By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2018 CIF-SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 2 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• May 7-12, 2018
• Riverside Aquatics Complex
• Riverside, California
• Live Results

After Friday’s preliminary session saw a pair of Division 2 meet records from Mira Costa junior Alexandra Crisera, two more fell at Saturday’s afternoon finals of the CIF-SS Division 2  Championships in Riverside. Both came on the boys side, as Danny Syrkin of La Canada and Andrew Koustik of Calvary Chapel-Santa Ana took down marks in the 100 back and 100 breast respectively.

In the team race, the Los Osos girls came out on top with 254.5 points, and the Foothill boys did the same with 249 points. Check out full recaps for the girls and boys below.

Girls

After Crisera was the big story on Friday, it was Elise Garcia of Crean Lutheran and Emily Trieu of Los Osos who were the big performers on Saturday, each earning two individual wins. Garcia started with a win in the 50 free, touching in 22.71, with teammate Mandy Brenner maintaining her runner-up position in 23.37. About 25 minutes later Garcia dipped below the 53-second barrier in the 100 fly, winning by a landslide in 52.92. Autumn D’Arcy of Redlands took 2nd in 54.78.

Trieu started with a win in the 200 IM, easily defending her top seed in 2:00.26 as she won by over three seconds. Then, in perhaps the upset of the meet, she took down Crisera in the 100 back, going 53.21 to Crisera’s 53.71. Crisera had broken the meet record in prelims at 52.87. Both Trieu and her teammate Casslyn Treydte proved key once again in propelling Los Osos to a pair of relay wins, as they took both the 200 free and 400 free. In the 200, Trieu led off in 22.80 and Treydte anchored in 22.95 as they beat Mira Costa by over a second in 1:35.11. In the 400 free relay, the two led off and anchored in the same order in times of 50.29 and 49.97 as they stormed to the victory in 3:26.56.

Samantha Pearson of Foothill had a strong showing on the day as well, winning the 200 free in 1:46.27 (with Treydte 2nd) and finishing as the runner-up to Crisera in the 100 free in 49.33. Crisera went 48.92 to win that event, missing her own meet record by .05. Pearson also led off Foothill’s 200 medley relay in 25.52 as they ended up tying with Redlands for the win at 1:45.17. Redlands had a blazing 24.36 fly split from D’Arcy.

The other victors on the day were Redlands’ Liberty Williams and Diamond Bar’s Kelsey Lloyd. Williams won the 500 free in 4:48.87, out-sprinting Treydte at the end who was 4:49.26 for 2nd. Lloyd took the 100 breast in 1:02.92, with 2nd going to Glendora’s Jackie Basham (1:03.26).

Final Girls Team Scores

1. Los Osos, 254.5
2. Redlands, 232
3. Foothill, 157
4. Glendora, 154
5. Crescenta Valley, 151

Boys

The two record swims were the highlights for the boys, with both coming towards the end of the meet. La Canada’s Syrkin used his big time speed to get out ahead early in the 100 fly, getting to the wall in 47.48 to take down the eight-year-old record of Chase Bloch (47.55). He also won the 100 back in 48.87, again using crazy speed to get out ahead and hang on.

Koustik slid under the 2014 record of Derek Kao in the 100 breast, going 54.88 to erase his 54.91 off the books. Aiichiroh Shirakata was the runner-up in 56.28, and also won the 200 IM in 1:49.46 over Diamond Bar’s Kevin Vargas (1:50.01). Koustik also won the 500 free in 4:20.98, completing a very unusual double.

While he didn’t break any records, Zane Scott of Foothill was the only one on the boys side to win multiple individual events, as he came away with the sprint double in the 50/100 free. He edged out top seed Bart Salvaterra in the 50, clocking 20.96 as Salvaterra tied with Mira Costa’s Colin Le for 2nd in 21.15. In the 100, Scott narrowly out-touched teammate Hunter Ingram, 45.36 to 45.42.

Ingram, who came into the day with the top seed in both of his events, faded late in the 200 free and ended up taking 4th in 1:39.35. Christopher Mykkanen, another one of his Foothill teammates, nailed down the win with a blistering final 50 in 1:38.68, getting by Mira Costa’s Christian Bathurst (1:38.83).

In terms of the relays, La Canada, Mira Costa and Foothill each picked up a win. Syrkin’s 22.22 lead-off was enough for La Canada to hold on in the 200 medley in a time of 1:32.98, followed by Redlands in 1:33.46. Mira Costa had a 21.34 lead-off from Le and a 20.75 anchor from Bathurst as they won in 1:24.77, and a 45.35 lead-off from Ingram and an identical anchor from Scott earned Foothill the win in the 400 free relay.

Final Boys Team Scores

1. Foothill,249
2. Diamond Bar, 205
3. La Canada, 202
4. Mira Costa, 186.5
5. Damien, 180

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Syrkin, Koustik Break Meet Records At CIF-SS Division 2 Finals

By Braden Keith on SwimSwam

2018 KNZB Challenger

• May 12th-13th, 2018
• Dordrecht, Netherlands
• 50m (LCM)
• Live results

Olympic gold medalists Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Femke Heemskerk highlighted the field at the 2018 KNZB Challenger being held this weekend in Dordrecht.

Roughly the equivalent of a Sectional meet in the U.S., the event is drawing a handful of elite National Teamers, racing on in-season training, along with a number of qualified, high-level junior swimmers.

On the first day, Kromowidjojo swam one final, the 100 free, where she finished in 55.37. Even by standards of an in-season swim, that’s a bit off for her, and the slowest she’s been in any official meet since 2011. However, the unique way she split the race might explain the time: she was out in 27.13 and back in 28.24. Her split-spread is usually a reliable 1.5 seconds, so to get that down to almost a second flat indicates that this may have been a “push the back half” attempt.

Marjolein Delno was 2nd in 56.00, which is within half-a-second of her lifetime best.

Femke Heemskerk came out the winner in the women’s 200 IM, finishing in 2:13.77. That’s the 5th-best time of her career in an event where she looked to be seriously training for the world stage c. 2014 (she swam 2:10.41 in Eindhoven in April that year), but it has become more of a side-show event since. She’s now been 2:13 twice this season (2:13.19 in January in Antwerp), and has swum the event now at twice the number of meets as she did so last year (two).

Kim Busch was a double winner on day 1, topping the 100 fly in 1:00.67 and later the 50 breaststroke in 32.23.

