Alright, alright. You alumni, quit running up my text messaging bill here's the quick rundown on this morning at the CCIW Champs. It was a mixed morning, some good some OK - remember the "Virgin on Prom Night" analogy of a few years back? We had some of those nerves. What we also have, however, is everyone coming back tonight plus some dynamite relays. Here's the quick rundown:
500 Freestyle - Chris Steenrod went out like a bat out of hell - a 1:54-1:55 at the 200 which goes down as his lifetime best. Paid for it though cruising in at a 5:02.6. Tonight, with a little smarter race plan he should crack that 5:00 with ease and make a run at winning the consol heat. Same story, different name with Alex Van Huis. He was stroke for stroke with Bryan Pelka who we all know is a machine. AVH held together for a lifetime best 4:51.86 - 12th all time, but he can crack 4:50 tonight and make the top ten. Pelka said he swam easy (but you know he looks like he's swimming hard even when he isn't - en route to a 4:43.3. He's the top seed going into tonight but didn't bring any music with him. Go figure
The 200 IM - was so-so for us, but again we've got another crack at them tonight. Steve Schranck and Zach Jole went well. Steve went after the first 150 to prepare for NCAA's where he'll need to be going fast in the morning, and coasted home in 1:57.7. Scott Kaseska made the mistake of not swimming his own race. He went out with Schranck in the Fly and paid for it - turning in a 2:01.30. A lifetime best, but he can be better here. Zach said he was a little tight, but he looked like he was swimming pretty easy in spots going a 1:58.42. Steve and Zach are 2nd and 3rd going into tonight. Justin Reeder and Jeremy Brandt both swam exhibition (2:04.3 and 2:14.8 respectively) and were both a couple of seconds off of where they'd hoped to be. In retrospect we should have scored JB in the 200 IM, but he's got some good swims ahead.
Finally, as everyone knows, Carthage is known for its mid-distance strokes and IM's right? Not today because in the 50 Free Andy Bax and Bryce Davis go in seeded 2nd and 3rd. Both were 21.4's - for Bax it was 1/2 second drop, for Bryce, it was 5/100's. Either way it was the best 1-2 punch we've ever had in the 50. Nathan Fisher was a little off, going 22.34. It was good enough to make top eight though. Nathan Ripley was a little jittery and it showed especially in his start & turn - he was 22.76, about 2/10 off his lifetime best, but only good enough for consols. Zach Jole and Chris Trella swam exhibition. Zach was 22.05 while Chris was a second slower. Paul Bustion added time in his 50, he was a 27.1 as did Brandt (24.32). Kaseska hit a lifetime best but not by much - he went 23.13.
So all in all a mixed day. We had some mental lapses, didn't execute races the way we'd rehearsed. We've got people coming back tonight though and will get another opportunity to put plan into practice though.
500 Freestyle - Chris Steenrod went out like a bat out of hell - a 1:54-1:55 at the 200 which goes down as his lifetime best. Paid for it though cruising in at a 5:02.6. Tonight, with a little smarter race plan he should crack that 5:00 with ease and make a run at winning the consol heat. Same story, different name with Alex Van Huis. He was stroke for stroke with Bryan Pelka who we all know is a machine. AVH held together for a lifetime best 4:51.86 - 12th all time, but he can crack 4:50 tonight and make the top ten. Pelka said he swam easy (but you know he looks like he's swimming hard even when he isn't - en route to a 4:43.3. He's the top seed going into tonight but didn't bring any music with him. Go figure
The 200 IM - was so-so for us, but again we've got another crack at them tonight. Steve Schranck and Zach Jole went well. Steve went after the first 150 to prepare for NCAA's where he'll need to be going fast in the morning, and coasted home in 1:57.7. Scott Kaseska made the mistake of not swimming his own race. He went out with Schranck in the Fly and paid for it - turning in a 2:01.30. A lifetime best, but he can be better here. Zach said he was a little tight, but he looked like he was swimming pretty easy in spots going a 1:58.42. Steve and Zach are 2nd and 3rd going into tonight. Justin Reeder and Jeremy Brandt both swam exhibition (2:04.3 and 2:14.8 respectively) and were both a couple of seconds off of where they'd hoped to be. In retrospect we should have scored JB in the 200 IM, but he's got some good swims ahead.
Finally, as everyone knows, Carthage is known for its mid-distance strokes and IM's right? Not today because in the 50 Free Andy Bax and Bryce Davis go in seeded 2nd and 3rd. Both were 21.4's - for Bax it was 1/2 second drop, for Bryce, it was 5/100's. Either way it was the best 1-2 punch we've ever had in the 50. Nathan Fisher was a little off, going 22.34. It was good enough to make top eight though. Nathan Ripley was a little jittery and it showed especially in his start & turn - he was 22.76, about 2/10 off his lifetime best, but only good enough for consols. Zach Jole and Chris Trella swam exhibition. Zach was 22.05 while Chris was a second slower. Paul Bustion added time in his 50, he was a 27.1 as did Brandt (24.32). Kaseska hit a lifetime best but not by much - he went 23.13.
So all in all a mixed day. We had some mental lapses, didn't execute races the way we'd rehearsed. We've got people coming back tonight though and will get another opportunity to put plan into practice though.
