With 4th in 50 free, Kennedy earns 3 top 10 finishes and national title in 400 free relay

Madison Kennedy before the 50 freestyle final. (Courtesy U.S. Swimming)

IRVINE, Calif. – Avon’s Madison Kennedy swam the second fastest time in the 50 meter freestyle in her career Sunday at the U.S. national championship finals. It was good enough to earn her a fourth place medal in the 50 free.

Simone Manuel swam the fastest time of the year by an American, finishing strong to win the national title in the 50 free with a time of 24.56 seconds. Ivy Martin was second in 24.72 seconds with Madeline Locus third in 24.81.

It was a close race. The entire field finished within 0.51 of a second of each other. Kennedy took fourth with a time of 24.83 seconds. She cut 0.13 off her qualifying time of 24.96 seconds, which earned her the fourth spot in qualifying. 

The problem was most other swimmers swam better in the finals, too. Manuel was second in qualifying with a time of 24.89 seconds. She swam 0.33 of a second faster in the final. “I wanted to stick my finish,” Manuel told NBC television. “In the 50 free, you have to have things as perfect as possible.”

It was Kennedy’s third medal winning performance in the 50 freestyle at the national championship meet. She was second in the 50 free in 2011 and in 2010.

Kennedy had a busy and successful week at the nationals – three top 10 finishes and swimming on a national championship relay team.

She was 10th in the 100 freestyle with a time of 54.86, taking second in the B final. In the 50 backstroke, she finished 10th with a time of 29.15, also taking second in the B final, just 0.20 of a second behind Clara Smiddy. Her finishes in the 100 free and 50 back were her best finishes ever in the two events at the nationals.

Kennedy swam on SwimMAC Carolina’s national championship squad in the 400 freestyle relay, which won its race by 0.01 of a second. She swam the second leg to give SwimMAC the lead for good and she swam the fastest leg of the 100 meters (55.81 seconds) on her team.

As a team, SwimMAC Carolina won the women’s national championship and the men’s national championship competition.

This meet and the upcoming Pan Pacific championships later this month in Australia will help determine members of the U.S. national team for the the 2015 World Championship meet in Kazaan, Russia, 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and the 2015 World University Games in South Korea.

Kennedy missed out on a spot on the Pan Pacific team by 0.02 of a second. The roster was announced at the conclusion of Sunday’s national meet.

Madeline Locus took third in the 50 free with a time of 24.81 and earned a spot on the Pan Pacific team. First and second place finishes in each women’s event earned a spot on the 30-person team that will compete in a meet with 300 of the world’s top swimmers from the U.S., Japan, Canada, Brazil, New Zealand and Australia.

Swimmers who finish second, third and fourth at the U.S. national meet are eligible and could be added to the roster at a later time, pending swimmers qualifying in multiple events. Lotus and Martin qualified in just the 50 free while Manuel qualified in the 50 free and 100 free.

Kennedy is still in the hunt for a spot in the 2014-15 U.S. national team, which will be announced on September 2. The top six athletes in Olympic events from the combined results of the U.S. national championships and the Pan Pacific championships will be named to the team according to USA Swimming’s website.