The top swim on the men’s side came in the 200 freewhere Maarten Brzoskowski won in 1:50.10, which is about a second faster than he was at this time last year. Mathys Goosen won two events, taking the 50 back in 27.24 and the 50 fly in 24.27.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Femke Heemskerk Swims 2:13 200 IM at KNZB Challenger

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Read the full story on SwimSwam: The First Day of Swim Lessons

By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam

After missing most of the fall and winter seasons, 2017 World Champ powerhouseLeah Smith was back at the Mesa Pro Swim.  She notched several wins and some solid in-seaons:

• 200 free – 1:59.1
• 400 free – 4:07
• 800 free – 8:31

Leah Smith, Katie Ledecky– 2016 Olympic Games in Rio -courtesy of simone castrovillari

Leah moved from Virginia to Arizona, following her coach Cory Chitwood, and she’s been MIA so long  (missing the last two Pro Swim competitions), swim fans may have been wondering if she was still on track.  Clearly she is, and she’s dangerous. Over the last two years Leah’s shown she’s a force in the sport.

With the high stakes this summer at U.S. Nationals  (Team USA selections for the 2018 Pan Pac and 2019 World Champ squads), how fast will Leah swim?  Based on the last two years, I think she’ll pop a PB in at least one event.  I don’t know which.  I’d love to see a PB in the 800m free, anything under 8:15, and I’d like to see a 1:55 low 200 free.  400m free is the barrier.  Can she dip under four minutes? Can she put more pressure on swim-star and teammate Katie Ledecky?  What do you think?

You can follow Leah Smith on Twitter here.

Follow her on Instagram here. 

RECENT EPISODES

This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Olympian Leah Smith Is Dangerous: GMM presented by SwimOutlet.com

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2018 USMS SPRING NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• May 10th – May 13th
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana
• 25y course
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheets/Heat Sheets
• Live Results

After 15 U.S. Masters National Records fell on day 2 of the Championships being held in Indianapolis, an additional 14 fell on the third of four days.

Keeping up with the standard he set on day 1, 95-year-old Willard Lamb continued his streak of records with three more on Saturday. Lamb, representing the Oregon Masters, broke the men’s 95-99 marks in the 50 free (43.81), 100 free (1:37.61) and the 50 back (53.43). Gus Langner previously held both freestyle marks, set in 1999, at 51.31 and 2:04.54. The 50 back mark previously belonged to Tom Lane, who was 1:08.20 way back in 1989.

Another one of the highlights on the day was two-time Polish Olympian and former USC Trojan Katarzyna Wilk breaking the women’s 25-29 record in the 100 free. The 26-year-old, who owns a European SC Championship relay bronze medal from 2011, went 48.58 to take out Kim Vandenberg‘s 2013 mark of 49.18. Wilk wasn’t far off her college form, with her best standing at 47.35 from 2016.

Along with Lamb, Christie Hayes, Laura Val, Margaret Toppel, Clarke Mitchell and David Sims all broke records on day 3 after also doing so on day 2.

Val backed up her two records on day 2 with another two marks on Saturday, lowering the 65-69 records in the 50 back (29.65) and 100 free (57.88). The two records the Tamalpais Aquatic Masters swimmer broke were both her own, with her 2017 marks at 30.39 and 58.21.

Hayes, representing the New England Masters, broke the women’s 70-74 500 free by about four seconds in 6:42.57 after taking out the 200 free mark yesterday. Toppel, swimming in the same category and representing Oregon, took out the 50 back mark in 34.60, edging Diann Uustal‘s 34.77 from last year.

For the men, Mitchell of UC45 broke the 85-89 50 back record in 38.04, taking down his own mark by two tenths. Sims, swimming for Illinois in the 55-59 age group, narrowly got under his own record set in April (2:01.67) in 2:01.59.

Check out a full list of the records set on day 3 below, courtesy of usms.org.

• Christie Hayes, New England Masters: women’s 70-74 500 freestyle (6:42.57)
• Carlo Travaini, Mission Viejo Masters: men’s 55-59 200 breaststroke (2:07.80)
• Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatics Masters: women’s 65-69 100 freestyle (57.88)
• Katarzyna Wilk, Las Vegas Masters: women’s 25-29 100 freestyle (48.58)
• Willard Lamb, Oregon Masters: men’s 95-99 50 freestyle (43.81)
• Willard Lamb, Oregon Masters: men’s 95-99 100 freestyle (1:37.61)
• Margaret Toppel, Oregon Masters: women’s 70-74 50 backstroke (34.60)
• Laura Val, Tamalpais Aquatics Masters: women’s 65-69 50 backstroke (29.65)
• Julia Mikota, Wisconsin Masters: women’s 18-24 50 backstroke (26.14)
• Willard Lamb, Oregon Masters: men’s 95-99 50 backstroke (53.43)
• Clarke Mitchell, UC45: men’s 85-89 50 backstroke (38.04)
• David Sims, Illinois Masters: men’s 55-59 200 butterfly (2:01.59)
• North Carolina Masters: women’s 45+ medley relay (1:51.83)
• The Olympic Club: men’s 35+ medley relay (1:33.66)

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 95-Year-Old Lamb, Polish Olympian Wilk Among Record Setters At Masters

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2018 KNZB CHALLENGER

• May 12th-13th, 2018
• Dordrecht, Netherlands
• 50m (LCM)
• Live results

After the likes of Femke Heemskerk and Ranomi Kromowidjojo were in action on day 1 of the KNZB Challenger in Dordrecht, several Dutch national teamers were back in action on day 2 (though neither of those two competed). Highlighting the second day was Maaike de Waard, who had a pair of wins in the sprint backstroke events.

First, in the 100 back, de Waard produced a time of 1:01.85, splitting 29.9/31.8, winning by nearly a second. Given this being an in-season meet, she was impressively less than a second off her 2014 best of 1:01.01. Tessa Vermeulen was the runner-up in 1:02.82. Her best, set last month, is 1:00.67.

In the 50, de Waard won easily in 28.53, with 2nd going to Marjolein Delno in 29.94. Delno was also the runner-up in the 50 free, going 25.52 as Tamara van Vliet exploded for a very impressive 24.76. That came just over a tenth off her all-time best of 24.64.

On the men’s side, Stan Pijnenburg was among the top performers with a pair of wins in the 100 free and 50 breast. In the 100 free he took out Maarten Brzoskowski (51.55) and Ben Schwietert (51.58) in 50.21, with solid splits of 24.59/25.62. He also won the 50 breast in 28.97.

The other big swim of the meet was Mathys Goosen in the men’s 100 fly, as he uncorked a 53.99 to top Brzoskowski (55.14) and Arno Kamminga (55.40).

