2026 Pro Swim Series – Indianapolis: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2026 Indianapolis Pro Series

• June 17-20, 2026
• Indianapolis, IN
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Stream: USA Swimming Network (Downloadable App)

Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet

The stroke 50s announced their presence with authority on Wednesday morning. Now Olympic events, the battle between Van Mathias, who set a Meet Record (26.53) in the heats, and Michael Andrew, who swam his best time in four years (26.75), carries extra weight ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Games.

That is one of a number of head-to-head battles that highlight the schedule. That includes in the women’s 200 IM where Kate Douglass will face South African Aimee Canny. Canny broke a South African Record in the 200 free in prelims, but dropped that race in finals to focus on a matchup with her training partner Douglass in the 200 IM. Canny, like Douglass, did not come to the University of Virginia as a breaststroker, but she has become a very good one – and that should benefit her in this IM.

Also watch for Ryan Murphy in the men’s 100 back final. He says that this is his focus meet for the summer, so there could be some fireworks as he explores the latest version of his swimming as a dad and full-time corporate employee – or at least an encouraging marker for the next two years.

Women’s 1500 Freestyle

• World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
• American Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
• U.S. Open Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018
• Pro Series Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky (USA), 2018

Top 8:

1. Katie Ledecky (Gator Swim Club) – 15:34.66
2. Katie Grimes (University of Virginia) – 16:04.20
3. Gena Jorgenson (University of Nebraska) – 16:13.87
4. Kennedi Dobson (University of Georgia/Eastern Express) – 16:17.41
5. Paige Downey (Gold Medal Swim Club) – 16:25.25
6. Mila Nikanorov (Ohio State) – 16:32.38
7. Emma Finlin (Ohio State) – 16:41.42
8. Zoe Nordmann (Northwestern) 16:42.21

Back to the scene of the crime: at the pool and the meet where Ledecky set a surprise early-season World Record in 2018, Ledecky cruised to a casual 15:34.66. That’s a similar time to where she usually is this time of year, if anything a few seconds faster, but after a big swim in April at the Ft. Lauderdale Open, there were no real record scares here.

She still won the race by 30 seconds by her Olympic teammate Katie Grimes, who finished 2nd in 16:04.20. Grimes was on the World Championship team in 2022 and 2023 in this event, and the Olympic Team in 2024, but has swum it more sparingly recently. That includes not since the 2024 Olympics. Her time at this meet was about eight seconds better than she was at the Olympics and the fastest she has ever been in-season (by .07 seconds).

Women’s 200 IM – Finals

• World Record: 2:05.70 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025
• American Record: 2:06.15 – Ariana Kukors (USA), 2009
• US Open Record: 2:06.79 – Kate Douglass (USA), 2024
• Pro Series Record: 2:06.82 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2025

1. Kate Douglass (NYAC) – 2:07.04
2. Torri Huske (NYAC) – 2:09.59
3. Aimee Canny (South Africa) – 2:09.99
4. Phoebe Bacon (Wisconsin) – 2:10.56
5. Leah Hayes (Cavalier Aquatics) – 2:11.87
6. Teagan O’Dell (Unattached) – 2:12.66
7. Audrey Derivaux (Jersey Wahoos) – 2:12.67
8. Summer Cardwell (Louisville) – 2:15.56

Kate Douglass roared to the #2 spot behind Yu Yiting in the world rankings with a dominant 2:07.04 tonight, taking the win by over two and a half seconds. She was nearly a second clear of the field after the first 50, going out in 26.37 to Aimee Canny’s 27.19.

She extended that lead on backstroke, splitting 33.20 to turn in 59.57, one of only three swimmers, along with Torri Huske and Phoebe Bacon, to break 1:01.

A 37.19 split on breaststroke saw her advantage exceed two seconds at the 150, touching in 1:36.76, and she then had the fastest final 50 in 30.28 to touch in 2:07.04, her third-fastest time ever.

Torri Huske had the second-fastest free split in 30.31 to move from 5th to 2nd, setting a new season best of 2:09.59 to move to 12th in the world this year.

Aimee Canny had the fastest breaststroke split, clocking 36.79, as she placed 3rd in 2:09.99. That shaved nearly a second off the 2:10.90 she clocked at South African Nationals in April, and broke Rebecca Meder’s South African record of 2:10.39. This was Canny’s second national record of the day after resetting her own 200 free standard in 1:56.59, before she scratched the final of that event.

