Taylor Ruck, Ilya Kharun Pick up Wins at Arizona Senior Champs
Canadian World Championships qualifiers Taylor Ruck and Ilya Kharun picked up victories on Friday at the Arizona Senior Long Course Championships at Chandler High School.
Ruck led the way in the 200 free with a time of 2:02.84. She was .02 ahead of Leila Stafford to get the win.
Kharun won the 200 fly in 1:56.36. That’s nearly three seconds slower than the 1:53.41 that he used to win at Bell Canadian Trials earlier this month. Kharun won bronze in this event at the Paris Olympics last summer. Only one swimmer was within 9.99 seconds of him, that being runner-up August Vetsch’s 2:01.32.
Patrick Sammon won the 200 free in 1:48.82, a tune-up for the American before he heads to Worlds in the 100 free. He had set a best time of 1:46.53 in the 200 free at Nationals. Jonny Kulow was second in 1:50.07, a tenth up on Sun Devils teammate Rafael Miroslaw, with Canadian Filip Senc-Samardzic third in 1:52.57.
Paige Downey won the women’s 200 fly in 2:18.43, about 2.5 seconds ahead of Clare Luken. The women’s 200 breast was claimed by teen Sasha Volkova in 2:35.50, exactly a half-second up on Sonia Vaishnani, whose 2:36.00 led four 2:36s. Teddy Neilson went 2:23.21 to win the 200 breast, .19 seconds up on Nate Malcolm.
The meet race 50s as timed finals in the morning prelims session on the first full day of the four-day meet at the Kerry Croswhite Aquatic Center. Michael Andrew went 27.60 to win the 50 breaststroke, followed closely by Aruban international Mikel Schreuders in 27.93. Andrew also won the 50 fly in 23.88, three tenths up on Vetsch with Schreuders third in 24.51. (Kharun did not swim the 50 fly.)
Adam Chaney won the men’s 50 backstroke in 24.75, blowing away a field of teens. (Devin Irons was closest in 27.17.) That’s a best time for the Florida grad, who did not vie for a spot at Worlds at U.S. Nationals earlier this month.
On the women’s side, Miriam Sheehan achieved the fly/back double. She went 29.66 to capture the 50 back. The Puerto Rican international was .99 seconds ahead of the field in the 50 fly with a time of 27.33.
Cali Watts went 32.95 to win the 50 breast. Ryley Clark was second in the 50 back, .01 up on Kayman Neal, who was second in the 50 fly with a time of 28.32.
The meet, which runs through Sunday, began Thursday night with distance timed finals. Leila Symington won the women’s 1,500 free in 18:03.43, and Ashton Joswiak claimed the men’s race in 16:11.55. Downey was quickest in the women’s 400 IM in 4:56.45, ahead of a best time by Reagan Uhlik of 4:58.05 for second. Karsten Eichler set a best time in the winning the men’s 400 IM in 4:35.69.