Day two action at the KMSC Pro-Am Classic featured several professional athletes in top form, amateurs taking prize money spots away from the pro’s, and two meet records broken. Prize money for this meet is awarded to professionals based on their “absolute finish” in the top three, meaning that amateurs who take podium positions decrease the number of cash awards given. This makes the King Marlin meet a very interesting mix of seasoned professionals and top athletes from clubs around the country. Each event can give $600 for a first place finish, $300 for second, and $100 for third, with prize money doubled for the 50 freestyle shoot-out and the 1650 freestyle.
WOMEN’S 200 FREE FINAL
Fifteen year old Samantha Shelton was the top seed after this morning’s preliminary 1:47.29, followed closely by Mission Viejo teammate Stephanie Peacock at 1:47.50. Both Nadadores managed to significantly improve upon their seed times, but were not able to fight off Karlee Bispo, who took the event from lane six with 1:45.32. Shelton was second with a personal best 1:45.50, and Peacock was third at 1:45.74. Schroeder Y’s Ashlyn Schoof edged out Ashley Twichell for the fourth place spot, 1:48.02 to 1:48.07. Houston Swim Club’s Logan Schiller was sixth at 1:48.68, while Jillian Hatch and Stephanie Bartel, both from Clovis Swim Club, took the last two A-final places with 1:51.10 and 1:52.45 respectively.
MEN’S 200 FREE FINAL
Mission Viejo standout Grant Shoults pulled ahead of a strong field on a 23.75 final 50 split to win the 200 free at 1:34.72, over a second ahead of the top professional, Eugene Godsoe at 1:35.95. Just .08 behind Godsoe was BJ Hornikel with 1:36.03, just edging Drury alum Sean Feher from the podium at 1:36.39. Fifth went to MVN’s Logan Redondo at 1:37.91. Sam Kline from Texas Ford Aquatics edged out Austin Swim Club’s Timothy Squires for sixth, 1:39.16 to 1:39.17, and Mission Viejo’s Marc Morizono was eighth at 1:39.73.
WOMEN’S 100 BREAST FINAL
Katie Meili cut .44 from her own 2013 Meet Record with a personal best 58.20 to win the 100 breast by over four seconds. That swim moves her up to tenth on the All-Time Top Performers list, and makes her eighth for All-Time Top U.S. Performers, just behind Sarah Haase and the 58.19 she turned in at Greensboro in March of this year. Second place went to Drury commit Bailee Nunn at 1:02.35. the third spot on the podium went to Fort Worth Area’s Rayann Jaryszak, whose 1:02.86 held back Houston Swim Club’s Kylie Powers at 1:02.91. Fifth through eighth went to City of Midland’s Kile Carriger (1:03.78,) LOBO’s Olivia Heflin (1:04.23,) Ad Astra’s Katie Price (1:04.74,) and Lincoln Select’s Ashley Pales (1:05.56.)
MEN’S 100 BREAST FINAL
Brendan McHugh crushed the meet record 52.22 set in 2013 by Naoya Tomita, with a personal best 51.62. McHugh’s previous best of 51.68 was set last December in Oklahoma. Roland Schoeman took the second place prize money with 52.17. Third and fourth place were both taken by athletes from Austin Swim Club, with Ryan Fisher third at 53.97 and Kevin Steel fourth with 54.89. Rounding out the top eight were Lakeside Aquatic Club’s Tristen Disibio (55.57,) Mission Viejo’s Trent Pellini (57.06,) Houston Swim Club’s Davis Bryan (57.26,) and the 41 year old Coach of the Jasper County Killer Whales, The Screaming Viking who hobbled in at 57.84.
WOMEN’S 100 FLY FINAL
Two of the three podium positions for the women’s 100 fly went to athletes from Schroeder Y. 17 year old Ashlyn Schoof turned in 54.74 for third, beating out Springfield Aquatics’ Bailee Nunn’s 54.75 for the third spot on the podium. Second went to SSTY teammate Hannah Saiz who touched at 52.69. It was Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace who took the top prize money with 52.13. Rounding out the top eight were Dad’s Club’s Emma Stephenson at 55.01, MVN’s Samantha Shelton at 55.36, Houston’s Hannah Sumbera at 56.55 and Sooner Swim Club’s Tiffany Wu with 57.06.
MEN’S 100 FLY FINAL
Tim Phillips got out ahead and stayed there on a 21.42 first 50 split to take the top prize money for the 100 fly with 46.48. Eugene Godsoe was the only other swimmer below 47, taking second at 46.99. The third place prize went to David Williams at 47.22. Bobby Bollier was fourth with 47.54. Professional athletes BJ Hornikel and Mark Weber were fifth and sixth with 48.32 and 48.45 respectively. The last two spots in the A-final were taken by two Nadadores, with Grant Shoults in seventh at 48.75 and 15 year old Daniel Kim at 48.78.
WOMEN’S 400 IM FINAL
Youth dominated the women’s 400 IM, as all of the top 8 were amateurs. 15 year old Jessica Epps from Mission Viejo won the event with the only sub-4:20 time at 4:17.15. Berkeley Livingston from Lincoln Select took second with 4:21.50, followed by 14 year old Abigail Koczo in third with 4:23.04. Fort Worth Area’s Rayann Jaryszak took fourth at 4:24.41. The next two places were taken by Anne Norris (4:27.48) and Hannah Sumbera (4:27.85) who are both from Houston Swim Club. Clovis Swim Club’s Stephanie Bartel and Tri Aquatics’ Mallory Underwood rounded out the top eight with 4:29.11 and 4:31.02 respectively.
MEN’S 400 IM FINAL
Mission Viejo took five of the top eight spots, including first and third on the podium for the men’s 400 IM. Logan Redondo took the win at 3:53.21 and Dan O’Conner was third at 3:57.99. Between them for second was Chip Peterson who touched in 3:55.62. Fourth went to Duncan Lee from Dallas Mustangs with 4:00.07. Fifth place with 4:00.37 was unattached athlete Christopher Heye, followed by MVN’s Daniel Kim and Shane Forker with 4:03.20 and 4:03.61.
400 FREESTYLE RELAYS
Mission Viejo managed to take the win for both the men’s and women’s 400 free relays, holding back strong squads from Lakeside Aquatic Club in both events. The team of Victoria Epps, Andrea Felix, Stephanie Peacock and Samantha Shelton turned in 3:23.95 to take the win for the women’s event. Daniel Kim, Grant Shoults, Logan Redondo and Marc Morizono combined for 3:02.07 to win the men’s race.
Screaming Viking, at least we both made the final!!! Really good for our age!!! Proud of you!