Recently graduated swimmer Anna Kalandadze will compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials after her success at the Rutgers SCAR meet.
Credit: Kylie CooperNEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — One direct flight to Indianapolis for Anna Kalandadze, please.
Freshly graduated freestyler Anna Kalandadze raced to two United States Olympic Trials cuts in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events — punching her ticket to Trials hosted in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Surprisingly, if you had asked the Ardmore, Pa. native during the season if she wanted to go to Trials, she wouldn't have been certain. Kalandadze has historically not been the best long-course swimmer. NCAA swimming is done in short course yards in 25-yard pools while national and international competition is done in long course in 50-meter pools.
However, after a spectacular championship season highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championship, the recent graduate decided that she wanted to go to the Trials, which meant getting the qualifying times first.
Departing for the SCAR Memorial Day meet at Rutgers University, Kalandadze and company traveled with hopes of achieving those Olympic Trials cuts.
In the 800-meter freestyle on the first day of the meet, the four-time Ivy League champion dominated the pool. Kalandadze touched the wall in a time of 8:43.20—two seconds under the Olympic Trials cut and eight seconds ahead of the next competitor. She had incredible closing speed as her last 50-meter split was the fastest split outside of her first 50.
The next day, Kalandadze kept that momentum going in the 1500 free. Surrounded by her distance group teammates in the neighboring lanes, Kalandadze swam to another Olympic Trials cut in a time of 16:43.36. In this event, Kalandadze’s performance was not as dominant with the next fastest competitor — Seton Hall’s Allie Waggoner — only about 2 seconds behind her. However, Waggoner swam to a heartbreaking 16:45.86, which was 0.17 seconds off the cut.
With these performances, Kalandadze’s hard work has payed off -- which includes persevering after a difficult first collegiate season at Cal to putting in 11,000 yards a day of practice at Sheerr Pool.
“I was really happy she got both of our cuts and gets to swim both events at [Trials]. [The 1500 was] painful [for her], but she toughed it out” coach Mike Schnur said.
Kalandadze joins recent graduate Kevin Keil, rising senior Daniel Gallagher, and of course, rising senior Matt Fallon, who all qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials last year.
Fallon also had great performances in both of his events at SCAR Memorial. While the meet held lower stakes for the Warren, N.J. native, his races were still important tune-ups ahead of the Olympic Trials in two short weeks.
The NCAA silver medalist swam to times of 1:01:33 and 2:09.83 in the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke — both just off his times from April’s TYR Pro Swim Series in San Antonio. The latter event is Fallon’s stronger event where he is the frontrunner for the U.S Olympic Team.
“I’ve been feeling pretty good in practice. [Right now], it’s about getting that last bit of training in before trials and building off of what I've already done,” Fallon commented. “I'm happy with [my 200 breaststroke race this weekend]. [This] was just about putting the races together and putting up good times, and I'm really happy with that time.”
This meet was the last we’ll hear of Fallon and company until the highly anticipated Olympic Trials in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Penn community certainly has a few familiar faces to rally for come June 15.
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