfpack Elite’s Justin Ress. Adrian drops his season best by just over a tenth, and jumps up from tied for 23rd to tied for 12th in the world.

Khalafalla took off over three tenths from the morning for 2nd in 22.14, finishing just .02 off his lifetime best. Ress, who went a PB of 22.36 in prelims, had his second fastest swim ever in 22.51. Aaron Greenberg (22.63), Ryan Held (22.64) and Blake Pieroni (22.80) were the other three sub-23 for 4th, 5th and 6th.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

• PSS Record: 2:06.36, Taylor Ruck, 2018

1. Taylor Ruck, HPCO, 2:08.11
2. Asia Seidt, KYA, 2:10.00
3. Erin Voss, UN, 2:11.05

Taylor Ruck came back shortly after her 3rd place finish in the 50 free with an impressive victory in the 200 back, leading from the get-go to clock 2:08.11, out in 30-point and holding 32s the rest of the way. This is her second 200 back win at a PSS this year, with her 2:06.36 from Atlanta ranking her 2nd in the world.

Kentucky’s Asia Seidt held 2nd the entire race, touching in 2:10-flat to come just over a second off her lifetime best. Erin Voss (2:11.05) took 3rd, just ahead of Texas A&M’s Lisa Bratton (2:11.41), while sprint specialist Olivia Smoliga saved up a bit in order to come home the fastest of anyone in 32.30, taking 5th in 2:11.77.

MEN’S 200 BACK FINAL

• PSS Record: 1:55.04, Xu Jiayu, 2017

1. Jacob Pebley, CAL, 1:57.03
2. Grigory Tarasevich, CARD, 1:59.39
3. Carson Foster, RAYS, 2:00.60

Cal’s Jacob Pebley took control of the men’s 200 back final on the second 50 and cruised to a big win by over two seconds, touching in 1:57.03. Pebley sits 4th in the world this year with his 1:55.85 from Atlanta (when he was racing teammate Ryan Murphy head-to-head).

Russian Grigory Tarasevich of Cardinal Aquatics was the only other one sub-2:00 in 1:59.39, while 16-year-old Carson Foster of the Mason Manta Rays passed veteran Matt Grevers on the fourth 50 to grab 3rd. Foster’s 2:00.60 was his fastest ever in-season swim, surpassing his 2:00.73 from Austin.

Grevers ended up 4th in 2:01.89, with Nicolas Albiero 5th in a new best time of 2:02.25.

WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

• PSS Record: 1:54.43, Katie Ledecky, 2016

1. Katie Ledecky, STAN, 1:55.42
2. Simone Manuel, STAN, 1:58.06
3. Mallory Comerford, UN, 1:58.71

Katie Ledecky picked up her third win of the meet in the women’s 200 free, asserting herself early with the quickest first 100 in 56.62 before touching in 1:55.42. After her preliminary showing of 1:57.00 put her 13th in the world, she jumps up to 4th.

Simone Manuel made it a Stanford 1-2 in 1:58.06, closing fiercely in 29.57 after flipping 5th at the 150. Mallory Comerford had a similar swim, turning in 6th with 50 metres to go but charging back in 29.74 to take 3rd in 1:58.71. That just misses her in-season best of 1:58.54.

Katie Drabot made it three Cardinal swimmers in the top-4 with her 1:58.86, and Leah Smith moved up from 8th at the 150 to 5th at the wall in 1:59.15.

MEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

• PSS Record: 1:44.82, Sun Yang, 2016

1. Blake Pieroni, IST, 1:48.19
2. Felix Auboeck, CW, 1:48.45
3. Zane Grothe, MVN, 1:48.52

Indiana’s Blake Pieroni, the first man ever under 1:30 in the yards version of this event, picked up the first win of his professional career in the men’s 200 free as he held off the likes of Felix Auboeck and Zane Grothe down the stretch. Pieroni had a slight edge at the 100, extended it on the third length, and then held strong coming home in 27.16 to touch in 1:48.19, missing the fastest in-season swim of his life by just .05.

Auboeck was back in 26.93 to barely hold off Grothe for 2nd, as the Mission Viejo Natadore stormed home in 26.57 and was just .07 behind the Austrian at the wall. Marwan El Kamash was the only other man to get under 1:50 in 1:49.33 for 4th, while Norbert Szabo equalled his preliminary time for 5th in 1:50.35.