2025 U.S. World Trials: #3 Seed Gemmell, Aaron Shackell Drop 400 Free (Day 4 Finals Scratches)

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 Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
• Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

Day 4 Finals Heat Sheets

Erin Gemmell was the biggest name missing from the finals heat sheets tonight, as the #3 seed in the women’s 400 freestyle scratched the final. That comes on the heels of a swim-off between Gemmell and Anna Peplowski being announced for the start of tomorrow’s finals session,  after the two tied for fourth in the 200 freestyle on Day 2. With Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske finishing 2nd and 3rd and likely to decline an individual spot in the event, this could be for an individual spot in the event in Singapore.

Gemmell holds a lifetime best of 4:05.07 in the event, fourth-fastest out of the swimmers who qualified for the ‘A’ final, and without her the scene is set for Katie Ledecky and Claire Weinstein to run away with this race. Ledecky was 3:56.81 in Fort Lauderdale last month to take top spot in the world this year, while Weinstein was 4:01.26 in that same race to launch herself up rank as the third-fastest American woman all-time.

In the men’s 400 freestyle Aaron Shackell, the 2024 Olympic Trials champion and an Olympic finalist in Paris later that summer, scratched out of the ‘B’ final after finishing 12th in prelims. He was only 3:52.25 this morning, well off the 3:45.46 he posted to win last year, as he missed making any ‘A’ finals this year after making a pair in the 200 and 400 freestyle last year.

Shackell, who has been training back home at Carmel Swim Club in Indiana since December; only staying at Texas for the first semester of the year after his transfer from Cal after doing the same in 2023-24, but didn’t quite match up to the incredible heights he hit that summer in 2025.

Henry McFadden withdrew from the ‘C’ final after finishing 20th in 3:55.55, but is already on the team for Worlds in the 4×200 freestyle relay. He has made a pair of ‘A’ finals, finishing 7th in the 100 freestyle and 4th in the 200, setting big personal bests in each. The Stanford swimmer has no entries tomorrow, so his meet is now finished.

Four men scratched the 400 freestyle finals tonight, meaning that every single one of the other 32 swimmers who competed this morning will be back tonight.

Leah Hayes will not swim the 100 breaststroke ‘B’ final after placing 15th in the heats, as she looks ahead to the 200 IM tomorrow. Hayes was well off her best of 1:08.45 this morning in 1:10.19, and the IM tomorrow is likely her main focus of the meet as the 2022 World bronze medallist goes in seeded 6th. Her best would have qualified her 7th for the ‘A’ final tonight.

Kaitlyn Owens, who was an ‘A’ finalist in the 50 backstroke as she jumped to #14 all-time among US women, has scratched the 100 after finishing 19th this morning. Cadence Vincent also withdrew from the ‘C’ final after going 1:00.71 in the heats.

See below for a full list of scratches:

Women’s 400 Freestyle

• #3 Erin Gemmell
• #13 Kate Hurst
• #21 Brooke Travis
• #22 Paige Downey
• #37 Chloe Kim (4th junior in ‘D’ final)
• #38 Sydney Schoeck (5th junior in ‘D’ final)
• #41 Ellie Kayser (7th junior in ‘D’ final)
• #47 Sadie Buckley (8th junior in ‘D’ final)

Men’s 400 Freestyle

• #12 Aaron Shackell
• #20 Henry McFadden
• #30 Gregg Enoch (‘D’ final)
• #33 Kyle Ponsler (‘D’ final)

Women’s 100 Breaststroke

• #15 Leah Hayes

Men’s 100 Breaststroke

• #36 Shareef Elaydi (5th junior in ‘D’ final)
• #38 Ian Stutts (6th junior in ‘D’ final)
• #46 Collin Holgerson (11th junior in ‘D’ final)

Women’s 100 Backstroke

• #17 Cadence Vincent
• #19 Kaitlyn Owens

Men’s 100 Backstroke

None