2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2025 Pro Swim Series – Fort Lauderdale

• Wednesday, April 30 – Saturday, May 3, 2025
• Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 2
  • Finals: Day 1

Day 2 Finals Heat Sheets 

After an exciting first two sessions of the Ft. Lauderdale Pro Swim Series stop, we’re back to see what the third session has in store. This is the first full night of finals at the meet and we’ll see winners crowned in the women’s and men’s 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 50 backstroke, 200 butterfly, and 400 freestyle.

Kylie Masse swam a Canadian and Pro Swim Series record during prelims of the women’s 50 backstroke, hitting 27.13. She was just a hundredth of the U.S. Open record, which she’ll get another chance at tonight. Masse will swim out of lane four, sandwiched between American record holder Regan Smith and U.S. Open record holder Katharine Berkoff.

That will be the first of Smith’s two races tonight. Later, she’s the top seed in the women’s 200 butterfly. While she won’t face reigning Olympic champion Summer McIntosh, she will face rising U.S. national talents Alex Shackell and Audrey Derivaux.

The women’s freestyle races to open and close the session are must-watch. First, Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, Simone Manuel, and Kate Douglass–the members of the U.S’s Olympic silver-winning 4×100 freestyle relay–battle in the women’s 100 freestyle final. Douglass eked into the final in eighth this morning, so keep an eye out for some outside smoke. Meanwhile, Walsh swam 54.09 for the fastest qualifying time, followed closely by Huske (54.12) and potential dark horse Rylee Erisman.

Then, Katie Ledecky and Summer McIntosh go head-to-head in the women’s 400 freestyle. Even without Ariarne Titmus in the field, this is still set to be a great race between two of the greatest swimmers in the event’s history. Ledecky has already flexed her form at this meet, winning the women’s 1500 freestyle in 15:24.51, the second-fastest swim in history. She qualified first for the final (4:03.45) while McIntosh will swim next to her in lane three after a 4:06.56. McIntosh showed her distance prowess earlier this year, becoming the second woman to break 8:10 in the 800 freestyle.

The men’s races this evening do not have as many exciting head-to-heads as the women’s races do, but there’s still plenty to watch for this evening. One of the most exciting clashes should come in the men’s 50 backstroke. Hubert Kos hasn’t skipped a beat as he’s rolled off a superlative NCAA Championships performance into long-course, putting up head-turning times at the Hungarian Championships. He faces fellow Texas swimmer Shaine Casas in the 50 backstroke, who had an excellent showing at the Westmont Pro Swim Series.

The men’s 50 backstroke is the second of two races for Casas this evening. He’s also in the championship final of the men’s 100 freestyle that’s half Texas swimmers. In addition to Casas, Luke Hobson, Chris Guiliano, and Carson Foster will line up for that final.

We’ll see Hobson later in the men’s 400 freestyle, which will also feature Leon Marchand. The 400 freestyle is one of the events Marchand has on his schedule in Ft. Lauderdale that he doesn’t normally race, and he clocked a 3:52.77 this morning, securing lane seven. Kieran Smith controls the middle of the pool after a 3:49.81 prelims time. Bobby Finke, Tomas Koski, and Ryan Erisman are more names to watch in the last championship final of the session.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2017)
• World Junior Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak, CAN (2016)
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel (2019)
• U.S. Open Record: 52.54 – Simone Manuel, USA (2016)
• Pro Swim Record: 52.74 – Siobhan Haughey, HKG (2024)

Top 8: 

1. Gretchen Walsh (NYAC) — 52.90
2. Torri Huske (AAC) — 52.95
3. Kate Douglass (NYAC) — 53.61
4. Rylee Erisman (LAKR) — 53.78
5. Penny Oleksiak (CAN) — 53.89
6. Simone Manuel (TXLA) — 53.99
7. Sarah Fournier (CHI) — 54.96
8. Erin Gemmell (TXLA) — 55.11

Gretchen Walsh was out like a shot in the championship final of the women’s 100 freestyle, turning at the 50-meter mark in 25.22. Torri Huske flipped second .41 seconds behind Walsh. The Paris Olympic silver medalist in this event, Huske charged over the final 50 meters, coming home in a field best 27.32.

Huske just ran out of room to pull even with Walsh, who put up a 27.68 back half to get her hand on the wall first. She touched in a lifetime best 52.90 and the first sub-53 second swim of her career. Her previous lifetime best stood at 53.04 from the Paris Games.

Walsh and Huske now shoot to the top of the world rankings this season. With Huske getting her hand on the wall five-hundredths behind Walsh in 52.95, they are the only two women to break 53 seconds so far this season as Sara Curtis previously held the world #1 in 53.01.

Out of lane eight, Kate Douglass took third in 53.61. She has a quick turnaround for the women’s 100 breaststroke final.

