2025 Winter Junior Championships – East: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2025 Winter Junior Championships – East

• December 10-13, 2025
• Indianapolis, Ind.
  • Prelims: 10 a.m. EST
    • Wednesday (1000 free): 1 p.m. EST
  • Finals: 5 p.m. EST
    • Wednesday (relays): 4 p.m. EST
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• How to Watch
• Live Results
• Finals Recap: Day 1

Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheets – Girls

Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheets – Boys

Following an exciting distance session on day 1, day 2 of the 2025 Winter Junior Championships – East will feature several fast events. This morning, swimmers will contest the heats of the 500 freestyle, 200 IM, and 50 freestyle, with the top 8 swimmers in each event moving to tonight’s A-final.

After a great duel in the 1000 last night, Brinkleigh Hansen and Elizabeth Eichbrecht will take on the 500 freestyle today. However, they’ll have to face-off against top seed Rylee Erisman, who threw down a huge 1:41 split on the 800 freestyle relay on night 1. Erisman is also the top seed in the 50 freestyle to end the session. Meanwhile, young star Audrey Derivaux leads the 200 IM field with a 1:55.24 entry time, a second ahead of the field as she looks to dominate.

For the boys, Baylor Stanton comes in as the top seed in the 500 freestyle by almost 3 seconds. The 18-year-old is also slated to swim the 200 IM directly after the 500, coming in as the top seed in that race as well. With Stanton holding down the top seeds in 2 of the 3 events on this morning’s schedule, its 17-year-old Mike Rice who has the top seed in the 50 freestyle, ahead of a tightly contested field. Currently, 6 of the top 8 swimmers have entry times under 20 seconds, which could lead to a sub-20 final.

GIRLS’ 5oo FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 4:27.52, Summer McIntosh – 2022
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:35.14, Katie Ledecky – 2011
• 15-16 NAG Record: 4:28.61, Katie Ledecky – 2014
• 17-18 NAG Record: 4:26.58, Katie Ledecky – 2015

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Rylee Erisman (LAKR) – 4:39.77
2. Brinkleigh Hansen (SPA) – 4:43.03
3. Emily Wolf (FAST) –  4:43.24
4. Elizabeth Eichbrecht (NOVA) – 4:44.54
5. Clare Custer (SYS) – 4:44.88
6. Quinn White (SAC) – 4:45.93
7. Ellie Clarke (CSC) – 4:47.01
8. Izzy Riva (SPA) – 4:48.01

Swimmers in the 15-16 age-group made their mark this morning, taking the top 3 spots in the 500 freestyle with all 3 swimmers dropping time from their personal bests.

The field was led by 16-year-old star Rylee Erisman. Primarily a sprinter, Erisman threw down a solid performance this morning in the mid-distance field with a 4:39.77 to knock 3.5 seconds off of her personal best (4:43.35), taking the top seed in the process. Erisman also has the 50 freestyle on slate later in the session, currently holding the top seed in that event as well. Her performance moves her up to 26th all-time in the US 15-16 age-group rankings.

Behind Erisman, 15-year-old Brinkleigh Hansen and 16-year-old Emily Wolf also threw down best times for middle lanes in tonight’s final. Hansen, a US National Team member for the open water events, knocked a second off of her previous best (4:43.95) to touch in 4:43.03, taking the 2nd seed for the final. Wolf touched 3rd overall in 4:43.24, about a half second under her personal best of 4:43.24. Given that the two swimmers finished within a few tenths of each other this morning, they could be set up for a great battle in finals.

Outside of the top 3, only one other swimmer in the top 8 dropped time to make it back for the A-final: 18-year-old Quinn White. A Duke University commit, White sliced 1.5 seconds off of her personal best to touch in 4:45.93, good for 6th overall.

