2025 USA Swimming Summer Junior Nationals: Day 4 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
• Live Recaps
  • Prelims: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
  • Finals: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3

The U.S. Junior National Championships continue today from the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine, California. This fourth of five preliminary sessions includes the 50 butterfly, 200 freestyle, 100 backstroke, and 200 breaststroke for both girls and boys.

Follow along below for real-time updates.

Girls’ 50 Butterfly — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 25.46 — Rikako Ikee, Japan (2017)
• Meet Record: N/A

Top 8 Qualifiers: 

1. Mena Boardman (Commonwealth Swim Club) – 26.74
2. Gabi Brito (Beach Cities Swimming) – 26.82
3. Anna Keen (Ball State University) – 27.17
4. Lucy Velte (Empire KC Swim Club) – 27.18
5. Eliza Lennox (Elevation Athletics) – 27.23
6. Alana Berlin (Schroeder YMCA Swim Team) – 27.46
7. Penny Zarczynski (Sporting Jax Aquatics) – 27.50
8. Jada Duncan (Sierra Marlins Swim Team) – 27.52

26 heats of the girls’ 50 butterfly unfolded, but we waited until heat 24 to see the first of the circle-seeded heats.

Ball State University’s Anna Keen made the biggest move of the morning, producing a PB 27.17 in the first of the heats and moving from 90th seed to 3rd. Athletes’ seed times from this event were based on their 100 bests, so it’s not too surprising to see her garner an ‘A’ final lane given her prior best time rested at 27.41.

Empire KC Swim Club’s Lucy Velte (27.18) won heat three, and Eliza Lennox (27.23) joined her in advancing—both in similar boats to Keen in terms of being much better at the one-lap race. Velte missed her best by 0.07, while Lennox obliterated her prior marker of 27.73.

Sierra Marlins’ Jada Duncan, a UCLA commit, logged 27.52 to take heat four, which ultimately held up for the 8th quickest time of the morning and earned her a lane in the championship heat. The 18-year-old owns an official best time of 27.10 in this event, but she notably hit 27.03 while opening the 100 fly final last night, where she ultimately touched 4th, so keep an eye on her to make a leap forward in tonight’s final.

The penultimate heat saw Stanford commit Alana Berlin notch 27.46 to walk away victorious. She, like Duncan, was the only swimmer from the heat to advance into tonight’s ‘A’ heat. The Schroeder YMCA representative’s best time remains the 26.99 she threw down for 17th at Nationals in June, so she too could be primed to move up in positioning later today.

The final heat is where the top two seeds for tonight’s final stemmed from, with Commonwealth Swim Club’s Mena Boardman (26.74) and Beach Cities’ Gabi Brito (26.82) breaking through the 27-second barrier to slot themselves a tier ahead of the rest.

17-year-old Boardman, a Texas commit, will start as heavy favorite for tonight’s final given her 26.23 best time that earned her 4th at Nationals a little less than two months ago. 15-year-old Brito was just 0.02 shy of her PB from that same meet, where she put her hands on the wall in 13th.

Boys’ 50 Butterfly — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 22.96 — Diogo Ribeiro, Portugal (2023)
• Meet Record: N/A

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Brady Campbell (Mason Manta Rays) – 24.13
2. Joey Stauss (Scarlet Aquatics) – 24.35
3. Samuel Lofstrom (Team Vortex-CO) – 24.61
4. Connor Jones (Katy Aquatic Team) – 24.66
5. Finn Brophy (Neptune Swimming) – 24.68
6. Maxwell Stanislaw (Lakeside Aquatic Club) – 24.75
7. London Rising (Greater Toledo Aquatic Club) – 24.77
8. Brandon Ha (Dart Swimming) – 24.81

Girls’ 200 Freestyle — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 1:53.65 — Summer McIntosh, Canada (2023)
• Meet Record: 1:58.07 — Madi Mintenko, Pikes Peak Athletics (2023)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:58.53 — Cynthia Woodhead & Claire Weinstein (1978 & 2022)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 1:55.06 — Missy Franklin, Colorado Stars (2011)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 1:54.43 — Nation’s Capital Swim Club (2016)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Alyssa Ton (Irvine Novaquatics) – 2:01.42
2. Blakely Hammel (Episcopal AmberJacks) – 2:01.91
3. Teagan O’Dell (Pleasanton Seahawks) – 2:02.19
4. Emily Wolf (Fishers Area Swim Team) – 2:02.67
5. Charlotte Milkie (Circle City Aquatics) – 2:02.68
6. Lily Gormsen (Long Island Aquatic Club) – 2:02.76
7. Kayla Han (La Mirada Armada) – 2:02.77
8. Adair Shaw (Wahoo Aquatic Club) – 2:02.77

An exciting showdown is shaping up for the girls’ 200 free final set for less than eight hours’ time. Now that we’re done with the 50s and the heats are seeded properly, most of the heavy hitters stem from the three circle-seeded heats.

