Seliskar swims 3 big prelims races at NCSAs day 4

Andrew Seliskar is in position to win three of four boys races on the fourth day of NCSA Junior Nationals in Orlando. The NCAP 17-year-old is the top seed in the 200 breast and 100 fly, plus the second seed in the 100 back. Wisconsin high schooler Beata Nelson also has two high seeds, second in both the 100 fly and 100 back.

Last night’s recap

The 100 back looks like a fun finals race, with a crowd of girls all within a few tenths of each other coming out of prelims. 15-year-old Beata Nelson (listed in official results as “Elizabeth Nelson”) out of Wisconsin is the top seed at 52.94, but NCAP’s Janet Hu is just a hundredth behind in 52.95. After that, Minnesota Aquajets swimmer Zoe Avestruz is 53.15 and Dynamo’s Kylie Stewart 53.24.

Baylor’s Luke Kaliszak leads the boys event, putting up a 46.93, the only 46-second swim of the morning. NCAP’s Andrew Seliskar was knocking on the door, though, swimming a 47.09 for the second seed. 14-year-old Michael Andrew, just two tenths off his own NAG in the event, is the third seed in 48.27 and Kaliszak’s Baylor teammate Sam McHugh is 48.37 for fourth.

The girls 500 might be one of the more exciting battles heading into tonight. Three different girls went 4:46s and three more put up 4:47s, so the top 8 could really break any which way at finals. Sydney Lofquist went 4:46.16 representing the Mason Manta Rays to take the top seed. Kirsten Jacobsen is second in 4:46.73 and NCAP’s Megan Byrnes went 4:46.87 for the three seed. Behind them are 14-year-old Isabella Rongione (4:47.21) and Dynamo’s Kylie Stewart (4:47.71).

Tristan Sanders of Palm Harbor YMCA leads the boys 100 free. He went 44.21, but will have a stiff test tonight from NCAP’s James Jones. Jones was 44.50 this morning. Townley Haas is third in 44.57 for NOVA, while Michigan high school state champ Tabahn Afrik sits fourth. Afrik was 44.87, and Ryan Nicholson and Knox Auerbach were both also under 45 this morning.

Riley Scott of the Marin Pirates is the top 200 breast seed on the girls side. The 16-year-old tied her lifetime-best in going 2:12.19. She’s the top qualifier by a solid couple seconds. Pauline Kaminski of the Academy Bullets is second in 2:14.74; right behind her is Ozaukee’s Katherine Drabot in 2:14.87.

The boys 200 breast saw Andrew Seliskar blast to a huge prelims swim. The NCAP 17-year-old went a career-best this morning of 1:54.32. Also hitting a PR in the morning was second-seeded Shane McNamara of Empire Swimming, who went 1:58.21, a drop of 1.6 seconds. Seliskar’s NCAP teammate Carsten Vissering is the third seed with a 1:58.39. Following Vissering are Ross Palazzo (1:58.85) and Gunnar Bentz (1:59.44). Michael Andrew swam this race, going after one of the few short-course NAGs he doesn’t own, but was just 2:02.28 this morning. He took 16th, though so he does get a chance to swim it again, though he’s still well off of Reece Whitley’s 13-14 record.

NCAP’s Janet Hu rolled to the top seed in the 100 fly. Her 52.72 leads things with ease. She’s followed by Wisconsin high school record-holder Beata Nelson and Megan Moroney of Saint Andrews, who tied for the second seed at 53.49. NCAP’s Cassidy Bayer is also in the A heat, just getting sub-54 with a 53.99 5th-place seed. Joining that finals crew will be First Colony’s Simone Manuel, who went a lifetime-best 54.18 this morning to take 7th.

Andrew Seliskar took the top seed in his second event in a row. He went 47.08 in the 100 fly to hold the top seed over Michael Andrew. Andrew was 47.66, just two tenths off his NAG record, a mark he’ll certainly be shooting for tonight. Gunnar Bentz is third (47.99), Steven Tan of Delta fourth (48.13) and Sam McHugh fifth (48.45).

Full results are available on Meet Mobile under “2014 NCSA Spring Championship.”