COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The 2024 Club Excellence Challenge Series concluded Saturday evening, highlighted by first-place finishes from U.S. National Team members Ryan Murphy (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./ California Aquatics), Isabelle Stadden (Blaine, Minn./ California Aquatics), and Michael Andrew (Encinitas, Calif./MA Swim Academy). The four-day meet, featuring competition in three locations, was the final national racing opportunity for athletes before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials-Swimming June 15-23.  

Women’s 800m Freestyle – FINAL 
1 – Abigail McCulloh (Lilburn, Ga./Swim Atlanta), 8:36.94
2 – Kate McCarville (Springfield, Mo./ University of Tennessee), 8:45.15
3 – Ava Topolewski (Grand Prairie, Texas/George Washington Aquatics), 8:45.72

Race Notes:  
• Each of the top-3 finishers competed in Austin.
• McCulloh’s performance is her second-fastest time of her career, just 0.88 seconds off her lifetime best. 

Men’s 800m Freestyle – FINAL
1 – Alfonso Mestre (VEN), 7:52.15
2 – Gabriel Jett (Clovis, Calif./California Aquatics), 8:04.79
3 – Aryan Nehra (IND), 8:05.74 

Race Notes:  
• Mestre and Nehra competed in Atlanta, while Jett’s swim took place in Irvine.
• Jett’s time is a new lifetime best, shaving 5.06 seconds off his previous mark from the 2021 TYR Pro Swim Series Mission Viejo.

Women’s 100m Backstroke – FINAL
1 – Isabelle Stadden (Blaine, Minn./ California Aquatics), 59.22
2 – Phoebe Bacon (Chevy Chase, Md./ Wisconsin Aquatics), 59.72
3 – Josephine Fuller (Richmond, Va./Tennessee Aquatics), 1:00.33

Race Notes:  
• Stadden competed in Irvine, while Bacon and Fuller competed in Atlanta.
• This marks the second victory in as many days for Stadden, after her 2:08.79 earned her a first-place finish in yesterday’s 200m backstroke.

Men’s 100m Backstroke – FINAL

1 – Ryan Murphy (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./ California Aquatics), 53.16
2 – Shaine Casas (McAllen, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), 53.89
3 – Jack Aikins (Atlanta, Ga./Swim Atlanta), 54.40

Race Notes:  
• Murphy’s swim took place in Irvine, Casas competed in Austin, and Aikins swam in Atlanta.
• Murphy’s victory completes his backstroke sweep for the meet. He won yesterday’s 200m backstroke in 1:56.64.

Women’s 200m Breaststroke – FINAL
1 – Mona McSharry (IRL), 2:27.70
2 – Kaitlyn Dobler (Portland, Ore./Trojan Swim Club), 2:28.64
3 – Alexis Yager (Batavia, IL/Tennesse Aquatics), 2:29.39

Race Notes:  
• McSharry and Yager competed in Atlanta, while Dobler swam in Irvine.
• Dobler’s swim is a personal best for the 2023-2024 season and places her as the No. 5 American in the event’s rankings this year.

Men’s 200m Breaststroke – FINAL
1 – Daniel Roy (Spokane, Wash./The Dolphins Portland Swimming), 2:11.24
2 – Nic Fink (Morristown, N.J./Metro Atlantic Aquatic Club), 2:11.51
3 – Will Licon (El Paso, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics), 2:11.77

Race Notes:
• Roy competed in Irvine, while Fink and Licon were swimming in Atlanta.
• Roy’s time is the second-best swim he has posted in the event since the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Swimming. 

Women’s 200m Individual Medley – FINAL
1 – Kristen Romano (Lancaster, N.Y./Tennesse Aquatics), 2:13.09
2 – Lucy Bell (Fort Collins, Colo./Fort Collins Area Swim Team), 2:13.28
3 – Angie Coe (Charleston, Ill./Longhorn Aquatics), 2:14.64

Race Notes:  
• Romano competed in Atlanta, Bell competed in Irvine, and Coe competed in Austin.
• Romano’s time is the second-best performance of her career and the fastest she has gone since June 2021.

Men’s 200m Individual Medley – FINAL
1 – Nate Germonprez (Omaha, Neb./Longhorn Aquatics), 2:00.16
2 – Rex Maurer (Pasadena, Calif./Rose Bowl Aquatics), 2:00.85
3 – Patrick Groters (ARU), 2:02.07

Race Notes: 
• Germonprez and Maurer were competing in Austin while Groters swam in Atlanta.
• Germonprez’s swim is the fastest time he has posted this calendar year and was just 0.22 seconds off his personal best. 
• Maurer’s performance is the third-fastest time of his career.

Women’s 50m Freestyle – FINAL 
1 – Kasia Wasick (POL), 24.28
2 – Torri Huske (Arlington, Va./Arlington Aquatic Club), 24.41
3 – Abbey Weitzeil (Santa Clarita, Calif./California Aquatics), 24.50

Race Notes:  
• Wasick swam in Austin, while Huske and Weitzeil swam in Irvine.

Men’s 50m Freestyle – FINAL
1 – Michael Andrew (Encinitas, Calif./MA Swim Academy), 22.09
2 – Santiago Grassi (ARG), 22.33
3 – Lamar Taylor (BAH), 22.25

Race Notes:  
• Andrew was swimming in Irvine, while Grassi and Taylor were swimming in Atlanta.
• The win gives Andrew his third 50m freestyle title of the season following his first place finishes at the 2023 Toyota U.S. Open and 2024 TYR Pro Swim Series Knoxville.

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