The top qualifier came in the first, with Irvine Novaquatics’ Alyssa Ton leading the heat from start to finish en route to logging 2:01.42. She opened in 28.14 before hitting the 100 in 58.75, the 150 in 1:29.91, and ultimately cruising over the final 15 meters. Her splits by 50 were 30.61, 31.16, 31.51, and she was the only one to advance from the heat. Her best time is 2:00.66, which she produced less than a month ago.

Episcopal AmberJacks’ Blakely Hammel made a statement in the second heat, leading from start to finish in the only other sub-2:02 outing of the session. She placed her hand on the wall in 2:01.91, just over a second outside her career-best 2:00.88 from June.

Long Island Aquatic Club’s Lily Gormsen (2:02.76) and La Mirada Armada’s Kayla Han, who won both the 400 and 800 so far this week, took 2nd and 3rd in the heat and will move through to tonight’s ‘A’ heat as the 6th and 7th seeds, respectively.

Gormsen, a Virginia commit, will likely have her 2:02.08 best time from last July on her mind. Han, an Indiana commit, will have to hack about three seconds off her prelim time to match her 1:59.95 personal standard.

The final heat was all about incoming Cal freshman Teagan O’Dell, although she was given a scare through the first 100 meters of the race. Representing the Pleasanton Seahawks, O’Dell’s training partner Liberty Clark, who scorched 54.41 to win the 100 free earlier in the meet, rocketed through the first two laps in 27.59 and 30.62 but fell off in a big way over the final 100 with splits of 32.80 and 35.19 for 2:06.20, 5.36 seconds off her 2:00.84 PB.

O’Dell was patient throughout, splitting 27.96, 30.58, 31.95, and 31.70 to win the heat in 2:02.19. O’Dell is coming off winning multiple medals, including in both IM events, at the World University Games last month. Her PB of 1:59.15 could be in striking distance.

Fishers Area Swim Team’s 16-year-old Emily Wolf took 2nd to O’Dell in the final heat to advance 4th overall in 2:02.67, narrowly missing her 2:02.04 career best.

Two of the ‘A’ finalists came from the unseeded heats. Circle City Aquatics’ Charlotte Milkie (2:02.68) won heat 7 to move through 5th, and Wahoo Aquatic Club’s Adair Shaw, an Ohio State commit, took out heat 8 in 2:02.77 to rank 8th. Shaw broke 2:03 for the first time, while Milkie has been as quick as 2:01.94 in her young career.

Boys’ 200 Freestyle — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 1:42.97 — David Popovoci, Romania (2022)
• Meet Record: 1:47.29 — Aaron Shackell, Carmel Swim Club (2023)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:49.63 — Luka Mijatovic, Pleasanton Seahawks (2024)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 1:45.92 — Luka Mijatovic, Pleasanton Seahawks (2025)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 1:45.99 — Michael Phelps, North Baltimore Aquatic Club (2003)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jason Zhao (Mason Manta Rays) – 1:49.02
2. Enzo Solitario (Unattached-WI) – 1:49.12
3. Sean Green (Long Island Aquatic Club) – 1:49.38
4. Derek Hitchens (Irvine Novaquatics) – 1:49.39
5. Tim Wu (Pleasanton Seahawks) – 1:50.01
6. Andrew Coombs (King Aquatic Club) – 1:50.48
7. Trent Allen (Carmel Swim Club) – 1:50.50
8. Ethan Schutten (Schroeder YMCA Swim Team) – 1:50.65

The second heat saw Unattached-WI’s Enzo Solitario (1:49.12) and Irvine Novaquatics’ Derek Hitchens (1:49.39) both advance, with Pleasanton Seahawks’ Tim Wu following closely at 1:50.01. Wisconsin commit Solitario smashed his best time by a second and a half, while Hitchens dropped a little over four tenths.

Solitario is coming off a gold medal in last night’s 100 fly, and with momentum on his side, he nearly skipped over the 1:49 barrier entirely.

The final heat featured Mason Manta Rays’ Jason Zhao claiming the top seed in 1:49.02, followed by Carmel Swim Club’s Trent Allen (1:50.50) and Schroeder YMCA’s Ethan Schutten (1:50.65), with all three punching their tickets to tonight’s championship final.

Aside from Coombs, Solitario, and Hitchens, the rest of the top eight were slightly off their personal bests, though that’s likely to change tonight.

