GREENSBORO, N.C. – Purdue's Brady Samuels was victorious in an individual event at USA Swimming's Toyota U.S. Open for the second day in a row, eclipsing his own team record in the 100-yard butterfly in both the preliminaries and championship final Friday.
Led by Samuels, all six Boilermakers that raced in individual finals enjoyed time drops from the prelims. Lance Lesage (47.61, 12th in 100 back), Evan Mackesy (3:51.64, 13th in 400 IM), Walker Mattice (1:36.89, 14th in 200 free) and Raymond Whittaker (53.92, 14th in 200 breast) all moved up the program's all-time leaderboards.
Samuels officially reset the Purdue record in the 100 fly to 45.27, winning the A final by 1.87 seconds. His prelim time was 45.29 and Friday marked the third time he had eclipsed the team record in the event. He also broke it at the Purdue Invitational (45.66) and Big Ten Championships (45.64) during the 2021-22 school year, his freshman season.
Samuels was the top performer among a prelim field of 39 swimmers in the 100 fly. Thursday, he was victorious in the 50 freestyle among a field of 62.
Purdue won a relay for the third time this week, winning the 200 free relay (among a field of seven entries) with the seventh fastest time (1:17.84) in team history. Nathaniel Thomas, Samuels, Dom Mazurek and Idris Muhammad teamed up for the victory.
Muhammad opted to forgo his spot in the A final of the 100 backstroke to focus on the relay. The senior led the way with a 50 split of 19.03 on the anchor leg. Samuels was faster on the second leg (19.18) than his winning time in Thursday's A final (19.33). With a split of 19.59, Mazurek was about a second faster than his 50 free time Thursday.
Mackesy was an A finalist in the 400 individual medley. Lesage was also a top-10 finisher in the 100 back as the runner-up in the B final.
The 100 fly was Samuels' fifth NCAA provisional qualifying time (B Cut) of the season – adding it to his times in the 50, 100 and 200 free as well as the 100 back.
The U.S. Open concludes Saturday with prelims at 9 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.
PURDUE RESULTS FROM FRIDAY AT U.S. OPEN
(B) – NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time
* – Team Season-Best Time
^ – Personal Season-Best Time
100 Fly
Brady Samuels, 45.27* (B) – Event Winner; Won Heat 5 of Prelims; PURDUE RECORD
100 Back
Lance Lesage, 47.61^ – Finished 2nd in B Final; 12th Fastest in Team History
Andy Kelly, 49.20 – Finished 3rd in C Final
Idris Muhammad, 47.77^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 8th in Prelims, Scratched from A Final
Blake Rowe, 49.65 (Prelim Time) – Finished 30th in Prelims
100 Breast
Raymond Whittaker, 53.92^ – Finished 3rd in B Final; Improved on 14th Fastest Time in Team History
200 Free
Walker Mattice, 1:36.89^ – Finished 2nd in C Final; 14th Fastest in Team History
400 IM
Evan Mackesy, 3:51.64* – Finished 6th in A Final; 13th Fastest in Team History
200 Free Relay
Thomas, Samuels, Mazurek & Muhammad, 1:17.84* – Event Winner; 7th Fastest in Team History
Led by Samuels, all six Boilermakers that raced in individual finals enjoyed time drops from the prelims. Lance Lesage (47.61, 12th in 100 back), Evan Mackesy (3:51.64, 13th in 400 IM), Walker Mattice (1:36.89, 14th in 200 free) and Raymond Whittaker (53.92, 14th in 200 breast) all moved up the program's all-time leaderboards.
Samuels officially reset the Purdue record in the 100 fly to 45.27, winning the A final by 1.87 seconds. His prelim time was 45.29 and Friday marked the third time he had eclipsed the team record in the event. He also broke it at the Purdue Invitational (45.66) and Big Ten Championships (45.64) during the 2021-22 school year, his freshman season.
Samuels was the top performer among a prelim field of 39 swimmers in the 100 fly. Thursday, he was victorious in the 50 freestyle among a field of 62.
Purdue won a relay for the third time this week, winning the 200 free relay (among a field of seven entries) with the seventh fastest time (1:17.84) in team history. Nathaniel Thomas, Samuels, Dom Mazurek and Idris Muhammad teamed up for the victory.
Muhammad opted to forgo his spot in the A final of the 100 backstroke to focus on the relay. The senior led the way with a 50 split of 19.03 on the anchor leg. Samuels was faster on the second leg (19.18) than his winning time in Thursday's A final (19.33). With a split of 19.59, Mazurek was about a second faster than his 50 free time Thursday.
Mackesy was an A finalist in the 400 individual medley. Lesage was also a top-10 finisher in the 100 back as the runner-up in the B final.
The 100 fly was Samuels' fifth NCAA provisional qualifying time (B Cut) of the season – adding it to his times in the 50, 100 and 200 free as well as the 100 back.
The U.S. Open concludes Saturday with prelims at 9 a.m. and finals at 6 p.m.
PURDUE RESULTS FROM FRIDAY AT U.S. OPEN
(B) – NCAA Provisional Qualifying Time
* – Team Season-Best Time
^ – Personal Season-Best Time
100 Fly
Brady Samuels, 45.27* (B) – Event Winner; Won Heat 5 of Prelims; PURDUE RECORD
100 Back
Lance Lesage, 47.61^ – Finished 2nd in B Final; 12th Fastest in Team History
Andy Kelly, 49.20 – Finished 3rd in C Final
Idris Muhammad, 47.77^ (Prelim Time) – Finished 8th in Prelims, Scratched from A Final
Blake Rowe, 49.65 (Prelim Time) – Finished 30th in Prelims
100 Breast
Raymond Whittaker, 53.92^ – Finished 3rd in B Final; Improved on 14th Fastest Time in Team History
200 Free
Walker Mattice, 1:36.89^ – Finished 2nd in C Final; 14th Fastest in Team History
400 IM
Evan Mackesy, 3:51.64* – Finished 6th in A Final; 13th Fastest in Team History
200 Free Relay
Thomas, Samuels, Mazurek & Muhammad, 1:17.84* – Event Winner; 7th Fastest in Team History