2024 US Open: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2024 U.S. Open Championships

• December 4th -7th , 2023
• Greensboro, N.C
• Prelims: 9 am EST/ Finals 6 pm EST
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets (pre-scratch)
• Live Results

Finals Heat Sheet

The last finals session for the 2024 US Open is underway. 17-year-old standout swimmer Kennedi Dobson is taking on a triple tonight, swimming the 1650 free, the 200 back, and the 100 free. She won both of her events on Thursday, and one of them last night.

Rhyan White is also highlighting the evening with her top seed in the women’s 200 backstroke.

Bradley Dunham is also looking to pick up his third win of the meet in the 200 backstroke tonight in the last meet of his swimming career.

Women’s 1650 Freestyle

• American Record: 15:01.41 — Katie Ledecky (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 15:01.41 — Katie Ledecky (2023)
• Championship Record: 15:13.30 — Katie Ledecky (2014)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Kennedi Dobson (EEX)- 16:02.56
2. Ava Jochims (RXA)- 16:29.24
3. Morgan Moore (PSU)- 16:33.10
4. Maya White (UN)- 16.41.04
5. Brooke Bennett (PLS)- 16:44.10
6. Kylie Mann (SA)- 17:00.35

Kennedi Dobson won her 4th event of the meet in dominant fashion. She started the race in the lead, and just kept extending it as the race went on. Dobson held very consistent 29.2-29.4s throughout the entire race, finishing her last 50 in 28.25. With her win tonight, Dobson won the 200 free, 500 free, and 1650 freestyle events at this year’s US Open in all best times.

Her 16:02.56 also marked more than a 30 second drop for her from her previous best of 16:39.00 from last month.

2nd place swimmer 15-year-old Ava Jochims also went a new best time in the event. Her 16:29.24 was a 10 second drop from the 16:39.19 that she went in November.

Morgan Moore from PSU took 3rd in the event in 16:33.10. This was a 5 second add for Moore who has went 16:28.42 in February of this year.

Men’s 1650 Freestyle

• American Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke (2020)
• U.S. Open Record: 14:12.08 — Bobby Finke (2020)
• Championship Record: 14:18.25 — Zane Grothe (2017)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Sean Green (LIAC)- 14:49.33
2. Sean Atkinson (UN)- 15:02.53
3. Max Carlsen (LVSC)- 15:02.76
4. Jack Callan (UN)- 15:20.28
5. Jones Lambert (UTAH)- 15:22.42
6. Aaron Davidson (WAVE)- 15:25.48
7. Charlie Mayr (UN)- 15:26.46
8. Evan Mackesy (PUR)- 15:29.52

Sean Green won the men’s mile in 14:49.33. Green, who is also committed to swim at Georgia next fall, dropped 8 seconds in his race from his previous best of 14:57.10 from March of 2023. Green got faster as the race went on, going from 27 mid splits to 26 high at the end of his race, and his last 50 was 25.72.

The 2nd place finisher was also named Sean. Sean Atkinson was supposed to be a freshman at Notre Dame this year, but he is making the most of his season, dropping almost 30 seconds in his 1650 free. Atkinson went 15:02.53 to win the prelims session of the mile. His previous best was 15:27.88 from December of last year. Atkinson held from 27.5-27.4 for most of the race.

Max Carlsen took 3rd in 15:02.76. Carlsen was actually in the lead for the first 550 of the race, going out faster than Green, but he dropped to 27 high splits as the race went on, bringing home his last 50 in 26.77.

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 Finishers:

1. Rhyan White (WOLF)- 1:51.37
2. Alyssa Sagle (NCAP)- 1:52.02
3. Sadie Buckley (NCA)- 1:53.14
4. Tess Whineray (UN)- 1:55.60
5. Chloe Stepanek (TAMU)- 1:55.89
6. Kennedi Dobson (EEX) 1:56.27
7. Norah Hay (UTAH)- 1:56.68
8. Kennedy Gilbertson (IFLY)- 1:57.09

Rhyan White took the women’s 200 backstroke in 1:51.37. Her best time in the event stands at 1:48.06 from February of 2020, but today marks the first and second times she has swam the short course version of this event since March of 2023. Tonight’s swim was also faster than the 1:51.93 she went at NCAAs that month.

White won the event by 7 tenths over 2nd place Alyssa Sagle’s 1:52.02. Sagle won the 100 backstroke last night, but wasn’t able to keep up with White over the course of the race, despite being tied after the first 50 at 26.08. This was almost a 3 second best time for her, dropping from the 1:54.84 she went last month.