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Maaike de Waard Hits 28.5/1:01.8 Backstrokes At KNZB Challenger Day 2

By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam

Waxhaw, North Carolina’s Ellie VanNote has verbally committed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the fall of 2019. She becomes the second SwimMAC swimmer to commit to the Tar Heels; Amy Dragelin made her intention known in February.

“I am so excited to attend UNC Chapel Hill not only for academics but also swimming. I fell in love with the campus and had a great connection with the coaches and swimmers. I can not wait to be apart of such an outstanding team! [sic]”

VanNote attends Marvin Ridge High School. She won the NCHSAA 3A state title in the 100 fly as a sophomore, helping Marvin Ridge dominate in the team standings. This year, the Mavericks had to contend with Charlotte Catholic (who, thanks to NCHSAA conference realignment, left the 4A SoMeck Charlotte conference and joined a 3A conference with Union County teams, including Monroe, which moved up from 2A) and placed second at the 2018 3A State Championship. VanNote was runner-up in the 100 fly, although with a time (54.02) that was 1.2 seconds faster than her winning time from 2017. She also took third in the 200 free (1:50.06, 2.4 seconds faster than last year) and led off the 200 and 400 free relays, both of which finished third.

In club swimming, the USA Swimming Scholastic All-American from SwimMAC Carolina is a versatile talent who excels in free, fly, back, and IM. At 2017 Winter Juniors East (competing as Elizabeth VanNote) she swam the 200 free, 100 back, and 100/200 fly, and scored a PB in the 200 IM at time trials. This spring she has updated her lifetime bests in the 50/100/200/500 free, 100/200 back, and 100/200 fly.

Top SCY times:

• 100 fly – 54.02
• 200 fly – 1:59.23
• 100 back – 55.81
• 200 back – 1:59.47
• 200 free – 1:49.67
• 200 IM – 2:03.24

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: SwimMAC’s Ellie VanNote Sends Verbal Commitment to Tar Heels

By Sanuj Srivastava on SwimSwam

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Read the full story on SwimSwam: Summer Vacation Me Swimming Sikhna Rhega Best

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

2018 CIF – SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION 1

• May 8-12, 2018
• Riverside Aquatics Complex, Riverside City College
• Riverside, California
• Full Results

Santa Margarita senior and Harvard commit Samantha Shelton tackled a 200 free/200 IM double, with the front end of that producing a lifetime best swim.

Shelton dominated a talented 200 free field, going out in 50.71 and coming back to touch at 1:44.05 ahead of Newport Harbor’s Ayla Spitz (1:45.56) and Santa Margarita sophomore Ella Ristic (1:45.93). Santa Margarita added a 4th place finish there with junior Mackenzie Degn (1:48.49).

Shelton settled for 4th in the 200 IM (2:01.09), immediately following her big 200 free performance. That race went to Santa Margarita senior Isabelle Odgers (1:59.99). Odgers later won the 100 breast (1:01.90). Meanwhile, Spitz found success in the 500 free, clocking a 4:45.91 to win by over three seconds.

Santa Margarita was an unstoppable force, though. In addition to Odgers’ two wins and Shelton’s 200 free title, sophomore Anicka Delgado came away with wins in the 50 free (22.71) and 100 fly (53.25), while Ella Ristic tabbed a win in the 100 free (49.61). Santa Margarita took all three relays, as Delgado, Shelton, and Degn produced 22-mid splits (Delgado led off in 22.8), while the three of them, plus Ristic, all clocked 49’s on the 400 free relay. Their time of 3:18.63 was just off of their own meet record from last year, while their 1:31.47 in the 200 free relay (swapping in junior Marriott Hoffman for Ristic) was a new meet record.

GIRLS’ SCORES

1. Santa Margarita                 421.5   2. Tesoro                            163
3. Los Alamitos                      130   4. Fountain Valley                   123
5. Newport Harbor                    118

On the boys’ side, Northwood took the 200 medley and 400 free relays, and led by individual performances from seniors Henry Wu and Shawn Lou, Northwood took the team title.

Wu was the difference maker for Northwood’s 200 medley relay, as he split a 25.45 breast to boost them to a 1:31.69 finish in a tight field. He went on to win the 100 breast later in the meet, going 55.00. Lou, meanwhile, finished first in the 200 free (1:37.24) over Crespi’s Zach Van Zandt (1:37.80), while Van Zandt got revenge in the 100, edging Lou 44.92 to 45.05.

Tesoro’s Michael Brinegar had a standout finish in the 500 free, clocking a 4:21.29 to win by over seven seconds. Also putting up wins were Crespi’s Hayden Liu in the 200 IM (1:48.51) and Loyola’s Mark McCrary in the 100 back (48.94).

BOYS’ SCORES

1. Northwood                         282   2. Loyola                            238
3. Tesoro                            230   4. Aliso Niguel                      199
5. University                      169.5

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Samantha Shelton Blasts 1:44.0 200 FR at CIF SS D1 Champs

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2018 CIF CENTRAL SECTION D1 CHAMPIONSHIPS

• May 9-12, 2018
• Clovis West High School
• Fresno, California
• Meet Central
• Live Results

The CIF Central Section Division 1 Championships saw a total of five meet records fall during finals on Saturday, as the Clovis West girls and Clovis North boys prevailed victorious in the meet. Check out recaps of the girls and boys meets below.

Girls

Clovis West junior Abby Samansky was the big story on the girls side, as she went 4/4 in event wins and meet records.

She opened with a win in the 200 free, shattering Tristin Baxter‘s 2010 record of 1:48.92 in 1:47.79. She cleared the field by almost five seconds, with Frontier senior Kassidy Lemminn 2nd in 1:52.49 (after leading prelims in 1:50.97). Samansky also became the first CIF Central swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100 freestyle, scorching a 49.90 to take down Stephanie Bartel‘s 2016 record of 50.60. Samansky’s Clovis West teammate Caitlyn Snyder was the runner-up, almost breaking the old record herself in 50.86.

For the relays, Samansky led off for Clovis West in both the 4×50 and 4×100 free, going 23.86 and 51.16, as they put up times of 1:35.75 and 3:29.57 to defeat Liberty (1:38.83) and Buchanan (3:36.10). Also playing a key role on those relays was Snyder, who anchored in 23.20 and 51.03 respectively.

The other record of the meet went to Snyder, who unloaded a 23.27 in the 50 free to break a 20-year-old record. Back in 1998, Kristie Begin was 23.55. Clovis North’s Brooke Costella, who also took 3rd in the 100 free, finished 2nd in 23.56.