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle, CHN (2024)
• World Junior Record: 46.86 – David Popovici, ROU (2022)
• American Record: 46.96 – Caeleb Dressel (2019)
• U.S. Open Record: 47.08 – Jack Alexy, USA (2024)
• Pro Swim Record: 48.00 – Nathan Adrian, USA (2016)

Top 8: 

1. Shane Casas (TXLA) — 48.47
2. Chris Guiliano (TXLA) — 48.49
3. Tomas Navikonis (OSU) — 48.65
4. Mikel Shreuders (SUN) — 48.74
5. Tomas Lukminas (FORD) — 49.03
6. Julian Koch (PITT) — 49.06
7. Luke Hobson (TXLA) — 49.09
8. Carson Foster (RAYS) — 49.22

Shaine Casas led the men’s 100 freestyle championship final from start to finish, as Walsh did. Casas was out in 23.01, leading fellow Longhorn Chris Guiliano by .12 and Sun Devil pro Mikel Shreuders by .15 seconds in lane eight.

Guiliano made a move over the back half of the race, splitting 25.36 and pulling even with Casas as the pair barreled towards the finish. Casas stopped the clock in 48.47, two-hundredths ahead of Guiliano to pick up a win in his first event of the night. It’s slightly off the season-best 48.31 he swam in March at the Westmont Pro Swim Series.

Behind the Longhorn pair, Ohio State’s Tomas Navikonis took bronze in 48.65. He swam a lifetime best 48.58 to qualify first for the final.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
• World Junior Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• American Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy, USA (2009)
• Pro Swim Record: 1:05.32 – Lilly King, USA (2021)

Top 8:

1. Emma Weber (UN-VA) — 1:06.63
2. Lilly King (ISC) — 1:06.67
3. Kate Douglass (NYAC) — 1:06.76
4. Alex Walsh (NYAC) — 1:07.36
5. Sophie Angus (CAN) — 1:07.75
6. Skyler Smith (NCAC) — 1:07.85
7. Shona Branton (CAN) — 1:08.02
8. Elle Scott (MAC) — 1:09.54

The women’s 100 breaststroke makes three championship finals in a row decided by less than five-hundredths to begin this finals session. In her first long-course meet since the Paris Olympics, Emma Weber did all the work to get her hands on the wall first on the second half of the race.

She made the turn in sixth with a 31.57 opening split, about four-tenths behind leader Skyler Smith. The big stars in the final, including Lilly King and Douglass, surged on the back half of the race. Weber’s 35.06 closing split powered her to the wall first, four-hundredths ahead of King, the world record holder. She clocked 1:06.63, .53 seconds off the lifetime best she swam to qualify for the Olympics last June.

That effort led a trio of 1:06 swims. King followed in 1:06.67 and Douglass, on her second swim in 25 minutes, swam 1:06.76. She’s been flirting with her 1:06.36 lifetime best all season, having hit 1:06.51 in Westmont.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
• World Junior Record: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• American Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• U.S. Open Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew, USA (2021)
• Pro Swim Record: 58.86 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)

Top 8:

1. Denis Petrashov (UOFL) — 59.23
2. Aleksas Savickas (FLOR) — 59.72
3. Campbell McKean (BEND) — 1:00.40
4. Carles Coll Marti (ESP) — 1:00.51
5. Evgenii Somov (CAL) — 1:00.78
6. Mariano Lazzerini (PSU) — 1:01.38
7. Michael Andrew (SUN) — 1:01.65
8. Lyubomir Epitropov (TNAQ) — 1:01.77

Louisville’s Denis Petrashov surged over the last 15 meters of the men’s 100 breaststroke final, taking the win with a personal best and Krygyzstan record of 59.23. It’s his first personal best in this event in almost 18 months, improving the 59.46 he swam in December 2023.

Petrashov was well positioned all race. He made the turn in second place behind a fast-starting Michael Andrew, clocking 27.85 on the opening 50 to Andrew’s 27.71. Andrew faded down the stretch and ended up seventh, but Petrashov stayed strong to take the win.

He was joined under the 1:00 barrier by Florida’s Aleksas Savickas. He swam 59.72, which appears to be his first time breaking that barrier.

BEND’s Campbell McKean rounded out the top three with a lifetime best of his own, clocking 1:00.40.

Women’s 50 Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 27.49 – Minna Atherton, AUS (2016)
• American Record: 27.10 – Regan Smith (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 27.12 – Katharine Berkoff, USA (2022)
• Pro Swim Record: 27.13 – Kylie Masse, CAN (2023)

Top 8:

1. Katharine Berkoff (WOLF) — 27.38
2. Regan Smith (TXLA) — 27.43
3. Kylie Masse (CAN) — 27.53
4. Claire Curzan (TAC) — 27.86
5. Rhyan White (WOLF) — 28.22
6. Erika Pelaez (EA) — 28.41
7. Catie Choate (FLOR) — 28.58
8. Carmen Weiler Sastre (ESP) — 29.00

Neither of the top two qualifiers for the women’s 50 backstroke final were as fast as they were in the prelims. Still, Berkoff, who qualified second with a 27.34, got her hand on the wall first in 27.38. Her prelims time ranks her fourth in the world this season.