3rd place went to Sadie Buckley in 1:53.14, a new best time by 2 seconds from her 1:55.64 from March.

Kennedi Dobson got 6th in 1:56.27 less than an hour after winning the women’s 1650.

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 (2017)

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Bradley Dunham (SA)- 1:39.33
2. Blake Rowe (PUR)- 1:42.38
3. Jack Dahlgren (AQJT)- 1:43.06
4. Joe Hayburn (LOYO)- 1:43.36
5. Tim Wu (PLS)- 1:43.46
6. Jackson Tishler (NCAP)- 1:45.39
7. Jack Harvey (PSU)- 1:48.64
8. Matthew Bittner (PSU)- 1:49.05

Bradley Dunham won the last event of his swimming career, the 200 backstroke by 3 seconds. This marked his 3rd event win of the meet. His 1:39.33 was just under two seconds off his best time of 1:37.58 from March of this year.

2nd went to Blake Rowe in 1:42.38, an 8 tenth drop from his previous best of 1:43.12 from just a few weeks ago.

Jack Dahlgren took 3rd in 1:43.06, which is a 4 and a half second add from his 1:38.62 from March of 2023.

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 Finishers:

1. Maddy Parker (SMU)- 48.09
2. Chloe Stepanek (TAMU)- 48.44
3. Zita Szoke (BSC)- 48.59
4. Adalynn Biegler (EDI)- 48.87
5. Georgia Nel (UNC)- 49.04
6. Ekaterina Nikonova (UN)- 49.08
7. Margaret Markvardt (PSU)- 49.16
8. Kennedi Dobson (EEX)- 49.62

Maddy Parker won both of the sprint freestyle events this week, finishing with the 100 tonight where she went 48.09. This was a new best time by two tenths of a second for Parker, dropping from the 48.38 she set two weeks ago. She had never been under 49 before this season.

Chloe Stepanek got 2nd in 48.44, which was two tenths off her season best of 48.25 from the Art Adamson Invitational a few weeks ago.

3rd went to Zita Szoke in 48.59.

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 Qualifiers: 

1. Brady Samuels (PUR)- 42.27
2. Drew Kibler (NYAC)- 42.30
3. Breno Correia (WOLF)- 42.81
4. Tylor Kim (PSU)- 42.94
5. Tate Anderson (GMU)- 43.25
6. Shane Eckler (UN)- 43.52
7. Rafe Dolan Peterson (UN)- 43.65
8. Joshua Howat (NCAP)- 43.78

Brady Samuels won his 3rd event title of the meet in the men’s 100 free, after winning the 50 free and 100 fly earlier this week. Samuels’ final time of 42.27 just out-touched Drew Kibler‘s 42.30 by 3 one-hundredths of a second. This was an add for both men. Samuels has been 41.99, and Kibler’s best is 41.33.

Breno Correia picked up 3rd in 42.81.

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 Finishers:

1. Caroline Agee (NCAP)- 2:10.32
2. Kaidy Stout (GSA)- 2:10.37
3. Aliz Kalmar (FRES)- 2:10.65
4. Jenna Pulkkinen (FRES)- 2:11.84
5. Danielle Herrmann (CLOV)- 2:13.77
6. Audrey Cohen (PSU)- 2:14.15
7. Lilla Wilbur (NCAP)- 2:15.87
8. Ava Jochims (RXA)- 2:17.63

The women’s 200 breaststroke was an incredibly close race with an even tighter finish between the two high school swimmers who placed 1st and 2nd. Caroline Agee led for most of the race, with the exception of the 1st 50 where she was 2nd. Agee went a new best time by 3 seconds over the 2:13.86 she went in March of this year.

Kaidy Stout was behind Agee the whole time, but she turned on the gas in the last 50 to try and chase her down. Stout ran out of room, and placed 2nd by 3 one-hundredths of a second, but her last 50 of 33.76 was the fastest in the field by almost a second. She actually outsplit Agee on both of the last 2 50s but was too far back after the first 10. Her final time of 2:10.37 was a new best by 2 seconds, surpassing the 2:12.35 she went in the middle of November.

Aliz Kalmar was not far behind, at 2:10.65 for 3rd.

