Ashlyn Schoof Gets SWIMSWAM Shout Out
14-Year Old Ashlyn Schoof Takes Top Seed in 200 Back at Prelims of Minneapolis Grand Prix
Day 3's preliminary session at the 2013 Minneapolis Grand Prix featured a 14-year old breakout backstroker having another good swim. Current Photo via Jared Anderson
The Minneapolis Grand Prix’s final day is still working through the final heats of the 400 medley and 1650 freestyle early heats, but the 200 IM, 200 back, and 100 freestyle races are in the books and saw some solid morning swims.
Cal post-grad Caitlin Leverenz was the only woman under two minutes in the 200 IM; she took the top seed in 1:58.34.
A trio of current or former Gophers were behind her, with Tori Simenec (2:00.09), Kierra Smith (2:00.84), and post-grad Haley Spencer (2:04.08) lining up the middle lanes for finals. Frisco Aquatics’ Destiny Nelson was 5th in 2:04.90, and Katie Christy was 6th in 2:04.97.
That should be a great final, as there’s a whole lot of breaststrokers in that A-Final, with the big exception being Simenec (though, for a non-breaststroker she’s pretty good as well).
In the women’s 200 back, Schroeder YMCA 14-year old Ashlyn Schoof continues to have a breakout meet. She was a 1:57.89, and after a best time earlier in the meet in the 100 back, she’s clipped almost two seconds off of her best time in the morning here.
Cameron McHugh from the Cy-Fair Swim Club in Houston was 2nd in 1:58.58, and Minnesota’s Tess Behrens took the 33rd seed in 1:58.62.
And finally, Lauren Votava from Minnesota is the top seed in the women’s 100 free in 49.29, followed by the big favorite to win Megan Romano, who was a 49.75.
A second Gopher, Rebecca Weiland, is the third seed in 49.80, with 15-year old Jordan Stout and Erin Caflisch tying for fourth in 50.16.
On the men’s side, the 200 IM top seed went to Austin Surhoff in 1:45.57. Surhoff is in his first season after completing his eligibility at Texas.
He’ll be in the middle lane in finals, but he’s going to have a lot of great swimmers chasing him: Darian Townsend is the second seed in 1:46.99, and Conor Dwyer is 3rd in 1:47.07.
Greater Omaha Aquatics League’s Jacob Molacek, an Auburn-bound senior who’s been having a very good meet, is the fourth seed in 1:48.26.
Also watch out for Guillermo Blanco, the sixth seed and the current NCAA leader in the 400 IM. He was only a 1:48.4 in prelims, which is a couple of seconds shy of his lifetime best. Expect him to be much faster in finals.
And finally, Russian Alexander Sukhorukov took top honors in the 100 free with a 42.93, followed by country mate, and Trojan training partner, Nikita Lobintsev in 43.17.
Frenchman Yannick Agnel is third in 43.33, and Darian Townsend is fourth in 43.52.
The top-seeded American in the race is Derek Toomey, who was a 43.56 in prelims for fifth, and the A-Final will be rounded out by Adam Brown (43.76), Conor Dwyer (43.81), and Cesar Cielo (43.91). Cielo is reported to have injured his fingers finishing his win in the 50 free on Friday, but in the least is still swimming out the meet.
