Arena Pro Swim Series at Mesa

April 13-15, 2017
Skyline Aquatic Center
Mesa, Arizona
LIVE RESULTS

Day one finals at the arena Pro Swim Series at Mesa on Thursday night provided plenty of action and fast swimming. Leading the charge were certainly ​Nathan Adrian ​and ​Katie Ledecky.​​ 

In the men's 100m freestyle, Adrian unloaded a blistering-fast 48.18 -- the second-fastest time in the world this year behind ​Cameron McEvoy's​ 47.91 from the Australian Championships on Wednesday. Adrian swam a very controlled race, taking it out in a smooth 23.24 and bringing it home in 24.94.​

This race was all  Adrian, but it was a tight battle for runner-up as second through sixth were only 0.39 apart. Finishing second 1.49 seconds behind was Brazilian, and former Louisville Cardinal, ​Joao De Lucca​ in 49.67. ​Cristian Quintero​ (49.89), ​Tom Shields​ (49.97), ​Jacob Pebley​ (50.04), ​Daniel Hunter​ (50.06), ​Matthew Stanley​ (50.39), and ​Marius Kusch ​(50.54) rounded out the top eight.​
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In the women's 400m freestyle, ​Katie Ledecky ​did... Well, how do we put this? Katie Ledecky things. Which means she swam the fastest time in the world this year by over a full second by dropping a quick 4:01.01. After her smooth 4:01.96 prelims swim, it looked like there was an opportunity for Ledecky to dip under the four-minute barrier. But then again, who can be disappointed with a 4:01 -- at any point in the season? Katie Ledecky, you have spoiled the swimming community.​
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The Olympic champion and world-record holder showed tremendous race control. Check out these splits:​
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100m: 58.61​
200m:​ 1:01.23 (1:59.84)
300m:​ 1:01.28
400m: 59.89 (4:01.01)​
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Rounding out the field were ​Leah Smith​ (4:07.70), ​Mary-Sophie Harvey​ (4:11.48), ​Sierra Schmidt​ (4:11.57), ​Vien Nguyen ​(4:13.34), ​Madisyn Cox​ (4:14.00), ​Haley Anderson ​(4:14.20), ​and ​Taylor Ault​ (4:14.46). 
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Before the race, the FloSwimming crew was legitimately concerned Ledecky had scared the other competitors away...​

[tweet url="https://twitter.com/floswimming/status/852689286784622592" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Of course, Adrian and Ledecky were not the only stars of the night.​

Women's 100m Freestyle​

​1.) Simone Manuel -- 53.66
​2.) Mallory Comerford -- 54.22
3.) Lia Neal -- 54.38

The American-record holder and 2016 Olympic gold medalist​, ​Simone Manuel​, was front and center Thursday in the women's 100m freestyle. Manuel set the pace early, taking it out in 25.99 -- the only one under 26 at the 50m mark -- and brought it home in a swift 27.67 to take the win with a 53.66. ​Mallory Comerford​ took second with a 54.22. After the past six months she has had, look for Comerford to make a serious push for a spot on Team USA's World Championship team in the 100m and 200m freestyles. ​Lia Neal​ rounded out the podium with a 54.38
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Women's 200m Breaststroke​

1.) Katie Meili -- 2:25.67
2.) Melanie Margalis -- 2:25.71
3.) Madisyn Cox -- 2:25.89

In the closest and most exciting race of the night, three women battled it out in the 200m breaststroke. In the end, with only 0.2 of a second separating first through third, ​Katie ​​Meili ​got her hand on the wall first with a 2:25.67. Meili held the lead at the 100m mark with a 1:09.68 to ​Melanie Margalis'​ 1:10.35 and ​Madisyn Cox's​ 1:10.40, and even though Margalis and Cox made a push at the end, Meili was still able to get her hand on the wall first. Margalis touched in 2:25.71 for second and Cox in 2:25.89 for third.

Men's 200m Breaststroke

1.) Josh Prenot -- 2:10.47
2.) Chase Kalisz -- 2:11.29
3.) Kevin Cordes -- 2:11.50

As is expected from an American-record holder and Olympic silver medalist, ​Josh Prenot ​took the win in the 200m breaststroke with a 2:10.47 thanks to a strong mastery of pacing. Prenot split (30.31)(33.50)(33.56)(33.10) -- it does not get any more text book than that. Take notes, kids. Kevin Cordes had the lead at the 100m mark (1:03.11) and even the 150 (1:36.81), but Prenot and ​Chase Kalisz​ ran him down over the final 50 meters -- out-splitting him by 1.59 and 1.42 seconds, respectively, on the last 50 alone. ​Carlos Claverie​ made a hard push at the end as well but ended up touching for fourth in 2:11.92.
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Women's 100m Butterfly​

1.) Kelsi Worrell -- 58.60
2.) Louise Hansson -- 58.80
3.) Kendyl Stewart -- 59.52

​Kelsi Worrell, ​2016 Olympian and American-record holder in the 100 SCY butterfly, took the win with a very strong in-season time of 58.60. Worrell sat in third place at the 50m mark, behind ​Louise Hansson​ and ​Kendyl Stewart​, but blazed home in 30.74 over the final 50 meters -- the only one in the field under 31 -- to get her hand on the wall first. Worrell and company will have their hands full this summer with the likes of ​Sarah Sjöström​, but posting two 58 mids in the same day is a good indicator of her preparation. Hansson touched for second in 58.80, and Stewart rounded out the podium in 59.52.
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Men's 100m Butterfly​

1.) Tom Shields -- 52.42
2.) Tim Phillips -- 52.87
3.) Marius Kusch -- 53.43

Per the usual, ​Tim Phillips ​took this race out guns blazing in a quick 24.35 to ​Tom Shields'​ 24.85. But Shields, who was in third place at the 50m mark, was able to run Phillips down and get his hand on the wall first in a strong in-season time of 52.42. Phillips ended up touching for second in 52.87, and ​Marius Kusch​, a rising junior at Queens College in Charlotte, rounded out the podium in 53.43.
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Men's 400m Freestyle

1.)​ Marcelo Acosta -- 3:53.38
2.)​ Sean Grieshop -- 3:54.29
3.) Taylor Abbott -- 3:55.11

​In the final event of the evening, ​Marcelo Acosta​ -- Louisville Cardinal and 2016 Olympian from El Salvador -- took home the victory in the men's 400m freestyle with a 3:53.38. It was a game of cat and mouse between Acosta, ​Sean Grieshop​, and ​Taylor Abbott ​until the 300m mark, where the leaders began to make their moves. Acosta dropped the quickest final 50 meters in the field (27.85) to pull away from Grieshop (28.46) and Abbott (29.06) and claim the win in 3:53.38. Grieshop snagged second place in 3:54.29, and Abbott rounded out the podium in 3:55.11.