GREENSBORO, N.C. – Purdue's Brady Samuels was victorious in a championship final for the third night in a row, completing his golden trifecta at USA Swimming's Toyota U.S. Open by winning the 100-yard freestyle Saturday.
Samuels improved on his preliminary time for the third straight day, winning Saturday with a time of 42.27 to improve upon his team season best and NCAA provisional qualifying time (B Cut). The senior also won the 50 free Thursday and 100 butterfly Friday, eclipsing his own program record in the prelims and finals of the 100 fly.
Samuels joined Yale's Charlie Egeland (100 and 200 breast, 200 IM) and Georgia's Bradley Dunham (100 and 200 back, 500 free) as the only men's swimmers to win three individual events at the championship meet this year. Samuels also helped the Boilermakers win three relays this week – 200 free, 800 free and 200 medley relays.
Blake Rowe eclipsed Purdue's freshman record in the 200 backstroke in both the prelims and finals, winning silver as the runner-up in the championship final. He broke the freshman benchmark for the second time in two weeks, improving his B Cut and fourth-fastest time in program history to 1:42.38 with his showing in the finals. He was the top qualifier in the prelims (1:42.71). Dunham enjoyed a 3.68-second time drop in the final (1:39.33) to also win an event for the third night in a row.
Raymond Whittaker was victorious in the B final of the 200 breaststroke with a lifetime best of 1:57.20, moving into 10th place in program history. He posted a lifetime best in a breaststroke event for the second day in a row.
Lance Lesage (200 back) and Nathaniel Thomas (100 free) were also B finalists Saturday. Lesage posted a lifetime best of 1:45.78, enjoying an in-season time drop of 4.57 seconds from his showing in Purdue's dual meet victory at Missouri on Oct. 25. Thomas' time of 44.14 was his best since becoming a Boilermaker and likely a SCY lifetime best for the Jamaican, who will represent his country at the World Aquatics Championships (25m) in Budapest next week.
Freshman Evan Mackesy demonstrated his fitness and determination by racing in the 200 back and 1650 free Saturday. He was in the fastest heat of the mile at 6:20 p.m. to begin the finals session and then took his second swim in the C final of the 200 back at 8:13 p.m. Mackesy posted a team season-best time in the mile (15:29.52) and improved on his prelim time in the 200 back by 0.7 tenths in the final (1:47.10), taking runner-up honors in the C final.
Samuels bested Olympic medalist and fellow IHSAA state champion Drew Kibler in the championship final again. They went 1-2 in both the 50 and 100 free this week. Samuels out touched Kibler by 0.03 hundredths Saturday.
Purdue resumes its dual meet schedule Friday, Jan. 10 vs. Kentucky. The Notre Dame women will also be in attendance at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.
PURDUE RESULTS FROM SATURDAY AT U.S. OPEN
(B) – NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time
* – Team Season-Best Time
^ – Personal Season-Best Time
100 Free
Brady Samuels, 42.27* (B) – Event Winner; Won Heat 6 of Prelims
Nathaniel Thomas, 44.14^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 6th in B Final
Idris Muhammad, 44.50^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 17th in Prelims, Scratched from B Final
Dom Mazurek, 44.72^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 6th in C Final
Walker Mattice, 45.12^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 34th in Prelims
1650 Free
Evan Mackesy, 15:29.52* – Finished 8th Overall
200 Back
Blake Rowe, 1:42.38* (B) – Finished 2nd in A Final; Won Heat 4 of Prelims; FRESHMAN RECORD & 4th Fastest in Team History
Lance Lesage, 1:45.78^ – Finished 4th in B Final
Evan Mackesy, 1:47.10^ – Finished 2nd in C Final
Andy Kelly, 1:47.60 (Prelim Time) – Finished 8th in C Final
200 Breast
Raymond Whittaker, 1:57.20^ – Won B Final; 10th Fastest in Team History
400 Free Relay
Thomas, Samuels, Mattice & Lesage, 2:56.21^ – Finished 2nd
Samuels improved on his preliminary time for the third straight day, winning Saturday with a time of 42.27 to improve upon his team season best and NCAA provisional qualifying time (B Cut). The senior also won the 50 free Thursday and 100 butterfly Friday, eclipsing his own program record in the prelims and finals of the 100 fly.