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 Finishers:

1. Charlie Egeland (YALE)- 1:53.74
2. Logan Kelly (UN)- 1:54.44
3. Mariano Iazzerini (PSU)- 1:54.46
4. Xavier Ruiz (UNC)- 1:54.90
5. Jerry Chen (PEAQ)- 1:55.14
6. Chris Palvadre (UN)- 1:55.44
7. Giulian Martin (CANE)- 1:55.83
8. Oleksandr Karpenki (SASA)- 1:57.34

Charlie Egeland also won 3 events this week, finishing his meet with the win in the men’s 200 breaststroke. The Yale swimmer went 1:53.74 to beat 2nd place by 7 tenths of a second. He dropped just over a second from his previous best of 1:54.82 from the Ohio State Invitational a few weeks ago.

Logan Kelly placed 2nd in 1:54.44, which was almost a 2 second add from his best time of 1:52.86 from February of 2023.

Mariano Iazzerini took 3rd in 1:54.46.

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 Qualifiers:

1. Rachel Klinker (CAL)- 1:54.58
2. Emerson Callis (QSTS)- 1:57.38
3. Emma Cigna (NCAP)- 1:58.79
4. Maddie Smutny (UN)- 1:59.65
5. Varvara Gkiouzepa Petropoulo (UN)- 2:00.14
6. Katie White (VILL)- 2:00.42
7. Anna Shnowkse (757)- 2:01.45
8. Rylee Hutchinson (PLS)- 2:02.54

Rachel Klinker won the women’s 100 fly by almost 3 seconds in 1:54.58. Her best time in the event is 1:51.62 from March of this year.

16-year-old Emerson Callis placed 2nd in 1:57.38. This was just two one-hundredths shy of her best time of 1:57.36 from early November.

Another 16 year-old Emma Cigna was 3rd in 1:58.79. Tonight’s swim was Cigna’s first time ever under the 2:00 mark in the event

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 Finishers:

1. Vili Sivec (CSUB)- 1:43.18
2. Patrick Branon (UN)- 1:43.43
3. Quinn Cynor (UN)- 1:45.04
4. Jack Doyle (UN)- 1:46.08
5. Charlie Heisig (UN)- 1:46.16
6. Justin Nowicki (VILL)- 1:47.42
7. Conley Savage (UN)- 1:48.06
8. Alex Smyre (UN)- 1:48.21

CSUB swimmer Vili Sivec took the men’s 200 fly, despite being second until the last 50. This was a 4 tenth drop for him. Sivec’s best time before tonight was 1:43.57 from the MPSF Championships in February. His swim tonight was also four-and-a-half seconds faster than he has been this season, with his season best coming in at 1:47.86 from a dual meet with Pacific.

Patrick Branon led for the first 150 of the race, but his 27.19 last 50 was not enough to hold off Sivec’s 26.80 last 50. Branon is another one of the Notre Dame swimmers who is swimming this week, and his 1:43.43 was over a two second drop from his best time of 1:45.85 from February of this year.

Women’s 400 Freestyle Relay

• American Record: 3:05.84 — Virginia (Douglass, A. Walsh, Parker, G. Walsh), 2023
• U.S. Open Record: 3:05.84 — Virginia (Douglass, A. Walsh, Parker, G. Walsh), 2023
• Championship Record: 3:12.15 — Louisville (Visscher, Comerford, Openysheva, Fanz), 2017

Top 3 Finishers

1. Nation’s Capital Swim Club- 3:21.48
2. Queens Unviersity- 3:21.61
3. Marshall University- 3:26.67

Nation’s Capital won the women’s 400 free relay by just over a tenth of a second over Queens University. The team of Sadie Buckley (50.80), Gwyn Frick (49.98), Emma Cigna (51.02), and Alyssa Sagle (49.68) went a final time of 3:21.48 to win the gold.

Men’s 400 Freestyle Relay

• American Record: 2:44.31 — NC State (Held, Ress, Molacek, Stewart), 2018
• U.S. Open Record: 2:43.40 — ASU (Marchand, Dolan, Sammon, Kulow), 2024
• Championship Record: 2:45.69 — Cal (Messerschmidt, Murphy, Gimondi, Stubblefield), 2013

Top 6 Finishers:

1. Loyola University- 2:55.88
2. Purdue- 2:56.21
3. Queens- 2:57.29
4. Florida Atlantic- 2:58.53
5. Utah- 2:58.79
6. Nation’s Capital- 2:59.44

Loyola University won the men’s relay by just around half-a-second. Joe Hayburn (44.55), Patrick Hayburn (43.92), Brennan Coyle (43.48), and Henry Mueller (43.93) went 2:55.88 to beat the Purdue team’s 2:56.21.