Katie McLaughlin picked up her first event win since suffering a neck injury in January, while Abbey Weitzeil completed a sprint sweep at the Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions (SMOC).
McLaughlin sat out almost the entire second semester of the NCAA season for California after suffering a neck injury on the team’s training trip. She’s returned to her home club, the Mission Viejo Nadadores hosting SMOC, to rehab and picked up her first event win with a 1:59.74 in the 200 free Saturday night.
That’s well off her best time of 1:57.55, but still ranks as the 6th-fastest 200 free of her career, an encouraging sign with the U.S. Olympic Trials just two months away. McLaughlin is a contender for the American 4×200 free relay that is favored to win gold.
McLaughlin’s future Cal teammate Weitzeil won the 50 freestyle, pairing that with her 100 free win from last night. Weitzeil was 25.07 for that win, beating Mexico’s Lili Ibanez by about half a second.
USC’s Michael Domagala won the men’s 200 free in a solid 1:49.31. Domagala competes for Poland internationally and topped Mission Viejo senior Grant Shoults (1:50.54) along with fellow USC Trojan Reed Malone (1:50.99) and Cal’s Trent Williams (1:51.69).
That’s a drop of half a second from Domagala’s lifetime-best, which he set back in 2012.
Another Trojan won the women’s 200 breast one event later. Riley Scott, who just wrapped up her freshman season at Southern Cal, won the women’s race in 2:31.49, just eking out the win over Madeleine Vonderhaar of the Northern Kentucky Clippers (2:31.76). That’s Scott’s best swim since 2013 in the event.
In the men’s race, it was Cal pro Sean Mahoney who took the win in 2:17.91, beating Trojan Swim Club pro and Syrian Olympian Azad Al-Barazi (2:18.50).
The men’s 50 free went to another Pac-12 alum – this time it was Utah’s Nick Soedel taking the win in 22.77.
Haley Anderson of Trojan won the women’s 400 IM in 4:48.19. The men’s race went to Stanford’s Max Williamson in 4:20.78.
A few new Olympic Trials cuts went down on night 3 as well:
- 18-year-old Kirsten Vose went 2:00.07 in the 200 free, cutting a huge 7.4 seconds off her lifetime-best and hitting a new Olympic Trials cut with a 2nd-place showing.
- In that same race, 16-year-old Kate Krolikowski of Aquazot earned an Olympic Trials cut after coming into the meet just .08 off the qualifying time. She swam a 2:02.26 to take fourth and get under the qualifying standard.
Mckenna Meyer also got her trails cut in the 400 IM. She scratched the finals to focus on the 200 free.
That’s Katie’s best swim since her return. 1.59 in the 200 free is encouraging.
Looks like she doesn’t have much speed right now as her 50 free and 100 free were not good.
But that 200 free performance will reboost her morale without any doubt.
She was essential last year in the US 4X200 free relay at worlds. I really hope she will be ready in time for trials to at least grab a spot in that relay. She deserves to go to Rio.
Well, she is more of a 200 swimmer than a 100 swimmer. Mission Viejo tends to do the high yardage and developed 200 swimmers more.
Well, she is more of a 200 swimmer than a 100 swimmer. Mission Viejo tends to do the high yardage and developed 200 swimmers more.
The timing system did not function properly during the A final of women’s 50 free and the ‘backup times’ were used. Seems odd that not one swimmer in the final dropped time from the morning. Race video below:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLJUznzZd1j8WIEIB2dgJ359F1ICaEXygK&v=Oar8Ktwyx0M