2020 U.S. OPEN Swimming Championships
- Thursday, November 12 – Saturday, November 14
- Indianapolis, IN
- Long course meters (LCM)
- Timed Finals
- Where To Watch US National Team Members
- Meet Central
- Women’s Heat Sheets (Friday Evening Session)
- Results available on Meet Mobile under “2020 Toyota US Open Championships-Indy”
Today’s afternoon session is broken into a women’s flight and a men’s flight. The women’s flight should run from about 3:30 PM to 5 PM Eastern time, with the men’s session from 7:15 PM to 9 PM Eastern. We’ll cover the men’s events in their own recap later tonight.
This afternoon, we’ll get to see former world record-holder Kathleen Baker take on a 100 back, and world champ Maggie MacNeil will swim the 100 fly.
But the race to watch might be the 200 free, where World Champs medalist Mallory Comerford is set to battle with national teamer Gabby DeLoof and rising 17-year-old Rachel Stege.
Ally McHugh leads the 400 IM and Emily Weiss the 100 breast.
Women’s 400 IM – Timed Finals
- American record: 4:31.12 – Katie Hoff (2008)
- U.S. Open record: 4:31.07 – Katinka Hosszu (2015)
- U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 4:51.79
Top 3:
- Ally McHugh (WA) – 4:43.00
- Mariah Denigan (LAK) – 4:46.57
- Maria Sumida (UofL) – 4:48.66
Ally McHugh led the way here with her second win of the meet so far. The Penn State alumnus – now swimming with Wisconsin Aquatics – was 4:43.00 to win by three and a half seconds. McHugh exploded for a 4:34.80 back in the summer of 2018, but hasn’t been under 4:38 since then. She was 4:40.09 at about this time last year (swimming at the Greensboro Pro Swim Series), but a 4:43.00 today is a pretty solid swim considering she already swam a 800 free just last night and a 400 free earlier today.
17-year-old Mariah Denigan was second in 4:46.57. Denigan was 4:40.6 back in that same summer of 2018 where McHugh went off. But Denigan’s swim today was easily her best swim of 2020 in this event, and the fastest she’s gone since a 4:43.4 in March of 2019.
Louisville’s Brazilian junior Maria Sumida was 4:48.6 in third. Behind her, 16-year-old Martina Peroni hit a new lifetime-best of 4:52.53 for fourth. Peroni is only about three seconds from cracking USA Swimming’s top 100 all-time for the 15-16 age group.
Women’s 100 fly – Timed Finals
- American record: 55.98 – Dana Vollmer (2012)
- U.S. Open record: 56.38 – Sarah Sjostrom (2016)
- U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:00.69
Top 3:
- Maggie MacNeil (UN) – 57.75
- Olivia Carter (UN) – 59.77
- Gabi Albiero (UofL) – 1:00.21
Maggie MacNeil tore away from the field for a 57.75. That should rank Macneil #5 in the world for this season, and just three tenths away from the #2 time in the world:
2020-2021 LCM Women 100 Fly
MacNeil
55.59
| 2 | Zhang Yufei | CHN | 55.62 | 09/29 |
| 3 | Torri Huske | USA | 55.66 | 06/14 |
| 4 | Emma McKeon | AUS | 55.72 | 07/25 |
| 5 | Marie Wattel | FRA | 56.16 | 07/24 |
MacNeil is the third-fastest swimmer of all-time in the 100 fly with a 55.83 she hit while winning World Champs gold in 2019. She was recently passed up by China’s Zhang Yufei, now the world leader and #2 performer of all-time at 55.62.
MacNeil’s Michigan teammate Olivia Carter was 59.77 for second place overall in a 1-2 for the Wolverines.
Louisville freshman Gabi Albiero was 1:00.21 in third place. That’s about half a second off of her best time, set at Nationals in 2018. Albiero has been under a minute twice, both at that 2018 Summer Nationals meet.
Further back, 16-year-old Zoe Skirboll went 1:01.21 – that moves her just inside the top 100 of all-time in USA Swimming’s 15-16 age group ranks.
Women’s 200 free – Timed Finals
- American record: 1:53.61 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
- U.S. Open record: 1:54.40 – Allison Schmitt (2012)
- U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 2:01.69
Top 3:
- Mallory Comerford (CARD) – 2:00.34
- Gabby DeLoof (CW) – 2:00.72
- Rachel Stege (FMC) – 2:00.79
Mallory Comerford took the win here in a battle of two of the top American pros not competing in the International Swimming League this month. Comerford was 2:00.34 – prior to this week, that would have ranked #2 among American women this season, though that’ll probably change as more results trickle in tonight.
Gabby DeLoof was 2:00.79 for second. Both Comerford and DeLoof hit season-bests, though they were well off their career-bests.
Standout 17-year-old Rachel Stege was close to a personal-best, though. Her 2:00.79 is only about eight tenths of a second away from her career-best 1:59.90 from the summer of 2019. By comparison, Stege was 2:01.4 at U.S. Open last year.
Women’s 100 breast – Timed Finals
- American record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
- U.S. Open record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy (2009)
- U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:10.99
Top 3:
- Emily Weiss (ISC) – 1:09.55
- Ellie Andrews (WAC) – 1:10.15
- Kaylee Wheeler (UofL) – 1:10.42
Indiana’s Emily Weiss topped the 100 breast field here in 1:09.55. Based on current national ranks, Weiss should be the first American this season under 1:10, though we’d expect quite a few more names to join her under that barrier as more results from the other U.S. Open meets roll in.
17-year-old Ellie Andrews was second in 1:10.15. Andrews has aged up from the 15-16s, where she finished as the #6 swimmer of all-time, one spot below Weiss. Today’s swim wasn’t a personal best (Andrews was 1:08.12 in 2019), but it does add her name to the all-time 17-18 ranks. At the younger end of the age group, Andrews is now #81 in USA Swimming history for 17-18 girls. If she can just return to her personal best, she’ll move all the way to #13 without even needing a time drop.
Louisville’s Kaylee Wheeler was third in 1:10.43, just beating Indiana’s Noelle Peplowski.
Women’s 100 back – Timed Finals
- American record: 57.57 – Regan Smith (2019)
- U.S. Open record: 58.00 – Kathleen Baker (2018)
- U.S. Olympic Trials cut: 1:02.69
Top 3:
- Kathleen Baker (TE) – 59.82
- Justin Murdock (BBA) – 1:02.83
- Annabel Crush (LAK) – 1:02.95
Former world record-holder Kathleen Baker blew out the field tonight in 59.82. That should make her the first American woman this year to break a minute in the 100 back – though we’d expect her to have some serious competition in the national ranks tonight, particularly from a couple of teenagers in Des Moines. (Regan Smith and Phoebe Bacon).
Prior to today, the national leader was Claire Curzan at 1:00.43.
It was a pair of 17-year-olds behind Baker. Justine Murdock of Atlantis Swimming BBA went 1:02.83 for second. That’s just a half-second off her personal-best. And behind her, 17-year-old Annabel Crush was 1:02.95, about two seconds off her personal best.
It was a very young field behind the 23-year-old Baker. Murdock, Crush, and fourth-place Elyse Heiser (1:03.03) are all 17. They were followed by a pair of 15-year-olds and a pair of 16-year-olds as only one of the top eight finishers was over 18 years old.
Go Maggie!!!!!!!!!!