Samuels joined Yale's Charlie Egeland (100 and 200 breast, 200 IM) and Georgia's Bradley Dunham (100 and 200 back, 500 free) as the only men's swimmers to win three individual events at the championship meet this year. Samuels also helped the Boilermakers win three relays this week – 200 free, 800 free and 200 medley relays.
Blake Rowe eclipsed Purdue's freshman record in the 200 backstroke in both the prelims and finals, winning silver as the runner-up in the championship final. He broke the freshman benchmark for the second time in two weeks, improving his B Cut and fourth-fastest time in program history to 1:42.38 with his showing in the finals. He was the top qualifier in the prelims (1:42.71). Dunham enjoyed a 3.68-second time drop in the final (1:39.33) to also win an event for the third night in a row.
Raymond Whittaker was victorious in the B final of the 200 breaststroke with a lifetime best of 1:57.20, moving into 10th place in program history. He posted a lifetime best in a breaststroke event for the second day in a row.
Lance Lesage (200 back) and Nathaniel Thomas (100 free) were also B finalists Saturday. Lesage posted a lifetime best of 1:45.78, enjoying an in-season time drop of 4.57 seconds from his showing in Purdue's dual meet victory at Missouri on Oct. 25. Thomas' time of 44.14 was his best since becoming a Boilermaker and likely a SCY lifetime best for the Jamaican, who will represent his country at the World Aquatics Championships (25m) in Budapest next week.
Freshman Evan Mackesy demonstrated his fitness and determination by racing in the 200 back and 1650 free Saturday. He was in the fastest heat of the mile at 6:20 p.m. to begin the finals session and then took his second swim in the C final of the 200 back at 8:13 p.m. Mackesy posted a team season-best time in the mile (15:29.52) and improved on his prelim time in the 200 back by 0.7 tenths in the final (1:47.10), taking runner-up honors in the C final.
Samuels bested Olympic medalist and fellow IHSAA state champion Drew Kibler in the championship final again. They went 1-2 in both the 50 and 100 free this week. Samuels out touched Kibler by 0.03 hundredths Saturday.
Purdue resumes its dual meet schedule Friday, Jan. 10 vs. Kentucky. The Notre Dame women will also be in attendance at the Morgan J. Burke Aquatic Center.
PURDUE RESULTS FROM SATURDAY AT U.S. OPEN
(B) – NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time
* – Team Season-Best Time
^ – Personal Season-Best Time
100 Free
Brady Samuels, 42.27* (B) – Event Winner; Won Heat 6 of Prelims
Nathaniel Thomas, 44.14^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 6th in B Final
Idris Muhammad, 44.50^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 17th in Prelims, Scratched from B Final
Dom Mazurek, 44.72^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 6th in C Final
Walker Mattice, 45.12^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 34th in Prelims
1650 Free
Evan Mackesy, 15:29.52* – Finished 8th Overall
200 Back
Blake Rowe, 1:42.38* (B) – Finished 2nd in A Final; Won Heat 4 of Prelims; FRESHMAN RECORD & 4th Fastest in Team History
Lance Lesage, 1:45.78^ – Finished 4th in B Final
Evan Mackesy, 1:47.10^ – Finished 2nd in C Final
Andy Kelly, 1:47.60 (Prelim Time) – Finished 8th in C Final
200 Breast
Raymond Whittaker, 1:57.20^ – Won B Final; 10th Fastest in Team History
400 Free Relay
Thomas, Samuels, Mattice & Lesage, 2:56.21^ – Finished 2nd