USA Swimming News
Friday, December 1, 2017
American Record to Zane Grothe Highlights Night Two of 2017 Winter Nationals

by USA Swimming
2017 Winter National Championships – Day Two Recap
Columbus, Ohio; McCorkle Aquatic Pavilion
Women’s 500y Freestyle - Final
Results
- Ashley Neidigh (Jacksonville, Fla./Unattached), 4:34.47
- Mallory Comerford (Kalamazoo, Mich./University of Louisville), 4:35.78
- Erica Sullivan (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada), 4:38.13
Notes
- Neidigh’s effort was a lifetime best by 5 seconds.
- Comerford closed the gap considerably over the final 150 yards to finish just a second off Neidigh’s pace.
Men’s 500y Freestyle - Final
Results
- Zane Grothe (Boulder City, Nev./Unattached), 4:07.25
- Mitch D’Arrigo (Gainesville, Fla./Gator Swim Club), 4:10.78
- Marwan El Kamash (Alexandria, Egypt/Indiana Swim Team), 4:16.10
Notes
- Grothe’s personal best swim in the 500y free bested the American and U.S. Open records by more than 1 second. The previous mark of 4:08.42 was posted by Olympian Clark Smith at the 2017 NCAA Championships.
- Grothe led the race wire to wire with D’Arrigo swimming a close second throughout.
Quotes
- Grothe (on setting his first American record): “It feels really good. I feel like my 500 (yards) now is starting to be on par with my 400 (meters). … It’s very satisfying. I took one year out of college and swam slower and figured I had done everything I could. It feels good that I took another risk to keep going and it’s paying off.”
Women’s 200y Individual Medley - Final
Results
- Melanie Margalis (Clearwater, Fla./Saint Petersburg Aquatics), 1:52.63
- Isabel Ivey (Gainesville, Fla./Gator Swim Club), 1:55.77
- Mariia Astashkina (Moscow, Russia/University of Louisville), 1:57.06
Notes
- Margalis’ swim bested the meet record and was just one-hundredth of a second off her personal best.
- She won her fourth career short-course national title and second straight in the 200y IM.
- The race was tight over the first 100 yards before Margalis pulled away to win by more than 3 seconds.
Men’s 200y Individual Medley - Final
Results
- Chase Kalisz (Bel Air, Md./Athens Bulldog Swim Club), 1:41.79
- Josh Prenot (Santa Maria, Calif./California Aquatics), 1:42.29
- Ryan Murphy (Jacksonville, Fla./California Aquatics), 1:42.84
Notes
- The field featured four Olympians, including the top three finishers.
- Kalisz is racing for the first time since winning gold in the 200m and 400m IM at the 2017 FINA World Championships.
- Kalisz’s swim was a pool record.
Women’s 50y Freestyle - Final
Results
- Olivia Smoliga (Glenview, Ill./Athens Bulldog Swim Club), 21.70
- Margo Geer (Milford Center, Ohio/Unattached), 21.72
- Mallory Comerford (Kalamazoo, Mich./University of Louisville), 21.88
Notes
- Smoliga touched first to win her first career short-course national title.
- Comerford also took second in the women’s 500y free earlier in the session.
Men’s 50y Freestyle - Final
Results
- Nathan Adrian (Bremerton, Wash./California Aquatics), 18.77
- Michael Andrew (Lawrence, Kan./Race Pace Club), 19.17
- Andrej Barna (Subotica, Serbia/University of Louisville), 19.44
Notes
- Adrian’s swim was a meet record and marked his ninth career short-course yards national title.
- Adrian has won five of the seven short-course yards titles in the 50y free since 2009.
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