Foster’s 4:11.56 IM and Casas’ 51.73 FL Highlight Longhorn Invite Day 1 Prelims

By Nick Pecoraro on SwimSwam

2021 LONGHORN ELITE INVITE

• May 20-23, 2021
• Lee and Joe Jamail Texas Swimming Center
• Austin, TX
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Packet
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Start Times (US CT): Prelims 10AM, Finals 5:30PM
• Wave I & II Trials Cuts

The 2021 Longhorn Elite Invite has kicked off in Austin with the first prelims session now in the books. On the slate this morning were the women’s and men’s 100 free, 400 IM, 400 free, and 100 fly. Highlighting the session was 19-year-old Carson Foster, who put up a monster US No. 1 and World No. 4 swim of 4:11.56 in the 400 IM, putting him in serious Olympic contention. You can read more about Foster’s personal best and watch the race video here.

Placing second in prelims was brother Jake Foster, registering a time of 4:18.43. Texas Longhorn David Johnston (4:21.04) and UGA alum Gunnar Bentz (4:27.42) rounded out the top four men’s 400 IM prelims times.

Leading the men’s 100 fly with a lifetime best was Texas A&M’s Shaine Casas, hitting the wall at 51.73 (23.99/27.74). Casas now passes Andrew Seliskar for No. 4 on the US season rankings. Casas is also now No. 18 on the all-time U.S. performers list. Aggie Angel Martinez of Mexico (52.68) and 18-year-old VT newcomer Youssef Ramadan of Egypt (52.79) rounded out the top three times in Austin this morning.

2020-2021 U.S. Rankings: Men’s 100 FL LCM

1. Michael Andrew, 50.80 — 2021 Pro Swim Series Indy
2. Caeleb Dressel, 51.15 — 2021 Atlanta Classic
3. Tom Shields, 51.55 — 2021 Atlanta Classic
4. Shaine Casas, 51.73 — 2021 Longhorn Elite Invite**
5. Andrew Seliskar, 51.81 — 2021 Atlanta Classic
6. Miles Smachlo, 51.98 — 2021 Combined Indiana Speedo Sectionals
7. Ryan Murphy, 52.08 — 2021 Atlanta Classic
8. Maxime Rooney, 52.13 — 2021 TXLA LCM Spring Kick-Off

On the women’s side, the 100 free championship final will be a stacked evening race, headlined by Simone Manuel (54.03) and Katie Ledecky (54.25). Manuel is currently the No. 1 American this season at 53.34 from the 2020 Stanford Invite while Ledecky was just 0.03s off her US No. 7 season best of 54.22 from PSS Mission Viejo. Filing in for tonight’s final include Carmel’s Kelly Pash and Cal’sIzzy Ivey (55.26), Texas’ Julia Cook (55.84), and Stanford teammates Lillie Nordmann (56.08), Morgan Tankersley (56.24), and Anya Goeders (56.33).

In the men’s 100 free, Texas’ Drew Kibler remains the 12th-fastest American this season with his narrow season best of 49.49. Longhorn teammates (current and former) Daniel Krueger (49.59), Maxime Rooney (49.65), Townley Haas (49.74), and Stanford teammates Luke Maurer (49.93) and Leo MacAlister (49.94) rounded out the sub-50 morning swims.

More Day 1 Prelims Highlights:

• Ledecky also leads the women’s 400 free by 10 seconds at 4:02.38, ahead of Bahamian Joanna Evans (4:12.19) and Aggie Chloe Stepanek (4:15.37).
• Leading the women’s 400 IM was Texas’ Evie Pfeifer, hitting a season best of 4:41.60, ranking 9th in the US this season. TXLA’s Madisyn Cox (4:45.33) and Stanford’s Brooke Forde (4:47.23) rounded out the morning efforts.
• Texas’ Coby Carrozza swam 0.06s off his seed time to hit the top men’s 400 free prelims time of 3:52.18, three seconds ahead of Stanford’s Preston Forst (3:55.17).
• Texas Longhorn Olivia Bray leads the women’s 100 fly at 58.45, also ranking 9th in the US this season. Carmel’s Pash, also from Texas, placed second with a Wave II cut of 59.59.

Read the full story on SwimSwam: Foster’s 4:11.56 IM and Casas’ 51.73 FL Highlight Longhorn Invite Day 1 Prelims