Clovis’ Shelby Vidmar and Averee Preble joined Samansky as double winners individually. Vidmar, a senior, took the 200 IM (2:10.49) and 100 breast (1:05.99). In the 200 IM she edged out teammate Abby Mammen (2:10.75), who had a win of her own in the 100 back (57.73). Preble, a junior, came away with wins in the 100 fly (55.24) and 500 free (4:48.72), both in decisive fashion. Mammen, Vidmar and Preble teamed up with Taylor Anderson to win the 200 medley relay, narrowly missing an 18-year-old record (1:47.23) in 1:47.51.

In the team race, Clovis West won easily with 476.5 points. Buchanan took 2nd with 315 despite no event wins, using strong depth.

Girls Final Team Scores

1. Clovis West, 476.5
2. Buchanan, 315
3. Clovis, 255
4. Liberty, 245
5. Clovis North, 223.5

Boys

Clovis North was dominant for the boys, winning eight of 11 events on the program. Like Samansky for the girls, junior Benjamin Forbes came away with four wins –  2 individual and 2 relay.

Forbes won both the 100 (45.66) and 200 free (1:38.73), with Frontier senior Colin Rabanal taking the runner-up spot in both. Additionally, Forbes led off the Clovis North 200 free relay in 21.22 as they won in 1:24.87, with a notable 20.84 anchor from Michael Jia. Forbes then anchored their 400 free relay in 45.77 as they won handily in 3:07.71.

Jia, a senior, had a pair of individual wins of his own. He won the 50 free in 21.05 over teammate Cole Fleming (21.60), and also took the 100 fly in 48.93 over another teammate Theo Tuggle (51.21). Tuggle picked up an individual win in the 500 free in 4:34.44.

Other individual wins went to Clovis North’s Ethan DePry in the 200 IM (1:53.99), Clovis West’s Austin Lane in the 100 back (51.19), and his teammate Joaquin Jamieson in the 100 breast (58.14). Lane and Jamieson also helped lead Clovis West to a win over Clovis North in the 200 medley relay, clocking 1:35.47 to North’s 1:36.45.

The eight wins buoyed Clovis North to the win, but Buchanan once again had a strong showing to take 2nd, just 46.5 points back.

Boys Final Team Scores

1. Clovis North, 533
2. Buchanan, 486.5
3. Clovis West, 226.5
4. Clovis East, 156.5
5. Centennial / Garces Memorial, 150

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Abby Samansky Shatters Records At CIF Central Division 1 Championships

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

The infamous ‘Lochtegate’ scandal is a well known one by now. American Ryan Lochte, one of the most decorated Olympic swimmers in history, told news outlets that he and three teammates were robbed at gunpoint in Brazil after the end of the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, news quickly surfaced that the story was fabricated, and that the four swimmers had actually vandalized a gas station area and were thus asked to pay for the damage by security guards.

With the incident happening nearly two years ago, it was supposed to be over with. Lochte served his suspension from USA Swimming, and has since returned to competing. He won his defense in court, as he obtained a habeas corpus, claiming that he did not falsely communicate a crime since he did not report the alleged assault directly to the police.

However, it looks like the case may resurface. On Friday, May 11th, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rio de Janeiro asked for the reopening of the case. The habeas corpus has not been tried by the Brazilian court, but it has nevertheless been requested to reopen. The MP has stated that Lochte’s actions brought serious negative repercussions to Brazil abroad, and that expenses were wasted in investigating a crime that didn’t really happen.

If convicted, Lochte could face 1-6 months in prison, or a fine. Read more about the re-opening, as reported in Portuguese, here and here.

Since the incident, Lochte has had a baby, and most notably competed at the U.S. Open Championships at the end of last summer. He’s expected to vie for a spot on the U.S. Pan Pacific and World Championship teams this summer.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Rio’s Public Prosecutor Looking To Reopen Lochte Case

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

The Louisville women’s class of 2023 has grown to three, as Saline Swim Team and Saline High School’s Maddie Luther has given a verbal commitment to the Cardinals. Luther joins sprinter Christiana Regenauer and flyer/IM’er Abby Hay for the fall of 2019.

I am super excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my swimming career at the University of Louisville! I want to thank you to family, teammates, and coaches for all their help throughout this process. I immediately fell in love with the campus and everything the University of Louisville has to offer! From the great academics to the amazing team and coaching staff, I couldn’t be more excited to be apart of the Louisville family! GO CARDS!!

Luther is the reigning MHSAA (Michigan) Division 1 champion in the 200 free after she swam a lifetime best 1:47.69 to win that race this past November. At that meet, she also placed 3rd in the 500 free and split 23.55/51.30 on Saline’s free relays, which both placed in the top four.

TOP TIMES

• 100 free – 51.11
• 200 free – 1:47.69
• 500 free – 4:51.67
• 200 IM – 2:05.59
• 200m free – 2:04.11

It seems as though Luther will fit in best as a 200/500 free swimmer at Louisville, and her best 200 free time would’ve scored in the C final at the 2018 ACC Championships. Luther will just miss overlapping with Mallory Comerford and Sophie Cattermole, who each have one season left with the Cardinals and were their top two 200 freestylers last season. She’ll still get two years to train with Louisville’s #3 200 freestyler, Arina Openysheva, and the incoming freshman class is packed with mid-distance free talent.

I am super excited to announce my verbal commitment to continue my academic and swimming career at the University of Louisville! I want to thank my family, teammates, and coaches for all their support throughout this process! I can not wait to be apart of the Louisville family!! #gocards

A post shared by Maddie Luther (@maddie_luther) on May 10, 2018 at 1:44pm PDT

If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Louisville Adds to Class of 2023 with MHSAA Champion Maddie Luther

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

2018 TYR Pro Swim Series – Indianapolis

• May 16th-20th, 2018
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• 50m
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet

As a quick refresher, four retired Olympians drafted the entire U.S. National swim team (as well as a couple of 2016 Olympians) into four SwimSquads, and each captain gets to select 6 swimmers to start for each of the Pro Swim Series stops. Athletes earn points for their teams with a winning squad crowned at the end of the season. The captain of the winning team gets $10,000 to donate to a charity of their choice. The athletes can earn sponsor prizes (though NCAA athletes are restricted in prize acceptance under NCAA amateurism rules).

