Gator Pros Tune Up For 2025 U.S. Nationals, Ethan Ekk Keeps Rolling At FAST May Invite

2025 FL FAST May Invite

• May 16-18, 2025
• Florida Aquatics Swimming & Training Center – Ocala, Flor.
• LCM (50 Meters)
• Results: “2025 FAST May Invite” on MeetMobile

Gator Pros Tune Up For U.S. Nationals

The 2025 U.S. National Championships are fast approaching and several Gator pros used this meet as an opportunity to get a little more racing in before they head to Indianapolis. Two-time Olympian Kieran Smith showed up to test his sprint freestyle, winning the 100 freestyle with a season-best 49.06. Smith did race this event at 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials—he swam a lifetime best 48.46 in prelims before placing 11^th in the semifinals. However, several swimmers from last summer’s final aren’t expected in this year’s field, meaning Smith could make a challenge for a spot on another relay this summer in addition to his now usual role on the 4×200 freestyle relay.

Isabel Ivey also kept her schedule light. She raced only the 200 IM, where she logged a season-best 2:12.52. That shaved a few hundredths off her previous season best of 2:12.67 from the Westmont Pro Swim, the only other time she’s raced the event this season. Ivey was third in the event at 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials with a lifetime best 2:10.09.

NCAA Swimmers Transition To Meters

Emma Weyant just wrapped her college career at the University of Florida and has also already flexed her long-course form this spring with a 4:33.95 400 IM at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim. Weyant did not race any IM events at this club meet, focusing instead on the mid-distance freestyle races. She swam a 4:38.15 in the 400 freestyle. It shows where she was at in her training block; she swam 4:09.75 for fifth a few weeks earlier in Fort Lauderdale.

Weyant split 2:00.56 on the opening 200 meters, which got extracted as it’s own timed event on MeetMobile. At the beginning of the last Olympic quad Weyant often raced the 200 freestyle at U.S. Nationals or qualification meets. She opted against that strategy last summer, instead racing the 200 freestyle only at the May 2024 Atlanta Classic (2:00.19), which is also the last time she raced this event at a meet.

Though she didn’t race in Fort Lauderdale, this was Lillie Nesty’s third long-course meet of the season. Nesty just finished her freshman year at Texas and swam a lifetime best 55.34 to win the 100 freestyle at the FAST Invite. She also won the 400 freestyle in 4:17.58.

On the other hand, this was Jake Mitchell’s first long-course meet of the season and his first time racing since the 2025 Men’s NCAA Championships. He focused on his bread-and-butter races, the 200 and 400 freestyle, checking in with times of 1:48.37/3:51.91 with less than a month until 2025 U.S. Nationals. Mitchell is looking to make it back on the senior international roster this year after missing a Paris Olympic berth.

Ethan Ekk Keeps Rolling

High school senior Ethan Ekk had an excellent 2024-25 yards season, which included a sweep of his individual events at the Florida Senior Championships in March. He showed at last month’s Canadian Open that he was getting ready for a big summer in the long-course pool by winning the 400 freestyle (3:54.48) and swimming personal bests in the 100 free (50.16), 200 free (1:48.41), and 100 backstroke (55.28).

Ekk, who trains with Area Tallahassee Aquatic Club and is committed to Stanford for this fall, swam only three events at this meet. While that’s certainly fewer events than he typically takes on at a club meet, he was no less impressive. He lowered his 100 freestyle lifetime best from his 50.18 at the Canadian Open, swimming a 50.02 to nearly crack the 50-second barrier for the first time.

Ekk also improved his standing as the fastest male Canadian in the 400 freestyle this season, clocking a lifetime best 3:52.67. The swim is a .68-second improvement on his previous lifetime best of 3:53.35, which he swam during prelims of the 2024 Canadian Olympic Trials before finishing fourth.

Ekk rounded out his meet by swimming a season-best 2:00.63 to win the 200 backstroke. He swam his current lifetime best of 1:58.28 for bronze at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.

The Ekk brothers went 2-3 in both the 200 and 400 freestyle with Owen Ekk swimming 52.32/4:10.62.

More Notable Results

• 13-year-old Jayden Tsai won the 100 backstroke (1:06.15), 100 butterfly (1:00.29), and 200 IM (2:16.38). His 100 fly time was a season-best, as was the 26.49 he swam for second in the 50 freestyle (26.49). He opened his 100 backstroke with a 33.16, which was a new lifetime best for him in the 50 backstroke.
• Dajah German (16) rattled her 100-meter freestyle lifetime best with a 59.17, which is a Futures Championship cut. Her lifetime best stands at 59.05 from last February.
• 10-year-old Millie Akos won three events, highlighted by a 37.03 50 backstroke. She also swam personal bests in the 50 freestyle (33.24) and 50 butterfly (35.86).