Malia Rausch Hits 4:40.2 500 Free, Dropping Six Seconds, in Lewisville | SwimSwam

By Karl Ortegon on SwimSwam

2020 U.S. WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPS – NORTH TEXAS SITE

• December 11-13, 2020
• Lewisville, TX
• Results on Meet Mobile: ’20 NT LAC ARENA Winter Championships’

Austin Swim Club’s Malia Rausch continued an amazing weekend with another striking performance tonight, winning the women’s 500 free by more than 10 seconds. An Ohio State ’25 commit, Rausch unleashed a 4:40.26, dropping over six seconds from her old best.

The 17-year-old came into the weekend with a best of 4:47.01, coming just off that at 4:47.46 this morning. She was out in 1:48.67 at the 200 flip, then only went over 29 once with a 29.13 penultimate 50, before careening home with a 27.74 final 50. This win adds to her wins from last night, including a 1:45.96 in the 200 free and a 4:14.33 in the 400 IM.

The men’s 200 fly came down to the wire, but it was Clovis Swim Club’s Gabriel Jett with a 27.01 final 50 to secure the win. Jett, a Cal ’25 commit, was 1:44.71, edging out Lakeside Aquatic Club’s Conor McKenna (1:45.02) and Cooper Lucas (1:45.66). Jett swam a massive lifetime best, lopping almost five seconds off of old best of 1:49.53 from prelims, while McKenna and Lucas dropped over a second each.

Lucas jumps way up the 15-16 historical rankings, going from 67th with his old best of 1:47.17 to a tie for #14 with Olympian Gunnar Bentz. Lucas, still 15, has over a year left in the age group. The 15-16 NAG is held by Luca Urlando at 1:40.91 from 2018.

Woodlands Swim Team’s Tyler Hulet, a Texas A&M ’25 commit, was 47.04 for a huge win in the 100 back. He hit the wall first by over two seconds, and erased his old best of 47.07 from prelims; his best coming into the weekend was 47.81.

Tennessee ’25 commit Cory Shanks was the field’s best 50 freestyler, leading the way with a lifetime best 22.60. The South Shore Sails sprinter dropped .18 from her prelims time and former best of 22.78, finishing ahead of Magnolia Aquatic Club’s Kaitlyn Owens (23.00).

Owens, a Texas A&M ’25 commit, then returned to win the 100 back in 53.54, just touching out Blue Tide Aquatics’ Alexis Newman (53.97), as both went lifetime bests.

In the men’s 200 breast, Adam Fusti-Molnar of Austin Swim Club and Metroplex Aquatics’ Zhier Fan battled it out, both shooting under two minutes. Fusti-Molnar came out on top in 1:56.94, as Fan, who is 16, touched second in 1:57.31. It was Fusti-Molnar’s first time under 1:59 and Fan’s first time under 1:58, and Fan jumps to #16 in the 15-16 historical rankings.

OTHER NOTABLE SWIMS

• 16-year-old Ava Whitaker of RACE dropped over three seconds from prelims, just missing her best by .04 with a winning time of 1:58.58.
• In the men’s 50 free, Houston Bridge Bats’ Jack Armstrong and South Shore Sails’ Seth Reno both broke 20 seconds, with Armstrong getting the edge 19.87 to 19.96. Armstrong was just off a best, while Reno, a Texas A&M ’25 commit, went the exact same time as in prelims. Reno came into the meet with a 20.29 best.
• Lindsey Hosch of Elite Swim Program grabbed a win in the 200 breast, posting a 2:16.34 to edge out North Texas Nadadores’ Corbyn Cormack (2:16.85).
• After battling in the 200 fly, Jett and Lucas went down to the wire in the 500 free, as Jett again pulled off a win, going 4:23.50 ahead of Lucas’s 4:23.84. For Lucas, that’s a best by almost three seconds.

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