Jack Alexy Leads Men’s 100m Free Prelims at Knoxville Pro Swim Series

2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – KNOXVILLE

• January 10-13, 2024
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• LCM (50 meters)
• Start Times
  • Wednesday Distance: 5pm (EST)
  • All Prelims: 9am (EST)
  • Thurs-Sat Finals: 6pm (EST)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets 
• Live Results
• Wednesday Finals Heat Sheet
• Day One Finals Live Recap
• Day Two Prelims Live Recap

Even without American record-holder Caeleb Dressel, the prelims of the men’s 100 free in Knoxville established a number of exciting storylines going into finals.

Claiming the middle lane for tonight was Cal’s Jack Alexy, who clocked 48.28 to lead the field by over half a second. That’s a huge step up from his previous in-season best of 48.85 which he swam at the Westmont stop of last year’s Pro Swim Series ahead of qualifying for his first senior Worlds team. He now takes over the fastest time from an American man this season.

Prior to last summer, Alexy’s best time stood at a 48.69 from Wave II of the 2020(1) Olympic Trials. At the 2023 Worlds Team Trials, he hit a pair of best times in the 100 free (47.75) and 50 free (21.63) to earn a spot on the U.S. Worlds team. He then improved even further in Fukuoka, scorching 47.31 in the 100 free to earn a silver medal and become the 2nd fastest American in history, and 21.57 in the 50 free for another silver. Alexy was also a key component of the American relays.

Brooks Curry qualified in 2nd with 48.95, just off his performance from the U.S. Open of 48.88. Alexy and Curry were the only swimmers sub-49 this morning. Matt King previously held the top American time with his 48.30 from the U.S. Open. He qualified in 4th here with a time of 49.17.

Qualifying 3rd is Santo Condorelli (49.08), who has decided to pursue U.S. sporting citizenship for Paris 2024. His season-best time is also 48.88, where he would be tied with Curry for the 6th fastest American time this season. That potentially puts him in position to vie for a relay spot come June. Condorelli holds a silver medal in the 4×100 free relay from the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games from when he represented Italy.

Perhaps most intriguing is Carson Foster, who tied for 5th with Alberto Mestre (49.35). Foster, primarily known as a IMer and mid-distance freestyler, swam a new personal best time this morning for only his second sub-50 performance. His previous best was set in 2019 when he was 17 years old. Last May, Foster decided to forgo his remaining two seasons of NCAA eligibility and turn pro. With his outing this morning, he qualified ahead of a pair of NCAA sprint stars Bjorn Seeliger (9th, 49.53) and Jordan Crooks (49.56). Foster and Crooks had equal opening splits of 24.03, though they didn’t compete in the same heat. Mestre, who represents Venezuela, holds a best time of 48.96 from last October’s Pan American Games where he placed 6th in the event.

Shaine Casas (49.39) and Destin Lasco (49.45) placed 2nd and 3rd respectively behind Alexy in the final heat, and made it through to the A final as the 7th and 8th qualifiers. The pair are also the 2nd and 3rd fastest performers in history in the 200-yard backstroke, but their international focuses have diverged. Last summer at the U.S. World Team Trials, Casas struggled through his early events before securing a spot on the team in the 200 IM on the last day. Meanwhile, Lasco earned a relay spot in the 4×100 free relay early on in the meet and later added the 200 back to his lineup.

Casas has the potential to be a multi-event threat come June, but his performances as of late have been a rollercoaster. At the U.S. Open, he failed to qualify for any A-finals but set two meet records from the B-finals of the 200 IM and 100 fly.

Tonight’s final session will also feature the 100 breast, 200 fly, and 400 free.