Photo Courtesy: Griffin Scott
GREENSBORO – Nathan Adrian’s American record of 18.66 survived another meet as he won the 50 freestyle at the USA Swimming short course nationals with a very solid 18.81.
Nathan Adrian was the class of the field as the only swimmer to break 19 seconds. It’s his fifth-fastest time ever and sets up for a good 100 free on Saturday, which is his better event. The 100 free Olympic champion couldn’t be matched, as N.C. State’s Simonas Bilis finished second with a 19.28. That’s just three hundredths of a second off the time needed to automatically qualify for the NCAA championships, but is the second-fastest time in the collegiate ranks behind the 19.11 by NCAA co-champion Kristian Gkolomeev and just off his lifetime best of 19.19.
Eric McGinnis, a former standout at the University of Kentucky now representing Trinity Prep in Florida, took third with a 19.37, clipping his lifetime best by two hundredths of a second. SwimMAC Carolina’s Eric Knight took fourth in 19.40, a lifetime best for the 27-year-old.
Swimming in his final meet, Auburn standout Adam Brown took fourth from lane eight with a 19.44. Brown also represented Great Britain well internationally, winning gold in the 400 medley relay as part of Team England this summer at the Commonwealth Games. Brown announced his retirement earlier this week.
Mark Weber of SwimMAC Carolina (19.52), Club Wolverine’s Junya Koga (19.62) and Michigan’s Bruno Ortiz (19.81) took the rest of the spots in the championship heat.
Counsilman Center Swim Club’s Daniel Kanorr won the B final with a 19.33, earning a lifetime best by a tenth of a second. He needed that to beat Olympian Cullen Jones, who was second in the heat with a 19.54. Derek Toomey of Badger was third with a 19.69.
Sean Fletcher took the win in the C final with a 19.80 over the 19.87 by Joe Bonk and the 19.88 by Thomas Dahlia.
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