2025 USA Swimming Summer Junior Nationals: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2025 U.S. Junior National Championships

• Wednesday, July 30–Sunday, August 3, 2025
• Irvine, California
• William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results

Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet

Good morning! Welcome to the day two prelims session of the USA Swimming Summer Junior Nationals.

We have events on all manners of the spectrum this morning, but we will be starting with the girl’s 100 freestyle. Alex Shackell scratched out of the event this morning, leaving Liberty Clark as the only entrant under 55 seconds in the event. Sprint superstar 15-year-old Gabi Brito will also be in the event along with 200 fly champion Caroline Mallard and Teagan O’Dell.

The boy’s 100 freestyle sees Jason Zhao and Rowan Cox in heats 13 and 14 as the only seeds under 50 seconds, with Zhao entered at 49.75 and Cox entered 49.96.

The girl’s 400 IM has 13 heats, but Kayla Han, the 800 freestyle champion, is the top seed by almost a second ahead of Teagan O’Dell.

The top seed in 12 heats of the boy’s 400 IM is Sean Green from Long Island Aquatic Club, who broke the meet record in the 1500 last night. He comes in three seconds ahead of a pair of 16-year-olds, Yi Zheng and Anthony Dornoff who are separated by a tenth.

We will end the morning with the 50 breaststrokes where there are 19 girl’s heats and 21 boy’s heats, Raya Mellott will be the top seed in the girl’s event, but 100 breaststroke champion Maddie Moreth will be looking to repeat as champion after she won the 100 breast last night.

Ian Call, the boy’s 100 breast champion, is already the top seed in the boy’s event.

Girl’s 100 Free

• World Junior Record: 52.70- Penny Oleksiak, Canada (2016)
• Meet Record: 54.30- Missy Franklin (2009)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 54.03 – Missy Franklin, CO/STAR (2009)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 53.55 – Claire Curzan, NC/TAC (2021)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 53.25 – Simone Manuel, GU/FCST (2014)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Liberty Clark (PSS)- 55.33
2. Heather White (BC)- 55.45
3. Aria Grossenbach (PAC)- 55.90
4. Gabi Brito (CITI)- 55.98
5. Sarah Paisley Owen (MAAC)- 56.24
6. Kennedi Southern (LAC)- 56.36
7. Stella Canoles (OAP)- 56.42
8. Lily Andruss (LAC)- 56.72

Liberty Clark maintained her top seed, touching in 55.33 to lock up lane four for tonight’s ‘A’ final. The 2025 Indiana commit added almost a second from her seed of 54.57 which she swam at Nationals in June.

Heather White from Bellevue Club Swim team, and a Duke commit for 2025, took 2nd in 55.45. This was a second drop for her from her previous best of 56.42 that she swam in May.

The rest of the final is made up of 15-16 year-old swimmers led by Aria Grossenbach, who came in at 55.90, a slight add from her best of 55.77 and Gabi Brito, who finished 4th in 55.98 which was also a slight add from her 55.74.

Teagan O’Dell was 9th, touching in 56.75 to just miss the ‘A’ final.

Boy’s 100 Free

• World Junior Record: 46.86- David Popovici, Romania (2022)
• Meet Record: 48.84- Maximus Williamson (2023)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 51.12 – Thomas Heilman, VA/CA-Y (2021)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 48.81 – Kaii Winkler, FG/EA (2023)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 48.38 – Maximus Williamson, NT/LAC (2023)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jason Zhao (RAYS)- 49.95
2. Luke Vatev (HOSC)- 50.25
3. Enzo Solitario (UN)- 50.32
4. Brody Chandler (SMST)- 50.58
5. Finn Brophy (SRN)- 50.65
6. Tim Wu (PLS)- 50.66
7. Brady Campbell (RAYS)- 50.82
8. Brody Engelstad (WFF)- 50.89

Jason Zhao was the only swimmer to be sub-50 this morning, touching in 49.95 to lock up the top seed tonight. The 2025 Stanford commit has a lifetime best of 49.39 from August 2023, though he was entered in the meet at 49.75 from last summer’s Pan Pacs.

Luke Vatev, a member of the class of 2027, was 2nd in 50.25, just over two tenths off his lifetime best of 50.02 from Nationals at the beginning of June. He is one of two 16-year-olds in the final. He will be joined by Brady Campbell who came in at 50.82 as the 7th finisher.

Enzo Solitario, a rising Wisconsin freshman, rounded out the top 3 with a four tenth drop from his seed to touch in 50.32. This was just off his lifetime best of 50.23 from the end of June.

Girl’s 400 IM

• World Junior Record: 4:24.38- Summer McIntosh, Canada (2024)
• Meet Record: 4:38.97- Ella Eastin (2013)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:39.76 – Becca Mann, FL/CAT (2012)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 4:32.67 – Katie Grimes, CA/SAND (2022)
• 17-18 NAG Record:4:31.41 – Katie Grimes, CA/SAND (2023)

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Sydney Schoeck (CSP)- 4:44.96
2. Chloe Kim (SCAR)- 4:46.34
3. Kayla Han (RMDA)- 4:48.09
4. Emerson Callis (QSTS)- 4:48.49
5. Teagan O’Dell (PLS)- 4:49.10
6. Avery Klamfoth (MAC)- 4:52.39
7. Hayden Gibson (HAWG)- 4:52.72
8. Una Diaz (LIAC)- 4;53.15

Sydney Schoeck swam the top time in the girl’s 400 IM this morning, touching in 4:44.96. The 2026 Texas commit split 1:03.92/1:11.08/1:25.67/1:04.29 to add about a second-and-a-half form the 4:43.20 mark she set at the US Nationals in June.