Phoebe Bacon, the 200 IM runner up from the 2025 U.S. Nationals, was 4th in 2:10.56.

Men’s 200 IM – Finals

• World Record: 1:52.69 – Leon Marchand (FRA), 2025
• American Record: 1:54.00 – Ryan Lochte (USA), 2011
• US Open Record: 1:54.43 – Ryan Lochte (USA), 2010
• Pro Series Record: 1:55.68 – Leon Marchand (FRA), 2023

1. Owen McDonald (Indiana) – 1:58.35
2. Kieran Smith (Ridgefield Aquatics) – 1:58.49
3. Maximus Williamson (Lakeside Aquatics) – 1:58.91
4. Luke Barr (Texas Ford Aquatics) – 1:59.23
5. Yi Zheng (Carmel Swim Club) – 2:00.02
6. Ryan Erisman (California Aquatics) – 2:00.29
7. Dominik Mark Torok (Wisconsin) – 2:00.91
8. Josh Bey (Indiana) – 2:00.99

Owen McDonald led wire to wire in the men’s 200 IM tonight, matching Kate Douglass’ feat in the event before, but had to hold off a hard-charging Kieran Smith, who closed to within 0.14 seconds at the final touch.

McDonald was the only man out under 55 seconds at the halfway point, splitting 55.75 to lead Smith and Luke Barr by seven tenths of a second. However, Smith split 34.57 to McDonald’s 34.91 on breaststroke to narrow the gap to 0.37 seconds with 50 to go, while Barr had closed to within a quarter second thanks to a split of 34.42.

Barr closed in just 29.32, falling to 4th, but Smith again outsplit McDonald 28.46 to 28.69, with the Indiana man just holding on to win in 1:58.35.

Maximus Williamson roared home in 27.81 to overhaul Barr for 3rd, while Yu Zheng was just off his 1:59.35 from this morning in 2:00.02, splitting 34.32 on breaststroke to be the fastest in the field.

Women’s 50 Breast – Finals

• World Record: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2023
• American Record: 29.40 – Lilly King (USA), 2017
• US Open Record: 29.62 – Lilly King (USA), 2018
• Pro Series Record: 29.62 – Lilly King (USA), 2018

1. Eneli Jefimova (Estonia) – 30.26
2. Skyler Smith (North Carolina) – 30.82
3. Emma Weber (Cavalier Aquatics) – 31.25
4. Maddie Moreth (Valparaiso Swimming) 31.41
5. Caroline Larsen (Louisville) – 31.75
6. Brooke Corrigan (Wisconsin) – 31.92
7. Hannah Bach (Ohio State) – 31.98
8. Madyson Hartway (Alabama) – 32.19

Eneli Jefimova defended her top seed from this morning, clocking 30.26 to take the win by more than half a second over UNC’s Skyler Smith. She sliced 0.16 seconds off her prelims time, moving up from 10th in the world this season to tie Florine Gaspard and Lara Van Niekirk for 6th.

Smith was four tenths of a second off her season best 30.43 in 30.82, dipping under 31 seconds for the first time today. Just on the other side of that barrier was 2024 Olympian Emma Weber in 31.25, half a second off her season best of 30.61.

Men’s 50 Breast – Finals

• World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• American Record: 26.39 – Van Mathias (USA), 2026
• US Open Record: 26.52 – Michael Andrew (USA), 2022
• Pro Series Record: 26.53 – Van Mathias (USA), 2026

Women’s 100 Back – Finals

• World Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith (USA), 2024
• American Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith (USA), 2024
• US Open Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith (USA), 2024
• Pro Series Record: 57.46 – Regan Smith (USA), 2025

Men’s 100 Back – Finals

• World Record: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon (ITA), 2022
• American Record: 51.85 – Ryan Murphy (USA), 2016
• US Open Record: 51.94 – Aaron Peirsol (USA), 2009
• Pro Series Record: 52.40 – David Plummer (USA), 2016

1. Ryan Murphy (California Aquatics) – 52.80
2. Kaii Winkler (NC State) – 53.22
3. Adam Chaney (Sun Devil Swimming) – 53.65
4. Cornelius Jahn (Ohio State) – 54.25
5. Tommy Hagar (Alabama) – 54.57
6. Gavin Keogh (NC State) – 54.78
7. Destin Lasco (PDR Swimming) – 54.79
8. Daniel Diehl (NC State) – 56.91

Ryan Murphy marked his second meet back since the 2024 Olympic Games with a head0turning performance, lowering his season best by over a second to clock 52.80 for the win tonight.

