2026 U.S. National Championships
- July 28-August 1, 2026
- Irvine, CA — William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Day 1 Prelim Heat Sheet
The opening day of the 2026 U.S. National Championships is set to get underway this morning from the William Woolett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, the same pool that will host the Pan Pacific Championships in just a few weeks time.
The first session of the meet will be relatively light with preliminary heats in the women’s and men’s 200 butterfly and 100 freestyle on tap this morning, with timed final heats of the women’s 800 free and men’s 1500 free scheduled for later today.
The women’s 200 fly field features four swimmers seeded sub-2:10, led by former ASU Sun Devil and current Texas pro Lindsay Looney, who’s entered with the 2:07.30 she produced en route to placing 5th at the 2025 U.S. National Championships. The 25-year-old has been sub-2:08 this season (2:07.93) and will likely be going head-to-head with one of her future training partners.
Audrey Derivaux, still just 16, announced last week she’s heading to the University of Texas one year early in the fall, and she’ll be a threat for the win in the 200 fly after winning the World Junior title last year in a time of 2:07.57. She owns a faster best time than Looney (2:07.03), having been 2:06.46 back in May 2025.
Also seeded sub-2:10 are Tennessee’s Emily Brown and Carmel’s Ellie Clarke, while SwimMAC’s Caroline Mallard, Michigan’s Hannah Bellard and reigning NCAA champion Campbell Stoll will also be names to watch. Bella Sims also opens her busy meet in the 200 fly, slotted in Lane 2 of the first circle-seeded heat.
The men’s 200 fly promises to be the matchup we didn’t get to see at the NCAA Championships in March, with reigning long course world champion Luca Urlando set to go to battle with reigning short course world champion Ilya Kharun.
The two were headed for a showdown at NCAAs, but Urlando was a late scratch due to a minor injury. Kharun went on to win the title, and though he’s not yet eligible, he will soon be representing the U.S. on the international stage after announcing his move away from the Canadian team in January.
Kharun has been as fast as 1:54.96 so far this season, while Urlando, though he set a new best time of 1:51.87 en route to winning the 2025 world title, has only raced one long course meet this year, and he didn’t swim the 200 fly.
Gabriel Jett is also in the field, entered with the 1:54.87 he produced in the prelims at the 2025 Nationals before placing 5th in the final.
In the women’s 100 free, we’ve got an absolutely stacked field that’s headlined by American Record holder Anna Moesch, but also includes reigning World Junior champion Rylee Erisman and a talented group of college swimmers including Liberty Clark and Camille Spink, who earned respective 4th and 5th place finishes in the 2026 NCAA final (where Moesch was the runner-up).
Claire Weinstein announced on social media overnight that she’s recently been dealing with viral meningitis, but she still appears on the heat sheet as the #4 seed with an entry time of 53.72.
The men’s race is intriguing with national record holder Jack Alexy leading the charge alongside Patrick Sammon, with both men tuning up before competing at the Pan Pacific Championships in a couple of weeks.
Brooks Curry, Jonny Kulow and Henry McFadden all broke 48 seconds at last year’s U.S. Nationals as well, putting them in the hunt for a podium finish, while veteran Caeleb Dressel and rising star Maximus Williamson will be two more men to keep an eye on, scheduled to swim out of Lane 6 in the final two heats.
Members of the U.S. Pan Pac team scheduled to swim this morning will be Urlando, Jett, Erisman, Weinstein, Alexy, Sammon and Quintin McCarty.
Note: Junior swimmers in the top eight will advance to the junior final, rather than the open final, if they are vying for Junior Pan Pac selection. If they don’t want to vie for Junior Pan Pacs, swimmers are able to drop out of the junior final, and would subsequently slot into their spot in the open or ‘B’ final.
Foreign swimmers are eligible to qualify for the ‘A’ final, but not the 18 & under junior final.