BOYS’ 5oo FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 4:12.33, Rex Maurer – 2022
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:14.83, Luka Mijatovic – 2024
• 15-16 NAG Record:  4:08.57, Luka Mijatovic – 2025
• 17-18 NAG Record: 4:08.42, Luke Hobson – 2022

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Colin Jacobs (UN) – 4:18.77
2. Baylor Stanton (GA) – 4:20.76
3. Trent Allen (CSC) – 4:21.68
4. William Shoesmith (BSS) – 4:22.32
5. Jackson Cooper (BAD) – 4:24.40
6. Denzo Senekal (BD) – 4:24.50
7. Lewis Zhang (CSC) – 4:25.01
8. Clay Magyar (BSS) – 4:25.20

17-year-old Colin Jacobs saw a lifetime best in the first circle seeded heat to hit the wall in 4:18.77, a time that would stand up to be the fastest of the morning. Jacobs, who is entered unattached but trains in France with Cercle des Nageurs d’Antibes, sliced over 3.5 seconds off of his previous best of 4:22.39 with his performance to take the top seed for the final.

Baylor Stanton, the top seed entering the meet, won his heat en route to placing 2nd overall this morning behind Jacobs. Stanton was relatively consistent in his pacing, holding between 52 and 53 seconds on each 50 to touch in a time of 4:20.76. While that is about 3 seconds shy of Stanton’s best, it is likely that he is holding some extra gas in the tank for his 200 IM double, with only about 30 minutes scheduled between his races.

Florida commit Trent Allen picked up the 3rd seed for tonight’s final wwith a 4:21.68, coming in just a second off of his best time (4:20.88). Allen is coming off of a heavy night 1 schedule where he contested both relays in addition to the 1000 freestyle. Behind Allen, all of the remaining swimmers in the A-final dropped time to make it back for a second swim. Notably, 18-year-old Jackson Cooper had an impressive 7 second drop to qualify 5th, with the Villanova University commit swimming a time of 4:24.40.

While there were several declared false starts, the most notable was Santi Alzate, who entered the meet as the 4th seed in this event. Alzate does not have another event on his schedule for this morning’s session, with his next event being the 400 IM.

GIRLS’ 200 IM – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 1:52.21, Katie Grimes – 2022
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:55.73, Audrey Derivaux – 2024
• 15-16 NAG Record: 1:53.38, Teagan O’Dell – 2023
• 17-18 NAG Record: 1:51.36, Kate Douglass – 2020

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Audrey Derivaux (JW) – 1:55.53
2. Charlotte Crush (LAK) – 1:56.80
3. Reina Liu (TAC) – 1:57.11
4. Brynn Lavigueur (LAKR) – 1:59.09
5. June Delmar (MAC) – 1:59.30
6. KC Braeger (LAK) – 1:59.39
7. Molly Sweeny (CSC) – 1:59.62
8. Finola Whelehan (TAC) – 1:59.65

16-year-old Audrey Derivaux led the girls 200 IM field by over a second, upholding her top seeded time in the event. The young star posted a morning swim of 1:55.53 out of the final heat to take lane 4 for tonights final, coming within .3 of her best time. Another rising star, Charlotte Crush took the 2nd seed for the final as the University of Tennessee commit posted a 1:56.80, also only about .3 from her best time. Crush is also set to swim the 50 freestyle, which is the next event on the slate.

As with the 500 freestyle, the 15-16 age group dominated this event, with TAC Titans 15-year-old Reina Liu coming in for the 3rd seed in a time of 1:57.11, just a second shy of her personal best.

Overall, the field largely added from their seed times here.However, one bright spot was 14-year-old Finola Whelehan, who popped a time of 1:59.65 to sneak into the A-final in 8th. Whelehan, another TAC Titans product, sliced 2.5 seconds off of her best time with her performance, breaking 2:00 for the first time.

BOYS’ 200 IM – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 1:41.18, Maximus Williamson – 2023
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:45.29, Michael Andrew – 2014
• 15-16 NAG Record: 1:41.41, Thomas Heilman – 2023
• 17-18 NAG Record: 1:40.81, Maximus Williamson – 2024

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Yi Zheng (CSC) – 1:43.98
2. Baylor Stanton (GA) – 1:44.21
3. Collin Holgerson (SA) – 1:44.53
4. Ian Heysen (BD) – 1:44.90
5. Owen Ekk (ATAC) – 1:45.06
6. Owen Lin (GSA)/Liam Carrington (BSS) – 1:45.73
7. –
8. Matthew Wolfe (NOVA) – 1:45.85

The boys 200 IM saw a quick field with almost every swimmer in the top 8 meeting or beating their best time. CSC’s Yi Zheng led the charge with a 2.5 second drop to take the top seed for the final in 1:43.98, his first time under 1:44. That swim moves him up to 7th all time in the US 15-16 age-group rankings.