Girls’ 100 Backstroke — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 57.57 — Regan Smith, United States (2019)
• Meet Record: 59.77 — Rachel Bootsma, Aquajets (2009)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 1:00.26 — Regan Smith, Riptide (2016)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 58.82 — Claire Curzan, TAC Titans (2021)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 57.57 — Regan Smith, Riptide (2019)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Teagan O’Dell (Pleasanton Seahawks) – 1:01.25
2. Maggie Dickinson (Schroeder YMCA Swim Team) – 1:01.49
3. Brynn Lavigueur (Unattached-FL) – 1:01.64
4. Ellie Clarke (Carmel Swim Club) – 1:01.96
5. Roos Rottink (Memphis Thunder) – 1:02.13
6. Eva Rottink (Memphis Thunder) – 1:02.32
7. Maya Schweikert (Mason Manta Rays) – 1:02.61
8. Lane Francis (Nova of Virginia) – 1:02.65

The girls’ 100 backs circle-seeded heats saw four 1:01s.

Schroeder YMCA’s Maggie Dickinson made a statement in the first heat, going out in 29.75 and coming home in 31.74 to touch in 1:01.49, eclisping her personal best by 0.23. Memphis Thunder’s Roos Rottink was steady throughout, splitting 30.23/31.90 for a final time of 1:02.13.

The second heat proved to be the deepest, producing four qualifiers for tonight’s final. Unattached Brynn Lavigueur controlled the race from the start, turning in 29.52 and closing in 32.12 for 1:01.64, sneaking under her best time by 0.02.

Carmel Swim Club’s Ellie Clarke wasn’t far behind Lavigueur splitting 30.24/31.72 for a 1:01.96, while Memphis Thunder’s Eva Rottink (30.48/31.84, 1:02.32) and Nova of Virginia’s Lane Francis (30.46/32.19, 1:02.65) rounded out the heat’s qualifiers. Francis’ time was a new PB, beating her previous mark by 0.15.

Clarke, only 15, has been as fast as 1:00.43 in her young career. Keep an eye on her in tonight’s final, as she may have the most room to drop.

The final heat belonged to Pleasanton Seahawks’ Teagan O’Dell, who had already qualified third in the 200 free about an hour earlier. She was the fastest out in 29.66 and closed strongest with a 31.59 back half to claim the top seed in 1:01.25.

Mason Manta Rays’ Maya Schweikert went out aggressively in 30.38 but paid for it on the back end, fading to a 32.23 split and finishing in 1:02.61. Despite dropping off over the final meters, she moves through 7th into the final.

Boys’ 100 Backstroke — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 52.08 — Miron Lifintsev, Russia (2024)
• Meet Record: 54.41 — Will Modglin, Zionsville Swim Club (2022)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 56.62 — Josh Zuchowski, Flood Aquatics Swim Team (2019)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 53.27 — Daniel Diehl, Cumberland YMCA (2022)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 53.07 — Daniel Diehl, Cumberland YMCA (2022)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Gavin Keogh (Flatiron Athletic Club) – 54.74
2. Blake Amlicke (Nashville Aquatic Club) – 56.10
3. Andy Roose (Williamsburg Aquatic Club) – 56.31
4. Kasper Lee (Rise Aquatic Club) – 56.43
5. Aiden Gerst (Northeastern Swimming) – 56.44
6. Miles Blackson-Hardaway (Alpha Aquatics) – 56.50
7. Aaron Gordon (Waterloo Swimming) – 56.61
8. Griffin Oehler (Rockville Montgomery Swim Club) – 56.69

After already winning both the 50 and 200 backstroke events earlier in the week, Flatiron Athletic Club’s Gavin Keogh looks like he will be unbeatable in the 100. He was the only swimmer to break through 56 seconds this morning, and he broke 55 as well with his 54.74 winning effort from the final heat of the morning.

The NC State commit was a painstaking 0.02 shy of his personal-best 54.72 from the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series in May, but he’s dropped time from prelims to finals in all of his other events this week, so that time will likely not survive this competition. He led the heat from the very first stroke, splitting 26.44/28.30, which in comparison to his best time splits of 26.34/28.38, shows that he was out faster than pace before shutting things down over the final 5 meters.

While the heat belonged to Keogh, Rockville Montgomery Swim Club’s Griffin Oehler also made waves with a 66.69. It was a huge swim for Oehler, who chopped 0.54 off his best time.

Rise Aquatic Club’s Kasper Lee (56.43) nabbed the win in the first of the circle-seeded heats, just 0.07 outside of his best time. Northeastern Swimming’s Aiden Gerst was just 0.01 behind in the heat with 56.44, while Miles Blackson-Dunbar‘s 56.50 was 3rd in the heat. They advance as 4th, 5th, and 6th seeds overall.

Nashville Aquatic Club’s Blake Amlicke, a Virginia commit, logged a 56.10 to steal the show in the penultimate heat. He could potentially challenge Keogh for the win tonight if he gets within striking distance of his 54.84 lifetime best.