We covered the captains and rosters as they were announced. You can read more here, or check them out below:

CURRENT POINTS:

• See full Mesa breakdown here

FULL ROSTERS

SCORING FORMAT

• Prior to each meet, the captain will select 6 swimmers from their overall roster to score.
• Each of the six athletes is designated for one specific category, and can score in up to two events from that category. The categories are:
  • Free (50 through 1500)
  • Back (50 through 200)
  • Breast (50 through 200)
  • Fly (50 through 200)
  • IM (200 and 400, not the mystery order 200 IM)
  • Flex (any two races)
• An athlete must make the top 8 to score points:
  • 1st: 10
  • 2nd: 8
  • 3rd: 7
  • 4th: 5
  • 5th: 4
  • 6th: 3
  • 7th: 2
  • 8th: 1

Indianapolis OUTLOOK

With college season now fully wrapped up, we’re seeing a lot of new faces making their PSS debuts for the season after a short course yards focus during the school year. On the other hand, the competing meet in Atlanta has pulled a lot of the top names, making for a pretty unique mix of athletes in Indy.

This month is the biggest disparity in active roster sizes so far. Team Lezak, currently sitting fourth, will have plenty of lineup options to try to run down the field. His team leads with 17 active swimmers, compared to 14 for Coughlin, 12 for Krayzelburg and 10 for Sandeno. Lezak has spent most of this year in desperate need of a backstroker, but he’ll have a couple of good options there in Indy.

Sandeno is the one in trouble, with three of her top five picks out and no great butterflyer left on the roster. (All three of those absent high-round picks regularly compete in butterfly). Krayzelburg has a relatively small active roster, but plenty of top-tier options to fill all six starting slots. Coughlin may have to get creative to fill her fly and back slots, but is loaded elsewhere.

In terms of specific events, moving the 1500 free to a separate day of competition leaves some concern that top names will not contest the event. With the meet order changing and the 1500 day moving from Sunday morning to Wednesday night, it’s also possible some athletes had travel plans already in motion. With that in mind, we’re steering away from starting milers and instead using the 400 and 800 for most distance types in starting lineups.

TEAM KRAYZELBURG

Swimming for: Never Ever Give Up: Jessie Rees Foundation

• Active: Chase Kalisz, Kelsi Dahlia, Katie Ledecky, Matt Grevers, Olivia Smoliga, Zach Apple, Nic Fink, Sean Grieshop, Ryan Held, Amanda Kendall, Vanessa Krause, Sierra Schmidt
• Notable inactives: Will Licon, Ryan Lochte, Ashley Twichell, Abbey Weitzeil

Krayzelburg once again returns top series scorer Chase Kalisz to lock down his IM spot, and the rich get richer as the series points leader gets Katie Ledecky on his active roster for the first time this series. Kelsi Dahlia is the top-scoring flyer on the tour this year, and Oliva Smoliga the second-scoring backstroker behind only Ryan Murphy.

Nic Fink is the obvious breaststroke choice. The flex play has some intrigue, though. Ryan Held scored 15 points in Austin, but hasn’t attended the last two stops. Matt Grevers scored 20 in Austin and 18 in Mesa, but both of those were aided by the 50 back, which isn’t in the Indy schedule. Another good option could be Amanda Kendall.

TEAM COUGHLIN

Swimming for: DAM-Cancer Foundation

• Active: Melanie Margalis, Lilly King, Simone Manuel, Tom Shields, Bridgette Alexander, Ali Deloof, Hali Flickinger, Bethany Galat, Ally McHugh, Hellen Moffitt, Hannah Moore, Erica Sullivan, Miranda Tucker, Cullen Jones
• Notable inactives: Ryan Murphy, Michael Chadwick, Abrahm Devine, Madisyn Cox, Molly Hannis

Coughlin’s team has been marked by versatility, and we went a bit creative with our projections here. There are a couple of locks. Simone Manuel will make her PSS debut and has to crack the starting lineup as a freestyler. Same goes for Lilly King in the breaststrokes. Then Coughlin has a handful of versatile women – Melanie Margalis, Bethany Galat, Hali Flickinger – who are big point scorers with some options as to where they start.

Coughlin’s problem spot is backstroke, where first-round pick Ryan Murphy is not competing. Her best options are Bridgette Alexander (seeded 5th in the 100 and 6th in the 200) and Ali Deloof (seeded 3rd in the 100 but not swimming the 200). We’re taking Deloof, the 100 back runner-up in Mesa, hoping that 8 points in the 100 will outdo what Alexander could do with low A final finishes in both (she’s currently seeded to score 7).

After that, it’s about working in the three all-arounders. Margalis is a huge play in the IMs, especially with Madisyn Cox not competing. That allows Coughlin to add Galat as a flex play in the breaststrokes, essentially starting the top two women’s breaststrokers for potentially 36 points between the two of them. Starting Flickinger over Tom Shields in the fly spot is similar to the Alexander-Deloof dilemma. Flickinger isn’t too likely to score in the 100, but could theoretically win the 200. Shields had two low A final finishes in Atlanta, but probably doesn’t have the ceiling to outscore Flickinger against some pretty tough fly fields.

TEAM SANDENO

Swimming for: Never Ever Give Up: Jessie Rees Foundation

• Active: Leah Smith, Jacob Pebley, Zane Grothe, Blake Pieroni, Emily Escobedo, Ella Eastin, Brooke Forde, Kaersten Meitz, Charlie Swanson, Jonathan Tybur
• Notable inactives: Caeleb Dressel, Michael Andrew, Katie Meili, Jack Conger, Andrew Wilson

This month, it’s Sandeno struggling to fill out her lineup. She’s got three elite freestylers competing, but is stuck with only two slots to start them. It’s almost impossible not to start Leah Smith and 

By Gold Medal Mel Stewart on SwimSwam

After missing most of the fall and winter seasons, 2017 World Champ powerhouseLeah Smith was back at the Mesa Pro Swim.  She notched several wins and some solid in-seaons:

• 200 free – 1:59.1
• 400 free – 4:07
• 800 free – 8:31

Leah Smith, Katie Ledecky– 2016 Olympic Games in Rio -courtesy of simone castrovillari

Leah moved from Virginia to Arizona, following her coach Cory Chitwood, and she’s been MIA so long  (missing the last two Pro Swim competitions), swim fans may have been wondering if she was still on track.  Clearly she is, and she’s dangerous. Over the last two years Leah’s shown she’s a force in the sport.