Chloe Kim was 2nd in 4:46.34, about a three second add for the rising Princeton freshman. Her final 200 was very strong, splitting 1;05.66/1:13.08/1:23.19/1:04.41, so we can expect to see her come back on the field in tonight’s final.

The next three swimmers Kayla Han, 2026 Indiana and La Mirada Armanda, Emerson Callis, 2026 NC State and Quest Swimming, and Teagan O’Dell, who is already training at Cal, were separated by 1.01 seconds. Han came in at 4:48.09. Callis was 4:48.49 and O’Dell was 4:49.10.

Boy’s 400 IM

• World Junior Record: 4:10.02- Ilia Borodin, Russia (2021)
• Meet Record: 4:14.51- Joseph Bentz (2013)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 4:24.20 – Luka Mijatovic, PC/PLS (2024)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 4:14.73 – Carson Foster, OH/RAYS (2018)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 4:09.09 – Michael Phelps, MD/NBAC (2003)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Sean Green (LIAC)- 4:18.42
2. Yi Zheng (CSC)- 4:19.95
3. Baylor Stanton (GA)- 4:20.02
4. Syunta Lee (WEST)- 4:21.19
5. Ian Stutts (MOR)- 4:21.78
6. David Sammons (MAC)- 4:22.96
7. Anthony Dornoff (RMDA)- 4:23.06
8. Eli Sweet (MAC)- 4:24.99

Sean Green cruised to the top seed in this morning’s 400 IM, touching in 4:18.42 after splitting 57.69/1:04.14/1:17.61/58.98. This was a slight add for the Georgia commit who was entered at 4:17.84 from the 2024 Olympic Team Trials.

Yi Zheng, a 16-year-old from Carmel in the class of 2027, took 2nd, dipping under 4:20 for the first time to touch in 4:19.95.He split 58.52/1:08.31/1:12.93/1:00.95) to drop a little over half-a-second from his 4:20.55 from Nationals in June. He came into the season at 4:28.91 from last Jully.

Baylor Stanton, Syunta Lee, Ian Stutts, and Eli Sweet all saw massive drops to earn their way into the final. Stanton, a Cal commit, dropped exactly two seconds to swim 4:20.02. Lee, a 15-year-old from West Coast Aquatics dropped five seconds, qualifying 4th in 4:21.19. Stutts, who is comitted to NC State for the fall, dropped almost seven seconds to go from 4:28.49 to 4:21.19, and Sweet, another 15-year-old from SwimMac dropped from 4:29.52 to 4:24.99 to qualify 8th.

Girl’s 50 Breast

• World Junior Record: 29.30- Benedetta Pilato, Italy (2021)
• 13-14 NAG Record:31.80 – Grace Koenig-Song, IL/WILD (2024)

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Elle Scott (MAC)- 31.16
2. Mikayla Tan (SRVA)- 31.72
3. Maddie Moreth (VSC)- 31.88
4. Bianca Nwaizu (NOVA)- 32.01
5. Cecilia Howard (BC)- 32.16
6. Sophia Umstead (MLA)- 32.18
7. Kate Canales (AAAA)- 32.23
8. Eliza Wallace (MSA)- 32.26

Elle Scott, SwimMAC and a rising Cal freshman, won the prelims of the 50 breast, coming in more than half-a-second ahead of the rest of the field in 31.16. She was the runner-up in the 100 breast finals last night to Maddie Moreth, who swims for Valprasio Swim Club and is a 2026 Florida commit. She qualified 3rd in 31.88.

The top three qualifiers were the same as last night’s podium with bronze medalist Mikayla Tan, from San Ramon Valley Aquatics, coming in 2nd between Scott and Moreth, stopping the clock at 31.72.

They were the only swimmers under 32 seconds this morning.

Boy’s 50 Breast

• World Junior Record: 26.97- Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy (2017)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 28.92 – Wilson York, KY/LAK (2024)

Top 8 Qualifiers

1. Ian Call (MTAC)- 27.50
2. Oliver Munn (NTRO)- 27.96
3. Gunnar Hansen (LSC)- 27.98
4. Jake Lloyd (COA)- 28.02
5. Drew Gaerthofner (WISC)- 28.05
6. Matt Vatev (HOSC)- 28.50
7. Giulian Martin (CANE)- 28.63
8. Jude Banks (BBA)- 28.68

Ian Call backed up his winning performance from last night with the top seed in the boy’s 50 breaststroke coming in at 27.50 about half-a-second ahead of Oliver Munn‘s 27.96.

Gunnar Hansen, an Alabama commit for 2026, last night’s bronze medalist in the 100 breast was the final athlete under 28 seconds in the prelims, touching just two-hundredths back of Munn in 27.98.

Jake Lloyd, a 2026 Texas A&M commit, and Drew Gaerthofner, who will be joining the Wisconsin men’s team in the fall, were less than a tenth back of Munn and Hansen at 28.02 and 28.05, creating a very close race between 2nd and 5th in tonight’s final.