Coming off of the 500 freestyle, Baylor Stanton threw down another solid performance to finish 2nd in prelims with a 1:44.21. Despite the tough double that saw him only have about 30 minutes of rest, Stanton was within a tenth of his personal best (1:44.14) and now holds 2nd-seeds in both of his events for tonight. Like Stanton, Collin Holgerson was only a tenth off of his best time to finish 3rd this morning in 1:44.53.

The rest of the field came in extremely tight, with places 4th-8th separated by less than a second, setting up for a potential showdown in tonight’s final.

GIRLS’ 50 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 21.49, Abbey Weitzeil – 2014
• 13-14 NAG Record: 21.89, Claire Curzan – 2019
• 15-16 NAG Record: 21.50, Claire Curzan – 2021
• 17-18 NAG Record: 21.32, Simone Manuel – 2015

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Rylee Erisman (LAKR) – 22.14
2. Charlotte Crush (LAK) – 22.20
3. Abby Chan (HSA) – 22.38
4. Molly Workman (NLAC) – 22.49
5. Emilianna Gonzalez (UN) – 22.54
6. Mena Bordman (CS) – 22.55
7. Sarah Paisley Owen (MAAC) – 22.59
8. Reina Liu (TAC) – 22.61

Following a dominant 500 freestyle performance, Rylee Erisman led the field in her signature sprint event. Erisman was slightly off of her personal best, but she touched the wall in 22.14 to take the top seed for the final. She is the only swimmer in the field to ever have gone under 22 seconds in this event with her best of 21.61.

Like Erisman, Charlotte Crush handled a tough double with poise, swimming a 22.20 to qualify 2nd just a few minutes after the 200 IM. Crush finished just a tenth off of her best time in the event (22.04) and could challenge Erisman in finals.

16-year-old Abby Chan saw a big .4 second drop to take the 3rd seed for the final in 22.38. Entering the meet as the 11th seed with an entry time of 22.79, Chan finished 2nd to Erisman in her heat, but held on for the majority of the race.

BOYS’ 50 FREE – PRELIMS

• Meet Record: 18.71, Ryan Hoffer – 2016
• 13-14 NAG Record: 19.76, Michael Andrew – 2014
• 15-16 NAG Record: 19.24, Michael Andrew / Thomas Heilman – 2014 / 2023
• 17-18 NAG Record: 18.67, Caeleb Dressel – 2015

‘A’ Final Qualifiers:

1. Mike Rice (MSA) – 19.50
2. Albert Smelzer (GSA) – 19.71
3. Jake Lloyd (COA) – 19.76
4. Brady Campbell (RAYS) – 19.90
5. Austin Carpenter (COA) – 19.92
6. Thor Johannessen (BBA) – 19.97
7. Andreas Da Silva (WOW) – 20.02
8. Austin Temple (TIDE) – 20.08

Top seed Mike Rice showed up and threw down in the 50 freestyle this morning to defend lane 4 for tonight’s final. Rice, an Auburn University commit, won the final heat in 19.50 to lead the field for what will be a close final with 6 of the top 8 swimmers finishing under 20 seconds.

Cal commit Albert Smelzer secured the 2nd seed for the final with a 19.71 performance, only .05 ahead of Jake Lloyd (19.76). From there, Brady Campbell led a slew of swimmers in the 19.9-zone, swimming a 19.90 for 4th.

A testament to the speed of this event, the 16th-place finisher in this morning’s prelims was less than .2 away from making the A-final (22.27) and there were ties for 11th, 14th, 18th, and 24th during prelims.