With the high stakes this summer at U.S. Nationals  (Team USA selections for the 2018 Pan Pac and 2019 World Champ squads), how fast will Leah swim?  Based on the last two years, I think she’ll pop a PB in at least one event.  I don’t know which.  I’d love to see a PB in the 800m free, anything under 8:15, and I’d like to see a 1:55 low 200 free.  400m free is the barrier.  Can she dip under four minutes? Can she put more pressure on swim-star and teammate Katie Ledecky?  What do you think?

You can follow Leah Smith on Twitter here.

Follow her on Instagram here. 

RECENT EPISODES

This is a Gold Medal Media production presented by SwimOutlet.com. Host Gold Medal Mel Stewart is a 3-time Olympic medalist and the co-founder of SwimSwam.com, a Swimming News website.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Olympian Leah Smith Is Dangerous: GMM presented by SwimOutlet.com

By Jared Anderson on SwimSwam

A swim coach at multiple Southern California high schools has been arrested and charged with sexual misconduct with a minor.

Steven Lawrence Ortiz is 58 years old, and had coached swimming and track over two decades at multiple high schools in the High Desert region at the south end of California, according to the VictorVille Daily Press. That report says Ortiz most recently coached cross country and track and field at Granite Hills High School. The school district says the alleged victim is not a Granite Hills student.

The Daily Press and others report that a 15-year-old boy went missing on April 24. Authorities say Ortiz found the boy and promised to take him to a homeless shelter, but instead, took him to Ortiz’s house and provided the boy with alcohol and engaging in sexual acts with him. The boy returned home the next day and said that Ortiz had picked him up.

The local ABC affiliate reports that Ortiz was arrested and charged with sexual intercourse with a minor and sodomy. Authorities also say they believe there could be more victims, based on Ortiz’s long career as a high school coach in the area.

Victor Valley News reports that the Apple Valley Unified School District released a statement terming Ortiz as a “walk-on” coach. Their full statement is below, courtesy of VVNG:

Apple Valley Unified School District is aware of last night’s arrest of a Granite Hills High School walk-on track and cross country coach. According to the Sheriff Investigator,  the alleged victim is not a student at Granite Hills High School. We have no further information regarding this case. 

Read the full story on SwimSwam: CA High School Swim Coach Arrested For Sexual Misconduct With Minor

By James Sutherland on SwimSwam

2018 CIF San Diego Div 2 Championship

• May 9-12, 2018
• Georgette Torres Aquatic Center
• El Cajon, California
• Meet Central
• Results on Meet Mobile

Just as we saw at the CIF San Diego Div 1 Championships, plenty of records well by the wayside at the Div 2 Championships, including some section records (meaning faster than either D1 or D2). In the team race, Cathedral Catholic came out on top for both boys and girls. Check out full meet recaps below.

Girls

A pair of Section Records highlighted the girls meet, with La Costa Canyon junior Rachel Rhee breaking her own mark in the 50 free in a time of 23.05. Her record from last year was 23.19, and for a point of reference, this year’s D1 title was won in 23.41. The other Section Record was in the 200 medley relay, where Rhee combined with teammates Noelle Harvey (27.20), Tegan Preston (28.70), Erin Taggart (26.28) to anchor in 23.00 and go 1:45.18 to break the Division 2 Record (1:48.28) and the Section Record of 1:45.34, set by Torrey Pines at the D1 Championships going on at the same time.

The other record for the girls came from Preston, who broke her own Div 2 mark in the 100 breast by .06 in 1:03.23. She also won the 200 IM in 2:04.21, while Rhee also had an individual win in the 200 free (1:47.47) for her third straight title.

Senior Juliana Fox of Mt. Carmel had two wins of her own, winning the 100 fly (55.84) and 100 back (55.81). Her teammate Leanna Gharbaoui was the victor in the 100 freestyle in a time of 52.34. The other individual win went to Cathedral Catholic’s Greta Fanta in the 500 free (4:51.01).

La Jolla won the 200 free relay in 1:39.70, and Rhee led off in 51.18 as La Costa Canyon won the 400 free relay in 3:32.84.

Girls Final Team Scores

1. Cathedral Catholic, 353
2. La Costa Canyon, 311
3. Mt. Carmel, 211
4. University City, 201
5. La Jolla, 194

Boys

Three Section Records fell for the boys, led by La Costa Canyon’s Dylan Delaney who ripped a 20.35 in the 50 freestyle. It took out the 2013 Section mark of 20.39 from Caleb Davies, and removed Brandon Crabtree‘s 2012 Div 2 record of 20.42. Pierce Dietze of The Bishop’s School was also very quick in 20.53, both under the Div 1 winning time (20.67).

Delaney was part of one of the Section relay records as well, splitting 44.98 on the third leg before teammate Brandon Kulik unloaded a 44.56 as they got under Carlsbad’s 2009 mark of 3:05.77 in 3:05.44. Dietze had a notable anchor for the 3rd place team in 44.31.

Cathedral Catholic broke the third Section Record in the 200 medley relay, with Ty Gruwell (23.44), Josh He (25.81), Yuma Dugas (22.70) and Jeremy Berman (21.50) combining for a 1:33.45 to erase another ’09 Carlsbad record from the books (1:33.94). The Bishop’s School (1:33.68) were also under the old record as the runners-up.

He, Kulik and Jacob Sauter of Del Norte were the three boys who had two individual wins apiece, with He winning the 100 breast (57.04) and 200 IM (1:52.39). Kulik won the 100 fly (48.55) and 100 back (49.55), while Sauter took the 200 (1:38.71) and 500 free (4:29.46).

While Delaney and Dietze went 1-2 in the 50 free, they just reversed the order in the 100, with Dietze winning in 44.88 to shatter the D2 record of 45.76 by nearly a second. Delaney was 45.93 for 2nd. In the other event of the meet, La Costa Canyon won the 200 free relay in 1:25.77 with a notable 20.93 lead-off from Steven Abrahamson.

Boys Final Team Scores

1. Cathedral Catholic, 344
2. The Bishop’s School, 241
3. La Costa Canyon, 223
4. Del Norte, 209
5. La Jolla, 153.5

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Rhee, Delaney Break 50 Free Section Records At CIF San Diego Div 2

By Reid Carlson on SwimSwam

In a decision passed 6-3 on Monday, the US Supreme Court struck down the 1992 federal law titled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, or PASPA for short, which had forbidden the majority of US states from legalizing sports gambling.

New Jersey, led through much of the case by former Governor Chris Christie, has championed the Garden State’s right to legalize and regulate sports betting for years, claiming that it will benefit from the newfound autonomy by drawing in greater numbers of tourists.

