U.S. Nationals, Day Five Men’s Prelims: Caeleb Dressel Rockets to 21.45 in 50 Freestyle
All eyes will be on Caeleb Dressel during the final day of the United States National Championships, as the three-time Olympian is scheduled to contest the 50-meter freestyle at the William Woollett Aquatics Center. Dressel won the 100 freestyle on the opening night of the meet and followed with a pair of runnerup finishes in the 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly. The week has been a major positive for the Team USA veteran, who has shown repeated signs of the talent that made him an Olympic champion and world-record holder.
Dressel will be joined in the 50 freestyle by Ukraine’s Nikita Sheremet, who is the top seed at 21.64, and North Carolina State’s Quintin McCarty, the second seed at 21.70. McCarty won the 50 backstroke earlier in the meet. In addition to the 50 freestyle, prelims will be held in the 200 individual medley.
Here is an event-by-event recap of the Day Five prelims:
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
It required a sub-2:00 performance to qualify for the final of the 200 IM, with Owen McDonald topping the field in the morning with a time of 1:57.xx. McDonald will seek his second title of the meet, following his victory in the 100 backstroke on Friday night. McDonald was followed in second and third place, respectively, by Baylor Nelson (1:58.51) and Mitchell Schott (1:58.59)
Logan Brown and Luke Barr tied for fourth in 1:59.19 while NCAA champion Maximus Williamson eked into the final as the eighth seed, behind a mark of 1:59.42. Williamson was the eighth seed when he won the NCAA title, and will try to replicate that outside-lane triumph in the evening.
Men’s 50 Freestyle
Caeleb Dressel might be saving his best effort for last at Nationals, as he blistered a 21.45 clocking in the prelims of the 50 freestyle. Dressel’s time easily booked him Lane Four for the final and followed a victory in the 100 freestyle on Night One of the meet. Dressel has also delivered stellar times in runnerup finishes in the 50 butterfly and 100 butterfly. Can he go even quicker in the 50 free in the championship race?
The No. 2 seed for the final was claimed by North Carolina State’s Quintin McCarty, who went 21.73, just .02 ahead of Brendan Whitfield of Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Nikita Sheremet went 21.84 to qualify fourth, followed by Jonny Kulow (21.93) of Arizona State.