Meanwhile, Smith improves on her fifth-fastest time in the world this season with her 27.43 effort for second in the final. She shaved seven-hundredths off her morning swim. This final marked another close race this session, as only five-hundredths separated Berkoff and Smith.

After swimming a Canadian and Pro Swim Series record of 27.13 in the morning, Masse collected third in 27.53.

Men’s 50 Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 24.00 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
• American Record: 23.71 – Hunter Armstrong (2022)
• U.S. Open Record: 23.71 – Hunter Armstrong, USA (2022)
• Pro Swim Record: 24.23 – Shaine Casas, USA (2025)

Top 8:

1. Shaine Casas (TXLA) — 24.41
2. Quintin McCarty (WOLF) — 24.45
3. Hubert Kos (TXLA) — 24.81
4. Finn Harland (NZL) — 25.17
5. Grant Bochenski (UMIZ) — 25.35
6. Jack Dolan (SUN) — 25.36
7. Michael Andrew (SUN)/Matthew Bittner (PSU) — 25.52
8. (tie)

Casas went six-for-six in his events at the Westmont Pro Swim Series in March. With two wins this session, he’s still undefeated at Pro Swims this year as he aims for another perfect meet. Casas said in his post-race interview that the times aren’t the focus for him at this point in the season. His winning time of 24.41 was about two-tenths from his season-best 24.23—which ranks third in the world this season—but was enough for him to take a narrow victory.

He touched four-hundredths ahead of NC State’s Quintin McCarty. McCarty is well known for his sprint freestyle abilities, but made big improvements in his backstroke as well this NCAA season. He seems to have translated those gains into meters as his 24.45 is almost a full second improvement on the lifetime best 25.42 he held coming into the meet. He swam 24.93 in prelims.

Kos joined the two under 25 seconds, hitting 24.81 for third. He was slightly faster this morning with a 24.76.

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Zige Liu, CHN (2009)
• World Junior Record: 2:03.03 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• American Record: 2:03.84 – Regan Smith (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 2:03.87 – Regan Smith, USA (2023)
• Pro Swim Record: 2:04.00 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2025)

Top 8:

1. Regan Smith (TXLA) — 2:05.38
2. Alex Shackell (CSC) — 2:06.13
3. Audrey Derivaux (JW) — 2:06.46
4. Helena Rosendahl Bach (DEN) — 2:08.02
5. Ellen Walshe (TMP) — 2:09.13
6. Caroline Bricker (ALTO) — 2:09.39
7. Tess Howley (UN-VA) — 2:10.05
8. Katie Grimes (UN-VA) — 2:10.08

Smith completed her double this session with a win in the women’s 200 butterfly. She led the race from wire-to-wire, tough it was closer between her and the teenage pair of Shackell and Derivaux than that would suggest.

Smith was out in 27.76 at the 50, then made the halfway turn in 59.63, leading her Shackell, her fellow American 200 flyer at the Paris Games, by .26 seconds. The 15-year-old Derivaux hadn’t let the U.S. Olympians get too far away, turning in 1:00.17 at the halfway mark.

Shackell and Derivaux both closed on Smith over the third 50 meters. Shackell narrowed her deficit to Smith to just five-hundredths with a 32.55 split and Derivaux split 32.31 to hit the final turn nine-hundredths behind Smith. The American record holder turned it on over the final 50 meters, splitting 32.99 to build her lead up again.

Smith touched the wall in 2:05.38, improving on her second-fastest time in the world this season behind McIntosh. Shackell clocked a 2:06.13 for second, just three-hundredths off her lifetime best.

Derivaux posted a huge lifetime best of 2:06.46, improving on the 2:07.70 she swam last August by 1.24 seconds. The time moves her up to #2 in her 15-16 age group among U.S. girls.

Men’s 200 Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2022)
• World Junior Record: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
• American Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps, USA (2008)
• Pro Swim Record: 1:52.37 – Luca Urlando, USA (2025)

Top 8:

1. Martin Espernberger (TENN) – 1:55.71
2. Carson Foster (RAYS) – 1:55.84
3. Trenton Julian (MVN) – 1:56.55
4. Ryan Branon (TXLA) – 1:56.81
5. Jack Dahlgren (AQJT) – 1:56.95
6. Mitchell Schott (PRIN) – 1:57.54
7. Bjoern Kammann (TENN) – 1:58.23
8. Arthur Balva (PRIN) – 1:58.58

The 200 butterfly is Martin Espernberger’s specialty. As he mentioned in his post-race interview, one of his strengths in the event is his closing speed, and that’s exactly what helped him secure a win in the Ft. Lauderdale final.

