2024 U.S. Open Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2024 U.S. Open Championships

• December 4th -7th , 2023
• Greensboro, N.C
• Prelims: 9 am EST/ Finals 4 pm EST
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets (pre-scratch)
• Live Results

The final day of U.S. Open is underway. 17 year-old Kennedi Dobson, who won the 500 and 200 freestyles and 200 IM in best times, has three more opportunities to pick up wins: the 100 free, 200 back, and mile.

With top seed Skyler Smith out of the women’s 200 breaststroke, the race for the top will be a little more open. The new top qualifier is Aliz Kalmar.

On the men’s side, Olympian Drew Kibler will race the 100 free from a non-circle seeded heat due to being entered with his long course best. He will look to have a rematch tonight with Brady Samuels, the Purdue swimmer who beat him in the 50 free and is the top yards seed.

Women’s 200 backstroke

• American Record: 1:46.87 — Claire Curzan (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:46.87 — Claire Curzan (2024)
• Championship Record: 1:49.18 — Missy Franklin (2012)

Top 8:

1. Rhyan White (WOLF) — 1:54.81
2. Sadie Buckley (NCAP) — 1:54.91
3. Norah Hay (UTAH) — 1:55.51
4.  (T-4) Kennedi Dobson (EEX) — 1:55.70
5. (T-4) Alyssa Sagle (NCAP) — 1:55.70
6. Chloe Stepanek (TAMU) — 1:55.74
7. Tess Whineray (UN) — 1:56.81
8. Kennedy Gilbertson (IFLY) — 1:57.01

Securing the top two spots for the first session were the veteran and the youngster. Olympian Rhyan White cruised a 1:54.81 for the top spot while 15 year-old Sadie Buckley turned in a new best time of 1:54.91 for second, beating her 1:55.64 from last spring.

Not too far behind the leading duo was Utah senior Norah Hay. Last night’s 100 back champion Alyssa Sagle tied with last night’s 200 free champion Kennedi Dobson to round out the top five together.

Men’s 200 Backstroke

• American Record: 1:35.37 — Destin Lasco (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:35.37 — Destin Lasco (2024)
• Championship Record: 1:36.81 — Ryan Lochte (2007)

Top 8:

1. Blake Rowe (PUR) — 1:42.71
2. Bradley Dunham (SA) — 1:43.01
3. Tim Wu (PLS) — 1:43.91
4. Joe Hayburn (LOYO) — 1:44.27
5. Jack Dahlgreen (AQJT) — 1:44.95
6. Matthew Bittner (PSU) — 1:45.52
7. Jack Harvey (PSU) — 1:45.76
8. Jackson Tishler (NCAP) — 1:45.93

Purdue freshman Blake Rowe had a fantastic comeback from yesterday. After placing 30th and adding 1.5 seconds from a couple weeks ago, Rowe fired off a new lifetime best in the 200. He swam 1:42.71 to eclipse the 1:43.12 PR earned in November at the Purdue Invite.

Tonight he will be swimming between 16 year-old Tim Wu, who crushed a two-second personal best of 1:43.91, and NCAA A-finalist Bradley Dunham.

Women’s 100 freestyle

• American Record: 44.83 — Gretchen Walsh (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 44.83 — Gretchen Walsh (2024)
• Championship Record: 46.70 — Mallory Comerford (2017)

Top 8:

1. Maddy Parker (SMU) — 48.36
2. Chloe Stepanek (TAMU) — 48.77
3. Zita Szoke (BSC) — 48.85
4. Ekaterina Nikonova (UN) — 49.07
5. Adalyn Biegler (EDI) — 49.09
6. Kennedi Dobson (EEX) — 49.10
7. Margaret Markvardt (PSU) — 49.25
8. Georgia Nel (UNC) — 49.39

Southern Methodist sophomore Maddy Parker shaved two hundredths off her lifetime best to comfortably take the top seed tonight. She went 48.36, slightly faster than her best time at SMU’s November invite.

Behind Parker, Texas A&M’s Chloe Stepanek pulled off a successful back-to-back morning double. After qualifying sixth in the 200 back, Stepanek claimed the second seed in the 100 free in 48.77. Kennedi Dobson pulled the same double, coming in sixth this morning in a new season best of 49.10.

Men’s 100 freestyle

• American Record: 39.90 — Caeleb Dressel (2018)
• U.S. Open Record: 39.90 — Caeleb Dressel (2018)
• Championship Record: 41.22 — Nathan Adrian (2017)

Top 8:

1. Brady Samuels (PUR) — 42.37
2. Breno Correia (WOLF) — 43.06
3. Drew Kibler (NYAC) — 43.10
4. Tylor Kim (PSU) — 43.20
5. Ben Meulemans (YALE) — 43.36
6. Tate Andreson (GMU) — 43.58
7. (T-7) Rafe Dolan Peterson (UN) — 43.62
8. (T-7) Joshua Houwat (NCAP) — 43.62

Purdue senior Brady Samuels turned in the top time of the morning by nearly three quarters of a second. Samuels, who won the 50 free in 100 fly in best times, came within four tenths of his 41.99 lifetime best.