He was out fastest in 25.35, just off the 25.17 he clocked in the 50 back at the Pro Swim Series’ Sacramento stop in April, and closed in 27.45 to touch first by nearly half a second and move to 8th in the world this season.

Having said that he would use this season to decide whether he wanted to push forward to the LA Olympics, he seems in fine form already after a sabbatical season last year.

Taking silver behind him was a surprise swimmer in NC State’s Kaii Winkler. He was the top seed out of the heats this morning in 53.80, a new lifetime best by over two seconds, before he shaved another six tenths off tonight to go 53.22. He outsplit Murphy on the second 50 in 27.44, and becomes the #2 German swimmer of all time in the 100 back, behind only Helge Meeuw.

Adam Chaney was the third and final swimmer to break 54 seconds, touching in 53.65 for his sixth-fastest swim ever. He has just finished up his final season of eligibility in the NCAA, having transferred from Florida to Arizona State to use it.

Women’s 200 Free – Finals

• World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus (AUS), 2024
• American Record: 1:53.61 – Allison Schmitt (USA), 2012
• US Open Record: 1:53.80 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2026
• Pro Series Record: 1:53.80 – Summer McIntosh (CAN), 2026

1. Anna Peplowski (Indiana) – 1:55.67
2. Rylee Erisman (Laker Swim Club) – 1:56.15
3. Erin Gemmell (Longhorn Aquatics) – 1:56.41
4. Liberty Clark (Indiana) – 1:56.73
5. Cavan Gormsen (Long Island Aquatic Club) – 1:57.68
6. Alex Shackell (Carmel Swim Club) – 1:58.53
7. Kennedi Dobson (Eastern Express) – 1:59.03
8. Madi Mintenko (Cavalier Aquatics) – 1:59.81

Anna Peplowski went out fast tonight and held serve on the second 100 to win by half a second in 1:55.67, a new lifetime best by 0.03 seconds.

She led from the first turn, and hit halfway in 56.65 as one of only two simmers under 57 seconds alongside Erin Gemmell (56.96). Her 3rd 50 of 29.40 extended her lead to nearly a second, before Rylee Erisman broke away from Erin Gemmell and Liberty Clark thanks to a final 50 of 29.28 to touch second in 1:56.15, half a second behind Peplowski’s 1:55.67.

That was a new lifetime best for Erisman as well, hacking over half a second from the 1:56.71 she swam in Westmont in March. Peplowski shaved 0.15 seconds off her season best from April, moving up to tie Li Bingjie for 7th in the world this season.

Erisman now sits 14th, bumping Erin Gemmel down one spot. Gemmell was 0.03 seconds off her season best in 1:56.41, keeping all four 50s at 30.00 or better. Liberty Clark set yet another PB for 4th in 1:56.73, nearly a second faster than her best of 1:57.64 coming into today. She kept all four 50s under 30 seconds, and continues to prove that her lightning sims in yards during her freshman season at Indiana were a herald of things to come.

Cavan Gormsen was half a second off her best for 5th in 1:57.21, while Alex Shackell was 6th in 1:58.64.

Men’s 200 Free – Finals

• World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann (GER), 2009
• American Record: 1:42.96 – Michael Phelps (USA), 2008
• US Open Record: 1:43.73 – Luke Hobson (USA), 2025
• Pro Series Record: 1:44.82 – Sun Yang (CHN), 2016

1. Patrick Sammon (NYAC) – 1:46.24
2. Ryan Erisman (California Aquatics) – 1:$6.43
3. Henry McFadden (Jersey Wahoos) – 1:47.08
4. Aaron Shackell (Carmel Swim Club) – 1:47.40
5. Tomas Navikonis (Ohio State) – 1:47.59
6. Keaton Jones (California Aquatics) – 1:47.66
7. Brooks Curry (California Aquatics) – 1:48.30
8. Jack Dahlgrem (Aquajets) – 1:48.75