2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, June 3 – Saturday, June 7, 2025
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Indiana University Natatorium
- LCM (50 meters)
- World Championship Selection Criteria
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheets (Updated 6/02)
- Live Results
- How To Watch (USA Swimming Network)
- Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1
- Finals Live Recaps: Day 1
Happy hump day and welcome to the preview for the second morning of the 2025 U.S. National Championships.
If you love 200s, today’s your lucky day, as there’ll be six back-to-back 200 events to watch followed by some 50s.
Day 2 Event Line-Up
- 200 freestyle
- 200 breaststroke
- 200 backstroke
- 50 butterfly
Things kick off with the 200 freestyle, the event with the most Worlds team spots up for grabs. Yesterday, #1 seed Claire Weinstein showcased top notch speed and endurance yesterday with best times in 100 free and 800 free – the latter of which she closed in an incredible 4:04.67. The Cal commit seems primed to find her way to a center lane and possibly drop from her 1:54.88 best.
Katie Ledecky, who has kicked it into another gear this spring, comes in as the second seed. Last night, she was out like lightning in her 800 under her own world record pace for the first portion of the race. If that speed carries over to today, she could improve on her 1:55.51 season best from Fort Lauderdale.
Behind the two frontrunners there will be a dog fight to get into the top 8 and a shot at a team berth. Sprinters Simone Manuel and Torri Huske both looked strong yesterday and should be in the mix for a final spot. Past international 4×200 freestyle relay team members Erin Gemmell, Bella Sims, and Alex Shackell don’t yet have a spot on the team, and this race is among all of their best shots. Today could also be a chance for age group talent like Kennedi Dobson, Rylee Erisman, and Madi Mintenko to have breakthroughs and score an international team place.
Keep an eye out for Caroline Bricker, who’s seeded at #28 with a 2:00.12 but pulled off a massive 3+ second best time/upset title in 200 fly yesterday.
After a deep men’s 100 free final that boasted 7 47’s, the 200 freestyle could be just as competitive. Like always with this event, there are a lot of big names from a variety of other events. Sprinters Chris Giuliano, Shane Casas, and Patrick Sammon were all part of last night’s 47 contingent as well as World Team qualifiers. This morning, they’ll put their endurance to the test against mid-d heavy hitters like Luke Hobson, Kieran Smith, Jake Mitchell, Rex Maurer.
Both the sprinters and the mid-distance swimmers will be challenged by somewhat of a freestyle outsider: Carson Foster, who put together a head-turning 200 fly to make the Singapore team last night.
Following the 200 free madness, we’ll get our first glimpse of where the breastrokers are at with the 200 breaststroke prelims. In the women’s event, Cavalier duo Kate Douglass and Alex Walsh sit a cut above the rest. They won’t be the lone Cavaliers in the mix for a finals spot, as freshman Leah Hayes comes in at #3 and Emma Weber, who has proven to deliver when it counts, sits at #7.
A regenerative year for the U.S. men’s 200 breaststroke kicks off this morning, as veterans Nic Fink and Matt Fallon aren’t swimming. Like in the women’s event, there are two athletes in the field with by far the fastest personal bests: Josh Matheny and AJ Pouch.
After making the team in the 200 fly last night, Regan Smith is back at it again this morning as the top seed in the women’s 200 back. Though she is the favorite, she’ll face stiff competition from fellow Olympians Phoebe Bacon, Claire Curzan, Rhyan White, and Katie Grimes. Kennedy Noble and Audrey Derivaux, who have both hit 2:07s this season, will be looking to prove themselves among the pool of Olympians.
In the final event, the 50 fly, we’ll have the opportunity to see if the Olympic event change is already making the event more competitive. For familiar sprinter names like Beata Nelson and Michael Andrew, the 50s seem like the most likely pathways to making the team. It’s still a very uphill road for both, however, because of the star-studded pool of other high seeds.
On the women’s side, the obvious favorite to score a middle lane in the final is Gretchen Walsh, who just became the 2nd woman under 25 last month. Olympic gold medalists Kate Douglass and Torri Huske, both on their second event of the morning, will also be staring down a top final spot.
After a national title last night in the 200 fly, Luca Urlando will try to make it two for two. He’ll be in the final heat next to top seed Shane Casas. The two of them already have a spot on the Singapore team, and they’ll be challenged by top butterflies, such as Dare Rose and Thomas Heilman, who don’t yet have a place.
Prelims kick off at 10:00 AM ET.
Casas does not yet have a secured spot on the team. He was 6th in the 100 free which might get on the team but there have been years that didn’t work out as there were not enough doubles. Ask Ryan Held. That effect greatly increased by inclusion of 50s of the strokes in the selection process.
Not having semi’s might catch a few swimmers out in the 200 free. It didn’t really happen in the 100 with the B final winner not being faster than the top 6 but the 200 feels like it’s got a different kind of depth. It’s also one where it feels like it should be easier to get top 6 in it for a solid shot at the team as opposed to top 2 in another event but again the way the depth appears to be structured this year doesn’t make that feel as clear. Not to mention the real danger that I think the men’s team will have of not getting enough doubles for the 6th place finishers to get… Read more »
I fear the women’s 200 free is going to be a bloodbath. I feel like Ledecky and Weinstein are most likely top 2. Gimmel is probably getting third (unless someone like Huske drops a lot, which I expect she will). Then the fight for 4-6 will include Brinker, Peplowski, Shackell, Huske, Sims, and Erisman. I feel like I am also at least forgetting one big name. I think 1 or 2 of those people I listed might not make it to the A final. I have sort of a gut feeling there might be some interesting results. Wishing the best of luck to all of them though, and hope the race is exciting.
Forgetting Manuel
Manuel will be in top 6
I think the prelims-semi-finals format works better in a situation like this. Same goes with the men’s event.
Really hoping Lasco chooses 2 back over the 2 free. He probably has a good 2 free in store based on his PB a few weeks ago and his 100 yesterday, but we’re really thin on 200 backstrokers right now. It would be wild if the only 2 swimmers that have swam it at worlds in the past couple of years both decide to forgo it (Casas being the other)
Plus the US seems to be deep in the 2 free right now
If he makes the 4×200 he has a good shot at a gold medal whereas I don’t see him making the Worlds podium in the 2BK. I’d love to see what he throws down in the freestyle.
Nothing in this article about Destin Lasco is crazy work…he’s got a legit shot at making the team in the 200 free or 200 back today!
Unsure whether he’s been focusing on the 200 Back LCM at all, but definitely could see a 1:45 200 Free from him after that 1:48 at an in-season meet