As he is wont to do, Trenton Julian took this race out fast. He led through the 150 meters, making the 100-meter turn in 54.56—leading by over a second. The field began to make up group on the third 50, as Julian had the sixth best split on that 50, while Espernberger swam a field-best 29.83.

Julian still had control of the lead at the last turn, followed by Carson Foster, then Espernberger. The Tennessee swimmer dug in over the final 50, splitting a field-best 29.85 and was the only man in the field sub-30 for the second straight 50. Espernberger took the win in 1:55.71, getting his hands on the wall .13 seconds ahead of Foster.

He’s now 10^th fastest in the world this season. Foster clocked 1:55.84 for silver, while Julian took third in 1:56.55. He’s been as fast as 1:56.02 this season.

Women’s 400 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 3:55.38 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 3:56.08 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
• American Record: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky (2016)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• Pro Swim Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)

Top 8:

1. Katie Ledecky (GSC) — 3:56.81 *U.S. Open Record, PSS Record* 
2. Summer McIntosh (SYS) — 3:58.28
3. Claire Weinstein (SAND) — 4:01.26
4. Jillian Cox (TXLA) — 4:08.61
5. Emma Weyant (FLOR) — 4:09.75
6. Erin Gemmell (TXLA) — 4:11.10
7. Cavan Gormsen (UN-VA) — 4:11.44
8. Madi Mintenko (PPA) — 4:14.41

“I don’t know if I ever thought I would be 3:56 again,” Ledecky said in her post-race interview, fresh from swimming a U.S. Open and Pro Swim Series record of 3:56.81. It’s the second-fastest swim of her career, the same as the 1500 freestyle she put up last night, and her second time swimming 3:56 as she came just .35 seconds from the American record she swam at the 2016 Olympics.

Ledecky powered into the lead on the final 50 meters of the race. She spent the back half of the race tracking down Summer McIntosh. The teenager jumped on the race from the start, taking it out under world record pace. McIntosh flew through the first half of the race, turning at the 100 in 56.92, .46 seconds under world record pace. She continued to build her lead on Titmus’ record pace over the next 150 meters. She made the halfway turn in 1:56.17, then was 1.07 seconds under the world record at the 250-meter mark.

Ledecky and the world record line began to out-split McIntosh after that. She narrowed McIntosh’s lead to .85 seconds with 100 meters to go, then flipped only .18 seconds behind the Canadian phenom with 50 meters to go.

Ledecky closed in a speedy 29.50–the fastest in the field–to break the U.S. Open record. She improves her world leading time this season while McIntosh slots in at #2 after touching in 3:58.28.

While all eyes were on the race between Ledecky and McIntosh, Claire Weinstein quietly shattered her lifetime best with a 4:01.26. That breaks her former lifetime best of 4:04.54 by 3.28 seconds, moving her from 10th to 3rd on the all-time American performers list.

Men’s 400 Freestyle – Final

• World Record: 3:39.96 – Lukas Märtens, GER (2025)
• World Junior Record: 3:44.31 – Petar Mitsin, BUL (2023)
• American Record:  3:42.78 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:43.53 – Larsen Jensen, USA (2008)
• Pro Swim Record: 3:43.84 – Sam Short, AUS (2025)

Top 8:

1. Kieran Smith (RAC) — 3:47.04
2. Ryan Erisman (LAKR) — 3:48.57
3. Leon Marchand (TXLA) — 3:48.97
4. Bobby Finke (SPA) — 3:49.01
5. Tomas Koski (ABSC) — 3:50.22
6. Luke Hobson (TXLA) — 3:52.82
7. Eduardo Cisternas (PSU) — 3:54.76
8. Gabriel Manteufel (SAND) — 3:54.96

Kieran Smith was third through the first 100 meters of the men’s 400 freestyle final, hanging behind leader Tomas Koski and Leon Marchand. Smith moved ahead of Marchand at the 150-mark, then passed Koski for the lead at the 200 (1:52.30). He was the only swimmer under 1:53 at the halfway point, with Marchand turning second in 1:53.05.

Smith continued to extend his lead from there. He never trailed again as he powered to a win in 3:47.04. The swim marks a new season-best for him, improving on the 3:74.38 he swam at the Stockholm Open.

Cal commit Ryan Erisman used a strong back half to move from fourth into second. It’s a big lifetime best for Erisman, as he carried a lifetime best of 3:52.20 into the meet. It’s his second lifetime best of the day, as he clocked 3:50.74 during prelims.

Marchand held on for third with a personal best of his own, swimming 3:48.97. That’s the first time he’s been under 3:50 in this event, which he’s racing at an official meet for the first time since joining Bob Bowman.