The NCAA, alongside the NFL and the NBA, and former New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley, has long stood behind PASPA. The purpose of PASPA, as recalled by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in his statement, was to prevent the “corruption” of sports and players, noting that, in the eyes of those who championed the law, that “it is particularly addictive and especially attractive to young people with a strong interest in sports” to gamble on teams, players, and competition outcomes.

Perhaps the most infamous evidence used to support such claims comes from the notorious 1919 “Black Sox Scandal” in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of intentionally losing the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money that would be won by a group of individuals betting on the outcome of the series.

Sports betting, which is legal in at least 105 countries, including many in Europe and Asia such as Great Britain, a nation where the NFL competes annually, allow their citizens to bet on the outcomes of American sports and athletes. Though perhaps unintentionally, sports betting actually increases fan engagement and the popularity of leagues; Major League Soccer, for example. In October 2017 MLS Commissioner Don Garber laid out his opinion on sports betting as relates to soccer, stating that betting on games “is part of the DNA of football around the world,” and that he is a “big proponent that it’s going to happen,” and that MLS “may as well be in front of it.”

Another sport to gain popularity due to sports betting is horse racing, which has seen an increase in popularity with younger demographics than that which comprises its normal fanbase. In 2016 when American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown, casual “gambling sites” such as Derby Jackpot noted that Pharaoh’s last three races had “had ten to twenty times the wagering of a similar race without the champion horse.” But is that because spectators could gamble, or because the horse was fast? Evidence points to the latter if one also considers that “90 percent of Derby Jackpot bettors are not regular horseplayers.” Meaning, as mentioned earlier, they are younger than not just the average horseplayer but also younger than the average NFL fan.

Justice Samuel Alito, who voted in favor of striking down the 26-year-old Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, did not argue the “morality” of the decision and its potential impact on sports but rather commented on states’ rights to decide for themselves: “The legalization of sports gambling requires an important policy choice, but the choice is not ours to make,” wrote Alito in the 6-3 opinion. “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each state is free to act on its own,” says Alito, appealing to the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. Therefore the job of the Court is to “interpret the law Congress has enacted and decide whether it is consistent with the Constitution. PASPA is not.” PASPA, Alito continues, “‘regulates state governments’ regulation’ of their citizens… The Constitution gives Congress no such power.”

The NCAA, which maintains a non-profit 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service–despite the nearly $15 trillion it is expected to earn between 2018 and 2022 (page 23/28) based on “estimated future television broadcast payments and licensing rights”–said in a statement given by chief legal officer Donald Remy that the organization is still determining how the court’s ruling will impact college sports, and that it “will adjust sports wagering and championship policies to align with the direction from the court.”

The NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships–better known as March Madness–which sees 64 teams of amateur players, divided into four regional brackets battle through up to six rounds of play is the NCAA’s largest and most famous annual cash grab, netted over $821 million in revenue for the NCAA in 2018. This tournament, alongside the College World Series (baseball) and the multitude of college football bowl games in December and January, will likely draw the most newfound sports betting for amateur sports. Similarly, the various playoffs in the NFL, NBA, and NHL, as well as stalwarts like NASCAR and the Triple Crown will also likely see a heightened popularity with gamblers.

The main difference in terms of gambling on athletes and outcomes in those sports varies greatly from swimming, for instance, where amateurs and professionals compete alongside one another on a regular basis. In a sport where high school, college, and post-collegiate athletes all compete side-by-side, some sponsored others self-funded, the notion of betting on one’s performance could, potentially, add a certain weight to amateur athletes they are not yet ready to take on. Though the NCAA has long profited from the “likeness” of its amateur athletes, how will the sporting landscape change now that fans or normal bettors may also profit from an athlete’s performance, especially if that athlete is not getting paid themselves? This outcome is difficult to foresee and all non-betting fans can do in the meantime is wait and see what, if anything, about the mood of the sport and the fans changes.

Looking ahead to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, it is likely that sports which do not typically receive much attention from gamblers will find themselves in the limelight. European books have already offered odds on Olympic sports like swimming for years, though that’s largely kept it away from the U.S. – the country that typically wins the most medals in swimming. While betting on the odds of an Olympic champion defending their title versus being knocked off by an up-and-comer will no doubt receive heightened attention in 2020 from gamblers here in the USA, betting on those sports in Japan may not be as simple. At present, sports betting in Japan is limited to only a handful of sports including horse racing, powerboat racing, motorcycle racing, and J-league soccer (Japan’s highest level of professional soccer).

Read the full story on SwimSwam: US Supreme Court Allows States to Legalize Sports Gambling

By SwimSwam Contributors on SwimSwam

Courtesy: Elizabeth Wickham 

Through the years of swim parenting, there are many milestones from the first time your child wins their heat to signing day for college. Some milestones are universal while others are unique to a parent’s individual experience. These moments stand out and add to other exciting memories of being a swim parent.

Here is a list of 10 milestones that I experienced:

ONE

Mommy and me class in the pool and the surprise when your baby actually swims right before your eyes.

TWO

When your oldest child is able to swim across the pool and join the local swim team.

THREE

The first swim meet, feeling completely overwhelmed and scared to death—as the parent—not the swimmer. What have we gotten ourselves in for?

FOUR

Entering the door to our first team banquet where my children immediately ran away to sit at a table with their friends. Finding out there were plenty of other lonely parents to sit with.

FIVE

Traveling to a prelims/finals meet with a hotel stay. Enjoying the quiet time between sessions, when we get to nap with our children. This is almost as nice as watching them swim.

SIX

Purchasing a really expensive tech suit—only to have it rip right away.

SEVEN

The pride and relief when your child earns their first tech suit by reaching a national-level meet.

EIGHT

Discovering how much fun high school swimming can be—especially the league and conference meets. Cheering with parents in the stands for your team and children.

NINE

Realizing that your child is being recruited for college swimming and all the years of early morning drives to the pool mean something.

TEN

The first and last college conference meets. Spending time with the most fun swim parents ever.

What milestones have you experienced as a swim parent?

Elizabeth Wickham volunteered for 14 years on her kids’ club team as board member, fundraiser, newsletter editor and “Mrs. meet manager.” She’s a writer with a bachelor of arts degree in editorial journalism from the University of Washington with a long career in public relations, marketing and advertising. Her stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines including the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Parenting and Ladybug. You can read more parenting tips on her blog: http://bleuwater.me/.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: 10 Milestones for Swim Parents

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

2018 TYR PRO SWIM SERIES – INDIANAPOLIS

• May 16th-20th, 2018
• IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, IN
• 50m
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet

The next stop of the 2018 TYR Pro Swim Series will be in Indianapolis, with the first events kicking off on Wednesday, running through Sunday’s distance events. Here are five storylines to follow as some of the best pros, collegians, and age group stars battle it out this weekend.

