By Anne Lepesant on SwimSwam
2018 U.S. National Championships
- Wednesday, July 25 – Sunday, July 29, 2018
- William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
- Prelims 9 AM / Finals 6 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
- Meet website
- Meet information
- Event Order
- Full selection procedures
- Psych Sheet
- SwimSwam Previews Index
- TV Schedule
- Pick ‘Em Contest
- Omega Results
- Live Stream
- Sunday Prelims Heat Sheet
The 2018 Phillips 66 National Championships in Irvine wraps up Sunday. On tap in the morning session will be heats of the women’s and men’s 200 IM and 50 free. The non-Olympic distance events (women’s 1500 free and men’s 800 free) will take place in the afternoon.
Katie Ledecky has scratched the 1500 free, having already qualified for 2018 Pan Pacific Championships in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle events. Leah Smith, runner-up to Ledecky in the 400 and 800 free, will forgo the 1500, as well. That bumps Erica Sullivan up to top seed in the heat that swims in finals. Joining her will be Hannah Moore, AshleyTwichell, Haley Anderson, Ally McHugh, Ashley Neidigh, Sierra Schmidt, and Megan Byrnes. Sullivan and McHugh scratched Saturday’s 400 free to focus on the 1500.
Top-seeded Clark Smith will not swim the 800 free on Sunday. The Longhorn underwent a heart ablation procedure in March and while he has raced since, he finished 44th in prelims of the 400 free on Saturday. Stepping up to swim in lane 4 in the championship heat will be 400 free national champion Zane Grothe. Next to him will be Grant Shoults. The pair put on an exciting show in the final of the 400 free on Saturday, finishing 1-2 with a pair of 3:46s. Andrew Abruzzo, True Sweetser, Logan Houck, 1500 free national champion Jordan Wilimovsky, Robert Finke, and Chris Wieser will round out the fastest heat of 800s.
#8 seed Katie Drabot and #23 Kenisha Liu have scratched the 200 IM. Liu is also entered in the 50 free and will swim that instead. The circle-seeded heats of the women’s 50 free, led by top-seed SimoneManuel, are intact.
In the men’s 200 IM, Conor Dwyer is the only scratch out of the top-24. More notable, though, is the fact that Caeleb Dressel is entered in both the 200 IM and the 50 free. Number 1 seed in the 50 free, Dressel moves to 16th in the 200 IM in Dwyer’s absence. Michael Andrew, the #2 seed in the 50 free, did not enter the 200 IM. All top-24 seeds will be present for 50 free prelims.
Read the full story on SwimSwam: 2018 U.S. Nationals Day 5: Ledecky Opts Out of 1500 Free