T&T swimmer Dylan Carter’s LA Current II team touched the wall third in the Men’s 4x100 metres medley relay at the International Swimming League’s (ISL) US Derby meet, but was disqualified for a suspected early takeoff by breaststroker Will Licon, costing the team valuable points.
This was on day one of the two-day meet at the University of Maryland Geary F Eppley Recreation Center in College Park, Maryland, on Saturday.
The LA Current rocketed out to an early 1-2 lead, thanks to Matt Grevers and Shane Ryan. The DC Trident looked to close the gap with Ian Finnerty‘s breaststroke leg, and Giles Smith kept them in the race. Caeleb Dressel looked good on fly despite having just swam the 50m freestyle.
Tom Shields and Michael Chadwick easily preserved the Currents’ lead over the back half to win with 3:23.63, while Zach Apple helped propel to the Trident to a second-place finish with 3:25.22.
However, due to the Current’s ‘2’ team of Ryan, Licon, Josh Prenot and Carter (swimming in that order) being disqualified, it cost them a dozen points and moved the Cali Condors (3:26.61) up to the third place. That’s a massive swing, and probably the kind of luck DC needs if they want to pull off the major upset to have a shot at the league final.
All eight ISL teams have now competed twice and only have the derbies left before the finals in Las Vegas. Looking into the current team season points, Energy Standard and the London Roar sit in the first place, two points ahead of the Cali Condors.
Advancement to the final is not based on the top four overall teams, however. Only the top two from the US and the top two from European advance to the Vegas finals in December.
Even with derbies left to be raced, the way the math works out makes it a virtual lock that the current top four teams, Energy Standard, London Roar, Cali Condors, and LA Current, will advance to the final. Any other outcome would take a near-miracle. Next weekend, the European-based teams will then battle for the top two at the London Aquatics Centre.
Carter and his teammates will be back at the pool on Sunday.