2022 U.S. National Championships: Day 2 Finals Preview

2022 US SUMMER NATIONALS

• Tuesday July 26 – Saturday, July 30, 2022
• William Woollett Aquatics Center, Irvine, CA
• Prelims 9 AM / Finals 5 PM (U.S. Pacific Time)
• Meet website
• Meet information
• Psych Sheet
• OMEGA Live Results
• Day 2 Finals Live Recap

WEDNESDAY FINALS HEAT SHEETS

Kicking off night 2 will be the women’s 200 freestyle. Katie Ledecky will be the favorite in the event after swimming a 1:56.75 this morning. Ledecky swam a 1:55.15 in the event at US International Team Trials in April to win the event and qualify for the individual event at Worlds. Ultimately, Ledecky scratched the individual event but had a huge split to help the American women’s 4×200 free relay win gold.

Also highlighting the women’s 200 free is 17 year old Erin Gemmell who swam a lifetime best of 1:57.12 this morning, a time that would have been third at US International Team Trials. Incoming freshman at Virginia Claire Tuggle swam a 1:58.74  to be the third seed heading into finals. That was her fastest time since 2019 Summer Nationals when she swam a 1:58.21.

Chloe Stepanek who swims collegiately for Texas A&M dipped under the 2 minute mark for the second time ever swimming a 1:59.49 this morning for the fourth seed tonight. Notably, sixth and seventh seeds Natalie Mannion and Anna Peplowski will be competing a tough double with the 200 free and 200 back tonight.

After swimming a best time this morning, Jake Magahey is the top seed in the men’s 200 free. Magahey swam a 1:46.88 making it the first time he swam under the 1:47 mark.

Kieran Smith swam a 1:46.90 this morning for the second seed. Notably, this was about what he swam in prelims at US International Team Trials in April as he swam a 1:46.78 then before swimming a 1:45.25 to win the final.

Jake Mitchell had a huge drop of over a second to be the fifth seed tonight after swimming a 1:47.29.  Luke Hobson of Texas swam a 1:47.13 this morning for the third seed tonight. Notably, that was faster than he was in finals at US International Team Trials as he swam a 1:47.43 to finish seventh then.

Mackenzie Looze took the top seed this morning in the women’s 200 breast after swimming a 2:27.49 dropping 0.11 off her seed time. Looze was sixth in the event at International Team Trials swimming a 2:27.60 in finals. Close behind Looze this morning was Anna Keating who swam a 2:27.59. Keating was fourth in the event at Trials swimming a 2:24.62 in finals after swimming a 2:25.20 in prelims.

Ella Nelson also looks to be a contender tonight after swimming a 2:28.21 in prelims. Nelson was faster here than she was at Trials as she swam a 2:29.10 in prelims and a 2:29.07 in finals there to finish seventh.

US National Teamer Matt Fallon was just off his personal best of 2:08.91 in the men’s 200 breast swimming a 2:09.05 for the top seed heading into tonight.

Will Licon swam a 2:09.86 this morning, which was already faster than he was at US International Team Trials as he swam a 2:11.03 to finish fourth then. Texas training partners Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands (2:09.92) and Jake Foster (2:10.52) will also be in the A final tonight.

Josh Matheny of Indiana charged the last 15 meters this morning to post a 2:10.19 for the fourth seed tonight. That was his fastest time since swimming best time of 2:09.40 from 2019 World Junior Champs. AJ Pouch sits right behind Matheny swimming a 2:10.21 this morning already swimming faster than his previous personal best of 2:10.35.

Isabelle Stadden cruised to the top seed in the women’s 200 back swimming a 2:09.69 this morning. She was the only swimmer under the 2:10 mark.

After scratching the event at International Team Trials, teenager Claire Curzan swam a 2:10.84 for the second seed tonight. Curzan holds a best time of 2:07.31 which she swam in March of this year. Curzan swam a 2:09.95 in prelims then, so if she is able to replicate her prelims to finals drop it could be a very tight battle tonight.

Bronze medalist in the event at 2022 Worlds Rhyan White swam a 2:10.94 for the third seed tonight. Like Curzan, White typically drops from prelims to finals as shown by her drop from 2:08.11 to 2:05.13 at International Team Trials.

Anna Peplowski and Natalie Mannion will complete their tough double of the 200free and 200 back here as the sixth and seventh seeds respectively.

Ian Grum swam a personal best time of 1:58.05 in the men’s 200 back to be the top seed. Grum narrowly out-touched Jack Aikins who swam a 1:58.13.

NCAA Champion in the SCY version of the event Destin Lasco of Cal swam a 1:59.21 for the fifth seed tonight. Lasco swam a 1:57.31 to finish fifth in the event at International Team Trials.