2023 U.S. Trials: Day 1 Finals Preview

2023 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• June 27 – July 1, 2023
• Indianapolis, IN
• Indiana University Natatorium
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet (updated version, 6/26)
• Live Results
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• How To Watch
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet

Tonight’s finals will kick off at 7 pm EST. The events tonight will be:

• Women’s 200 butterfly
• Men’s 200 butterfly
• Women’s 100 freestyle
• Men’s 100 freestyle
• Women’s 800 freestyle
• Men’s 1500 freestyle

The A and B finals will occur before the fastest heats of the distance events, then the C and D finals will occur after. The session is expected to conclude just before 9 pm.

After cruising to the top time in the event this morning, American Record holder in the event Regan Smith will look to lead the way in the 200 fly. The battle for second should be a close one. Dakota Luther swam the second fastest time this morning and was the 2022 Summer National Champion in the event. Teenager Alex Shackell kicked off her morning with the 200 fly and then swam in the 100 free right after. Shackell is still entered in both events tonight, as the third seed in the 200 fly and the ninth seed in the 100 free.

Shackell sits in the middle of the Texas trio which besides Luther also consists of Kelly Pash and Emma Sticklen. Sticklen won the event at NCAAs this past spring while Pash was third.

The biggest veteran in the event is Hali Flickinger, who trains with Smith at Arizona State. Flickinger won silver in the event at last summer’s World Championships and bronze in the event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Also from Arizona State, Lindsay Looney was seventh this morning and followed by teenager Tess Howley.

Carson Foster led the way in the men’s 200 fly this morning, about a second off his best which he swam at Sectionals last summer. This morning’s swim was his second fastest swim ever. Following closely behind Foster was teenager Thomas Heilman who set a huge personal best by over a second, becoming the second fastest 15-16 year old ever (only behind Michael Phelps). Heilman’s previous best time came from a second place finish at Junior Pan Pacs last summer.

2020 Olympic semifinalist in the event Zach Harting was third this morning. Harting was faster this morning than he was at 2022 Team Trials last April where he went on to finish third, missing the Worlds team by less than a second. Jack Dahlgren swam a personal best this morning to be in lane six tonight. Dahlgren is expected to compete at World University Games later this summer. Just like Dahlgren, NCAA swimmer Mason Laur also swam a personal best this morning.

Veterans Trenton Julian and Chase Kalisz also made the ‘A’ final. Julian made semi-finals at Worlds last summer and Kalisz won gold in the 400 IM at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Just as NCAA Champion Sticklen made the ‘A’ final on the women’s side, Aiden Hayes made the A final on the men’s side, swimming a personal best this morning.

The women’s 100 freestyle was a speedy one this morning, highlighted by two sub-53 second swims as Abbey Weitzeil and Kate Douglass will swim out of the middle lanes tonight after swimming best times this morning. 2020 Olympians in the event (relay) Olivia Smoliga and Catie DeLoof are also into the A final.

The race will also feature numerous NCAA names such as Gretchen Walsh, Maxine Parker, and Torri Huske. Although potentially more known as a mid-distance/distance swimmer for the moment, Bella Sims swam her way to eighth this morning.

Four men got under the 48 second mark this morning in the 100 free after no one had been under 48 seconds this season coming into the meet. Leading the way was 2022 Worlds relay swimmer Ryan Held who was already faster this morning than he was at International Team Trials last April.

Also leading the way was Cal teammates Jack Alexy and Destin Lasco who both swam under the 48 second mark. SCY 200 free relay record holders Matt King (American Record) and Macguire McDuff (US Open Record) also showed off their LCM speed this morning with lifetime bests. 2022 Worlds swimmers Justin Ress and Drew Kibler will also be in the A final tonight.

In the women’s 800 free, World Record holder Katie Ledecky is expected to lead the way. Next to Ledecky will be Leah Smith, who just missed the podium last summer at Worlds in the event by just over a second. Teenager Katie Grimes scratched the 200 fly tonight to focus on the 800 freestyle, and is seeded just ahead of club teammate Claire Weinstein. Some of the other names in the fastest heat tonight include NCAA Champion in both the 500 and 1650 freestyles Kensey McMahon and Mariah Denigan who is already representing the US at Worlds in the Open Water races.

The men’s 1500 freestyle will feature American Record holder Bobby Finke in lane four, next to 2022 Worlds swimmer Charlie Clark. NCAA Champion in the men’s 1650 freestyle Will Gallant will be on the other side of Finke in lane three. American Record holder in the SCM 800 free David Johnston will also compete tonight.