Behind Samuels was a crowded field of 43-lows. Leading the way was Brazilian national teamer Breno Correia in 43.06. This is Correia’s first yards meet on the books. U.S. National Teamer Drew Kibler and Penn State’s Tylor Kim clocked 43.10 and 43.20 respectively.

Women’s 200 breaststroke

• American Record: 2:01.29 — Kate Douglass (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 2:01.29 — Kate Douglass (2023)
• Championship Record: 2:05.04 — Laura Sogar (2012)

Top 8:

1. Kaydy Stout (GSA) — 2:12.11
2. Caroline Agee (NCAP) — 2:13.08
3. Jenna Pulkkinen (FRES) — 2:13.33
4. Casadie Dibetta (BSC) — 2:13.39
5. Aliz Kalmar (FRES) — 2:13.62
6. Danielle Herrmann (CLOV) — 2:14.16
7. Audrey Cohen (PSU) — 2:14.66
8. Lilla Wilbur (2:16.37) — 2:16.37

Greensboro 15 year-old Kaydy Stout shined on home turf this morning, running away with the top spot by a second in a crowded field. Her time of 2:12.11 is a best time, beating out the 2:12.35 she turned in in November. 

Behind her was another high schooler with a best time: NCAP’s Caroline Agee, who raced to 2:13.08 for a new personal best by three quarters of a second. Fresno State put two swimmers in the final in Jenna Pulkkinen and Aliz Kalmar. 37 year-old Danielle Herrmann, who placed fourth in the 100 breaststroke last night, will be back again tonight after blasting a 2:14.16. This beats her seed time by over a second.

Men’s 200 breaststroke

• American Record: 1:47.91 — Will Licon (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:46.35 — Leon Marchand (2024)
• Championship Record: 1:49.31 — Cody Miller (2017)

Top 8:

1. Logan Kelly (UN) — 1:54.97
2. Mariano Lazzerini (PSU) — 1:56.29
3. Charlie Egeland (YALE) — 1:56.31
4. Xavier Ruiz (UNC) — 1:56.61
5. Jerry Chen (PEAQ) — 1:56.71
6. Guilian Martin (CANE) — 1:56.79
7. Chris Palvadre (UN) — 1:56.99
8. Oleksandr Karpenko (SASA) — 1:58.18

Logan Kelly, who swims at IUPUI, will swim in the middle lane of the 200 breaststroke tonight. He will be surrounded by the 1-2 finishers in the 100 breast last night: Yale’s Charlie Egeland and Penn State’s Mariano Lazzerini. 

Hurricane Aquatics’ Giulian Martin was the only person in the entire event to improve from his short course seed time this morning. The 18 year-old dropped from 1:59.06 to 1:56.79 to be the only high schooler in tonight’s final.

Women’s 200 butterfly

• American Record: 1:48.33 — Regan Smith (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:48.33 — Regan Smith (2023)
• Championship Record: 1:51.02 — Katinka Hosszu (2010)

Top 8:

1. Rachel Klinker (CAL) — 1:55.67
2. Rhyan White (WOLF) — 1:57.73
3. Kailia Utley (VU) — 1:59.67
4. Katie White (VILL) — 1:59.80
5. Emerson Callis (QSTS) — 2:00.29
6. Emma Cigna (NCAP) — 2:01.02
7. Anna Shnowske (757) — 2:01.28
8. Maddie Smutny (UN) — 2:01.76

The 200 fly is shaping up to be a two-woman post-grad race. Rachel Klinker stopped the clock in 1:55.67, which was a four second add but good enough for the top seed by two seconds. Behind her was Rhyan White in 1:57.73. White edged Klinker out for the 100 fly title last night.

There were only two other swimmers below the two minute barrier this morning: Vanderbilt’s Kailia Utley (1:59.67) and Villanova’s Katie White (1:59.80).

A trio of Virginia high schoolers made up fifth through seventh: Emerson Callis, Emma Cigna, and Anna Shnowske.

Men’s 200 butterfly

• American Record: 1:37.35 — Jack Conger (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:37.35 — Jack Conger (2017)
• Championship Record: 1:40.24 — Tom Shields (2012)

Top 8:

1. Patrick Branon (UN) — 1:44.90
2. Vili Sivec (CSUB) — 1:44.93
3. Quinn Cynor (UN) — 1:46.47
4. Charlie Heisig (UN) — 1:46.85
5. Jack Doyle (UN) — 1:47.07
6. Justin Nowicki (VILL) — 1:47.21
7. Conley Savage (UN) — 1:47.29
8. Alex Smyre (UN) — 1:48.25

Notre Dame freshmen shined in the men’s 200 fly preliminary. Securing top seed was the Irish’s Patrick Branon, who dropped a full second form his best time (1:45.85) to go 1:44.90. His freshman classmate, Charlie Heisig finished fourth this morning in 1:46.85. This beats his 1:47.42 best time coming into the meet.

Finishing between the two Notre Dame was California State’s Vili Sivec (1:44.93) and Wyoming’s Quinn Cynor (1:46.47).

The final session of the U.S. Open will begin tonight at 6:00 PM.