TYR Pro Swim Series Westmont: Claire Weinstein Grabs Top Seed in 200 Free
The morning after her win in the 800 free, Claire Weinstein followed it up Thursday morning by taking the top seed in the women’s 200 free at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Westmont.
Swimming for Sandpipers of Nevada, Weinstein went 1:59.08 to secure the top seed in the morning prelims. She’s one of three swimmers under two minutes to start the action in the first preliminary session at FMC Natatorium.
Women’s 200 freestyle
Claire Weinstein won the final heat of four in 1:59.08, the top time of the morning. She was .18 seconds ahead of Brazil’s Maria Fernanda Costa, who went 1:59.26. Paige Madden (1:59.31) was the only other swimmer under two minutes.
Brazil placed three in the top five, with Aline Rodriguez fourth and Nathalia Siqueira Almeida fifth. Americans rounded out the A final, with Leah Hayes going 2:01.02, 800 free runner-up Katie Grimes seventh in 2:01.31 and Simone Manuel in 2:01.39.
The B final includes Olivia Smoliga in 11th and Taylor Ruck in 13th. Penny Oleksiak finished 17th.
Men’s 200 freestyle
Gabriel Jett set the top time in the men’s 200 free, leading a parade of recently graduated college swimmers and four under 1:48. Jett clocked in at 1:47.17. Second was Mexican international Jorge Iga in 1:47.45.
Drew Kibler (1:47.51) and Kieran Smith (1:47.94) also got under 1:48. Grant House was fifth, followed by the one-time Georgia duo of Tomas Koski and Luca Urlando. The final A final slot went to Brazil’s Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes.
The B final has some names in it, among them Brazilian Olympian Fernando Scheffer. Blake Pieroni was a spot behind in 13th, ahead of Trenton Julian, Brooks Curry and Ryan Held. Destin Lasco was 17th.
Women’s 100 breaststroke
Michigan teenager McKenzie Siroky set a best time in the 100 breast to grab the top seed in 1:07.92. Lilly King, the runaway favorite in a pretty empty event, was second in 1:08.37. She’s the only swimmers in the field who has been sub-1:07, and that at 1:04. Only three swimmers broke 1:10 in prelims.
Theodora Taylor was the third, the 14-year-old from Wales, who went 1:09.77. There was a tie for eighth between Jhennifer Conciecao of Brazil and Ellie Scott.
Men’s 100 breaststroke
The vets are in charge of the men’s 100 breast, with only one A finalist born after 2000 – and that’s a teenager in Xavier Ruiz, who finished sixth.
Leading the way is Anton McKee, who went 1:00.91 to secure the top seed by more than a half second. Fellow vet Will Licon is second in 1:01.48. Tommy Cope and Cody Miller also got under 1:02 in prelims. Ruiz was sixth in 1:02.28. Max McHugh rounds out the A final in eighth.
Women’s 100 butterfly
The best race of the night is shaping up in the 100 fly between Regan Smith and Torri Huske. Smith won prelims in 57.00, .08 ahead of Huske. Those two are nearly two seconds ahead of the field, and while that gap will close, it might not be by that much.
Third place went to Canadian Olympian Katerine Savard in 58.90. Harriet Jones was fourth, followed by Dakota Luther, Beata Nelson and Leah Shackley.
Rhyan White is among the B finalists. Simone Manuel tied for 16th.
Men’s 100 butterfly
Caeleb Dressel delivered a solid swim in prelims to finish second among a veteran core of swimmers. Dressell went 52.31, .08 seconds behind Santo Condorelli, who took the top seed in 52.23.
Third is Zach Harting in 52.50, followed by Dare Rose in 52.89. Trenton Julian, Jorge Iga and Kayky Mota round out the A final, with the final spot to come down to a swim off between Vili Sivec and Sebastian Smith.
Ryan Held (11th), Nicholas Albeiro and Ryan Murphy (tied for 12th) are among the B finalists, while Thomas Heilman tied for 16th. Luca Urlando and Hugo Gonzales were among the scratches.
Women’s 400 individual medley
For most swimmers, it was the back end of a double in the 400 IM Thursday morning. Leah Hayes navigated it best, taking the top seed in 4:44.86. Her fellow 200 free A finalists also got in to a second top eight, with Katie Grimes just behind her in 4:45.18 and Claire Weinstein a distant fourth in 4:53.05. In between is Canadian Olympian Bailey Andison in third in 4:52.50. Only six swimmers broke five minutes in the race.
Men’s 400 individual medley
David Johnston, the winner of the 800 free on Wednesday night to open the meet, set the top time in prelims of the 400 IM Thursday. He went 4:24.37, more than a second clear of Jay Litherland. Noah Cakir is the third seed in 4:26.10. Just sneaking into the A final is Chase Kalisz in 4:27.75 in eighth place.