Williamsburg Aquatic Club’s Andy Roose, a Virginia Tech commit, took 2nd to Amlicke in the heat to advance 3rd overall. His 56.31 outing is just two tenths shy of his 56.11 best time. Waterloo Swimming’s Aaron Gordon was 3rd in the heat with 56.61, a half second shy of his mark.

Girls’ 200 Breaststroke — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 2:19.64 — Viktoria Gunes, Turkey (2015)
• Meet Record: 2:26.35 — Allie Szekely, Central Bucks Swim Team (2012)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 2:25.75 — Amanda Beard, Irvine Novaquatics (1996)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 2:25.35 — Anita Nall, North Baltimore Aquatic Club (1992)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 2:24.47 — Lilly King, Win Tidal Wave (2015)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Addie Robillard (Mason Manta Rays) – 2:29.24
2. Mikayla Tan (San Ramon Valley Aquatics) – 2:30.04
3. Kayda Geyer (Mecklenburg Swim Association) – 2:30.41
4. Mia Su (Santa Clara Swim Club) – 2:30.69
5. Sarah Zhang (Revolution Aquatics) – 2:31.11
6. Avery Collins (Lakeside Aquatic Club) – 2:31.82
7. Sophia Umstead (Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics) – 2:31.86
8. Lexie D’Amico (Razorback Aquatic Club) – 2:32.09

The girls’ 200 breast final will be an exciting race as a four-way battle is expected between Addie Robillard, Mikayla Tan, Kayda Geyer, and Mia Su, with the Mason Manta Rays’ Robillard entering as the slight favorite after leading prelims with a season-best 2:29.24.

Robillard, a Stanford commit, owns a career best of 2:27.50 from the 2023 U.S. National Championships, though she hasn’t matched that mark in nearly two years. She was 15th at U.S. Nationals in June with a time of 2:32.28.

The 18-year-old earned bronze at the Junior Pan Pac Championships last August with a 2:30.20 and notched her 2024 season best of 2:28.45 during prelims at that same meet. Having wrapped up her high school career in May, she’s headed to Stanford within the next month.

Sam Ramon Valley Aquatics’ Mikayla Tan, a 15-year-old who represents Singapore on the international scene, checked in at 2:30.04 to earn herself a middle lane tonight. Her best is 2:29.45 from the Sacramento Pro Swim Series stop this past April.

Future Colorado State Ram Kayda Geyer, 17, hit 2:30.41 to garner herself 3rd this morning. Her best rests at the 2:28.89 she logged for 6th at Nationals.

Santa Clara Swim Club’s Mia Su, 16, went 2:30.69 to move through in 4th. She owns a personal best of 2:28.86 from July 2024’s Speedo Summer Championships.

15-year-old Sarah Zhang of Revolution Aquatic Club qualified 5th this morning with an outing of 2:31.11. She made a major statement at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series in May, where she recorded her current career standard of 2:29.51. That swim followed her previous best of 2:33.01 from prelims, which itself was a substantial drop from her 2:36.22 at the Futures Championships in Huntsville last July.

Zhang went 2:30.34 for 13th at Nationals, but her improvement curve can’t be overlooked.

Lakeside Aquatic Club’s Avery Collins (2:31.82), Michigan Lakeshore Aquatics’ Sophia Umstead (2:31.86), and Razorback Aquatic Club’s Lexie D’Amico (2:32.09) rounded out the ‘A’ final qualifiers.

Collins, a Texas commit, owns a PB of 2:29.44 to her name. Umstead, a UVA commit, narrowly missed her career-best 2:31.53 by a few tenths, while D’Amico completely obliterated her former best of 2:35.63.

Boys’ 200 Breaststroke — Prelims

• World Junior Record: 2:06.91 — Shin Ohashi, Japan (2025)
• Meet Record: 2:11.25 — Daniel Roy, King Aquatic Club (2017)
• 13-14 NAG Record: 2:15.84 — Ethan Dang, King Aquatic Club (2016)
• 15-16 NAG Record: 2:09.40 — Josh Matheny, Team Pittsburgh Elite Aquatics (2019)
• 17-18 NAG Record: 2:08.91 — Matt Fallon, Somerset County YMCA (2021)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jordan Willis (SwimMAC Carolina) — 2:13.52
2. Giulian Martin (Hurricane Aquatics) — 2:14.23
3. Oliver Munn (Nitro Swimming) — 2:15.58
4. Tobin Uhl (Foothills Swim Team) — 2:15.83
5. Matt Vatev (Hornet Swim Club) — 2:16.00
6. Lucas Ackermann (Franklin Regional Swim Team) — 2:16.12
7. Gerhardt Hoover (Commonwealth Swimming) — 2:16.35
8. Yi Zheng (Carmel Swim Club) — 2:16.40