Remember, these are not the ONLY storylines to follow at this meet. There are, surely, plenty more interesting things to delve into. These are just five things that stuck out to us — feel free to discuss other intrigues in the comments!

#1: LEDECKY’S PRO DEBUT

She announced her decision to forego her remaining two years of NCAA eligibility in March, and now Katie Ledecky will have her first races as a pro in Indy.

Ledecky will contest the 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1500 frees along with the 200 and 400 IM this week. Winning a race at a Pro Swim Series snags you $1,000, while 2nd receives $600 and 3rd $200– she’ll likely win at least three or four races, and she has a good shot at being top 3 in the 400 IM, so Ledecky will probably walk away from this meet with several thousand dollars that she can now collect as a pro.

#2: AMANDA KENDALL BACK AFTER DOPING SUSPENSION

Yesterday, Amanda Kendall finished up a three-month doping suspension for inhaler use that was done without a TUE (Therapeutic Use Exception). Kendall actually tested negative for banned substances, but declared her fault; her self-report led to the sanction by USADA.

Kendall has raced once since February 7th, which is when USADA claims was her first inhaler use (though it was actually the last day she used the inhaler, as athletes are only required to declare 1 day of usage, and she declared February 7th), at the Atlanta Pro Swim Series. Her times were retroactively forfeited due to the suspension, but she finished as high as 5th in the 100 fly (58.82).

Kendall is entered in three events: the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly.

#3: STACKED SPRINT FREE LINEUP

On the men’s and women’s sides, we’ll get to see some early jockeying for summer international championship relay spots in the 100 free.

Simone Manuel (52.27) and Mallory Comerford (52.59) lead the way, with the steadily-improving Margo Geer (53.74), the returned Allison Schmitt (53.87), the butterfly specialist Kelsi Dahlia (53.87), the almighty Katie Ledecky (53.99), and the backstroke specialist Olivia Smoliga (54.21) all in tow. The Americans won’t be alone, though, as Canadian Taylor Ruck is seeded third (52.96) and Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey is fifth (53.83).

Meanwhile, veteran Nathan Adrian sits atop the men’s entries (47.72), with young guns Zachary Apple (48.14), Blake Pieroni (48.23), and Ryan Held (48.26) bunched up behind him. Held’s NC State teammate Justin Ress sits fifth (49.15), with household names Cullen Jones (49.16) and Matt Grevers (49.18) right there, too. The highest seeded high schooler is Drew Kibler, who is seeded 12th with a 49.94.

#4: LEAH SMITH KEEPS SHAKING IT UP WITH THE 400 IM

In a dramatic turn of events at the 2017 U.S. Nationals last summer, Leah Smith surprised the field with a 4:33.86 to qualify for the 2017 World Championships in an event that was not her main focus. At that meet, Ella Eastin also faced a crushing disqualification for the infamous Lochte Rule, stripping her of a chance to compete at the 2017 World Champs after finishing 2nd to Smith and hitting a best time for the first time in four years.

While Eastin unleashed a monster 3:54 400 IM in yards at the 2018 NCAA Championships, Smith is nonetheless the top American 400 IM’er right now in long course. Smith doesn’t really need to develop all that much more in this event to be an international medal threat — 4:32’s claimed silver and bronze in Budapest last summer. As a distance freestyler, though, Smith has to be careful not to spread herself too thin among grueling races, so it remains to be seen if she will go for a Pan Pacs roster spot in this event.

Meanwhile, this week will be the kickoff of Eastin’s redemption tour as she looks to make waves in the big pool in her best event.

#5: CARSON FOSTER KICKING OFF LONG COURSE SEASON WITH SIX EVENT LINEUP

One of the most exciting age groupers in the country right now is Carson Foster of the Mason Manta Rays, and he’ll be competing (sans siblings Hannah and Jake) in six different events this week in Indy.

Foster is very good at many events, but his backstroke has been the most impressive so far in his young career. He’s the #2 seed in the 200 back (1:57.87) behind 2016 Olympian Jacob Pebley, #7 in the 400 IM (4:21.10), #11 in the 100 fly (54.34), #19 in the 100 free (50.76), #20 in the 400 free (3:58.14), and #21 in the 200 free (1:50.44).

Foster has had a fantastic yards season this year, having notched personal bests in essentially every event, highlighted by a 1:41.66 in the 200 back, a 1:33.76 in the 200 free, and a 1:43.79 in the 200 IM. Now, we’ll get a good sense of where he’s at with his long course progression as he sets up for the summer.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Five Storylines to Follow at the 2018 Indy Pro Swim Series

By Reid Carlson on SwimSwam

9-time Olympic medalist and former sprint freestyle king Alexander Popov has been nominated by the Shooting Union of Russia as a candidate to succeed Alexander Zhukov as president of the Russian Olympic Committee. Zhukov, who has been president since 2010 and throughout the state-sponsored doping scandal, has chosen not to seek re-election.

The Russian Cross Country Skiing Federation already nominated four-time Olympic fencing champion Stanislav Pozdnyakov; so far he and Popov are the only candidates for the ROC presidency and the application deadline for candidates is today. In order to gain a valid nomination, a candidate must be nominated by an ROC sports federation, as both Popov and Pozdnyakov have.

The election will not automatically give the victor IOC membership, meaning that Russia’s representation on the International Olympic Committee will be temporarily lowered to two individuals: two-time Olympic gold medalist pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva of the Athletes’ Commission, and Shamil Tarpischev, a former Russian tennis player and current tennis coach. In 2014 Tarpischev was fined $25,000 and forced to apologize to the Williams sisters, Venus and Serena, for making racist and sexist comments.

Following Popov’s nomination, Russia’s official news agency TASS reported that the Shooting Union of Russia said of Popov:

“His many years of work in the Executive Committee of the ROC, and also as chairman of the public council at the Ministry of Sport of the Russian Federation, shows his knowledge of the real state of affairs in Russian sports.”

“The Shooting Union believes that, in the current realities and existing systemic problems with the position of President, the ROC needs a professional who is not only able to resolve issues within the country, but also at an international level in order to bring Russia back to the status of a strong sports power in the international Olympic Movement.

“This is exactly what Alexander Popov has.”

The election will be held on May 29th.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Alexander Popov Nominated for President of Russian Olympic Committee