WOMEN’S 200 FLY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 2:01.65, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2026
- American Record: 2:03.84, Regan Smith – 2024
- U.S. Open Record: 2:02.62, Summer McIntosh (CAN) – 2026
- LC Nationals Record: 2:04.91, Regan Smith (USA) – 2024
Top Qualifiers (all ‘A’ finalists plus top juniors)
- Bella Sims (SAND), 2:08.39
- Lindsay Looney (TXLA), 2:08.53
- Audrey Derivaux (JW), 2:08.68*
- Emily Brown (TNAQ), 2:08.91
- Hannah Bellard (MICH), 2:08.95
- Zara Kocak (XCEL), 2:09.36*
- Rachel Klinker (CSTE), 2:10.24
- Ellie Clarke (CSC), 2:11.81*
- Carli Cronk (IA), 2:11.85
- Bailey Hartman (CA-Y), 2:11.90
- Emma Cigna (NCAP), 2:12.45*
- Emerson Callis (QSTS), 2:12.78
- Finola Whelehan (TAC), 2:12.83*
- Campbell Stoll (TXLA), 2:12.96
*Junior swimmer will contest the junior final for a Junior Pan Pac berth
Bella Sims threw down a very impressive prelim swim to lead the women’s 200 butterfly field into tonight’s final, clocking 2:08.39 to shatter her personal best time by a second and a half.
Sims had consistent splits en route to lowering her previous PB of 2:09.89, which she set back at the 2023 Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim.
Sims overtook Tennessee’s Emily Brown on the final 50 to win the sixth heat, with Brown holding on to break 2:09 for the first time in 2:08.91 for the fourth-fastest time of the morning.
World Junior champion Audrey Derivaux followed up by dominating Heat 7 in a time of 2:08.91, going out with the fastest opening 100 in the field (1:00.28), and she was still the fastest swimmer through 150 before coming home in 34.73.
Although Derivaux’s time is the third-fastest overall, she’ll automatically slot into the 18-and-under junior final tonight to vie for a berth on the Junior Pan Pac team.
Along with Derivaux, Excel Aquatics’ Zara Kocak, 18, and Ellie Clarke, 17, posted times in the top eight overall but will compete in the junior final tonight. Kocak set a new best time of 2:09.36 for sixth overall, while Clarke’s 2:11.81 was good for eighth but she’ll have more in the tank after setting a PB of 2:09.84 in June.
Due to the presence of the junior swimmers, Campbell Stoll, who was 14th-fastest overall, earns a lane in the open (‘A’) final.
MEN’S 200 FLY – PRELIMS
- World Record: 1:50.34, Kristof Milak (HUN) – 2022
- American Record: 1:51.51, Michael Phelps – 2009
- U.S. Open Record: 1:52.20, Michael Phelps (USA) – 2008
- LC Nationals Record: 1:52.20, Michael Phelps (USA) – 2008
Top Qualifiers (all ‘A’ finalists plus top juniors)
- Jack Dahlgren (AQJT), 1:55.16
- Ilya Kharun (SUN), 1:55.37
- Enzo Solitario (WISC), 1:55.45
- Tyler Ray (TXLA), 1:55.57
- Luca Urlando (DART), 1:55.75
- Mitchell Schott (NYAC), 1:55.81
- Andrew Shackell (ISC), 1:55.83
- Logan Robinson (GPAC), 1:55.95
WOMEN’S 100 FREE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 51.68, Marrit Steenbergen (NED) – 2026
- American Record: 51.94, Anna Moesch – 2026
- U.S. Open Record: 52.11, Anna Moesch (USA) – 2026
- LC Nationals Record: 52.43, Torri Huske (USA) – 2025
Top Qualifiers (all ‘A’ finalists plus top juniors)
MEN’S 100 FREE – PRELIMS
- World Record: 46.40, Pan Zhanle (CHN) – 2024
- American Record: 46.81, Jack Alexy – 2025
- U.S. Open Record: 46.99, Jack Alexy (USA) – 2025
- LC Nationals Record: 46.99, Jack Alexy (USA) – 2025
Top Qualifiers (all ‘A’ finalists plus top juniors)
Cancelmo 1:58.7
Gregg Enoch 1:56.6
Rowan Cox 1:56
Big showings from the teenagers
Wow! That was fun seeing such a fast Men’s 200 Fly prelim session. Hoping that bodes well for the future.
US men’s 2 fly renaissance.
Urlando looked great for 150 then piano entered the pool
For Urlando I have to imagine this is just to see where he is at heading into Pan Pacs. I don’t think they would have had a full rest for him heading into this meet.
Good sign he will have more to come for pan pacs I hope.
Men’s 2fly final is gonna be must see tv
That last 50 looked rough for Luca
GIVE ME JACK DAHLGREN TONIGHT.
Solitario has arrived!