03-16-2018, 09:53 AM
To give you a sense of how these morning prelims are setting us up for tonight:
* 400 IM: we came into the meet expecting to put 3 in the A final (Ledecky, Eastin, and Forde with the 1, 2, and 4 seeds before the meet, respectively), and we've done just that. Barring an injury or a DQ, it'll be Ledecky and Eastin going 1-2 tonight--the gap between those two and the rest of the field is substantial--but while Ledecky should be considered the favorite going in (her fastest time this year is 8 tenths of a second faster than Eastin's), don't be surprised if Eastin wins. It'll be a heck of a race. Oh, and we expected to put one swimmer (Szekely) in the B final, and we did that, too. Equal to expectations.
* 100 Fly: we didn't project to get anyone in the A final (Hu came in as the 9 seed), and just Hu in the B final. Instead, Hu qualified for the A final in 5th, and Lindsey Engel qualified for the B final, so we are guaranteed more points out of this event than we would have predicted. Better than expectations.
* 200 Free: we came in expecting Manuel to the A final (top seed) and Drabot to the B final, but both made the A final. Should be a Manuel battle with Louisville's Mallory Comerford for the title. Better than expectations.
* 100 Breast: not our event; we came in expecting Williams to the B final, but we snuck Zhao in there, too. Better than expectations.
* 100 Back: we came in expecting Hu and Howe to the A final (2 and 4 seeds, respectively), and no one in the B final, and that's how it played out. Equal to expectations.
* 200 (4x50) medley relay: Stanford qualified third, but is a threat to win tonight with Manuel likely replacing Pitzer for the anchor leg, though you'd have to consider Cal the favorite, and Indiana also very much in the mix. About equal to expectations.
Summary: we're either at or surpassing the pre-meet expectations--which were already sky-high and predicting a blowout win for the overall title--in every single event. That's insane. Not a single event where we expected, but failed, to put a swimmer in the A final. While a couple of swimmers haven't lived up to times earlier in the season, other swimmers have stepped up to keep those numbers at or above where we expected coming in.
* 400 IM: we came into the meet expecting to put 3 in the A final (Ledecky, Eastin, and Forde with the 1, 2, and 4 seeds before the meet, respectively), and we've done just that. Barring an injury or a DQ, it'll be Ledecky and Eastin going 1-2 tonight--the gap between those two and the rest of the field is substantial--but while Ledecky should be considered the favorite going in (her fastest time this year is 8 tenths of a second faster than Eastin's), don't be surprised if Eastin wins. It'll be a heck of a race. Oh, and we expected to put one swimmer (Szekely) in the B final, and we did that, too. Equal to expectations.
* 100 Fly: we didn't project to get anyone in the A final (Hu came in as the 9 seed), and just Hu in the B final. Instead, Hu qualified for the A final in 5th, and Lindsey Engel qualified for the B final, so we are guaranteed more points out of this event than we would have predicted. Better than expectations.
* 200 Free: we came in expecting Manuel to the A final (top seed) and Drabot to the B final, but both made the A final. Should be a Manuel battle with Louisville's Mallory Comerford for the title. Better than expectations.
* 100 Breast: not our event; we came in expecting Williams to the B final, but we snuck Zhao in there, too. Better than expectations.
* 100 Back: we came in expecting Hu and Howe to the A final (2 and 4 seeds, respectively), and no one in the B final, and that's how it played out. Equal to expectations.
* 200 (4x50) medley relay: Stanford qualified third, but is a threat to win tonight with Manuel likely replacing Pitzer for the anchor leg, though you'd have to consider Cal the favorite, and Indiana also very much in the mix. About equal to expectations.
Summary: we're either at or surpassing the pre-meet expectations--which were already sky-high and predicting a blowout win for the overall title--in every single event. That's insane. Not a single event where we expected, but failed, to put a swimmer in the A final. While a couple of swimmers haven't lived up to times earlier in the season, other swimmers have stepped up to keep those numbers at or above where we expected coming in.