Olympic Redshirt Update, Dressel As A Father Highlight Storylines To Watch In Westmont

2024 PRO SWIM SERIES – WESTMONT

• March 6-9, 2024
• FMC Natatorium – Westmont, Illinois
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• How to Watch

With the Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont beginning tomorrow night, it is time to see some of the storylines to watch for at the meet.

Caeleb Dressel‘s First Meet As A Father

Caeleb Dressel scratched the first stop of the Pro Swim Series in Knoxville as it was too close to the due date of his child. August Wilder was born on February 17th. Now, Dressel will compete in Westmont in his first meet as a father.

Dressel is entered as the #1 seed in the 50 free, #1 seed in the 100 fly, the #3 seed in the 100 free, and #21 seed in the 200 free.

At the beginning of February, Dressel showed off his range in his home pool at a University of Florida dual meet as Dressel clocked a 1:32.57 in the 200 freestyle. That was a personal best by almost a second as his previous best was a 1:33.42 which he swam during his college days back in 2017. Notably, Dressel raced the event in October 2023 where he clocked a 1:34.98 so there clearly was some improvement from October 2023 to February.

The World Record holder did not qualify to represent the US at the 2023 World Championships as he finished 3rd in the 50 fly, 5th in the 100 fly, 19th in the 100 free, and 22nd in the 50 free at 2023 US Summer Nationals last June. Dressel already improved upon his times from that meet though at the US Open in December. Dressel swam a 51.66 in the 100 fly at US Summer Nationals but was a 51.31 at the US Open, and he swam a 49.42 in prelims at Summer Nationals in the 100 free but was faster with a 48.85 in the event at the US Open.

Olympic Redshirt Updates

Torri Huske, Luca Urlando, David Johnston, and Will Gallant are all in the middle of their Olympic Redshirt seasons. In December, we did a check in on how they are doing after what would have been the “midseason” for the NCAA season as they all swam at the US Open. Now, this meet is right after what would have been the conference championship time for all of the swimmers.

Huske is entered in the 200 free (#10 seed), 100 fly (#1 seed), 50 free (#3 seed), 100 back (#38 seed), 200 IM (#2 seed), and 100 free (#2 seed). This is a busy schedule, with two events per day but still under the entry max of seven events. Huske had a successful US Open including personal bests in the 50 free (24.11) and 200 IM (2:09.10) while also swimming faster in the 100 fly at the US Open than she did at the 2023 World Championships to win bronze. Huske had a busy meet in Knoxville, opting not to swim the 100 fly there but showing off some distance range swimming the 200 fly and 200 breast.

Urlando is the #11 seed in the 200 free, #10 seed in the 100 fly, #2 seed in the 200 fly, #11 seed in the 400 free, and #18 seed in the 100 free. After having shoulder surgery in November 2022, Urlando swam his first 200 fly since surgery at the US Open and swam the event again at the Pro Swim Knoxville stop earlier this year. His entries give him a busier meet here in Westmont if he chooses to swim all of them.

Johnston and Gallant are each entered in the same four events, the 400 IM, 400 free, 800 free, and 1500 free. Johnston competed for the US last month at the 2024 World Championships in Doha while Gallant has not competed since the US Open.

Ahmed Hafnaoui‘s Bounce Back From 2024 Worlds

Tunasia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui made a training switch in the fall as he moved from Indiana to train with The Swim Team (TST) in California. Hafnaoui is coming off of the 2024 World Championships where he missed the final of the 400 free, 800 free, and 1500 free.

Hafnaoui was one of the favorites in all three events as he won the 800 and 1500 at the 2023 World Championships and was 2nd in the 400 free. He also is the defending Olympic Champion in the 400 free.

Here in Westmont, he is the top seed in the 400, 800, and 1500 freestyles and also is the #26 seed in the 200 free. The story here is whether or not Doha may have been a fluke, a one-off, a bad meet (we all do have them), and if he can bounce back while in Illinois.

Cal Men Attending Westmont Over Pac-12 Champs

Destin Lasco, Dare Rose, Jack Alexy, and Gabriel Jett will all miss the Pac-12 Championship that are scheduled to begin tomorrow as well as they instead will get some long course racing in. Lasco, Rose, and Alexy all made the 2023 World Championship roster for the US.

All four men already have one LCM meet under their belt this year as they all swam in the heart of the dual meet season at the Pro Swim stop in Knoxville. Instead of racing SCY in Washington this weekend, they’ll get some more Olympic year prep in.

Lasco is entered in the 100 back (#5 seed), 200 back (#3 seed), and 200 free (#32 seed). Rose is in the 100 fly (#3 seed), 200 fly (#8 seed), and 200 free (#16 seed). Alexy is in the 200 free (#65 seed, yards entry time), 50 free (#3 seed), and 100 free (#1 seed). Jett has the busiest schedule as he is entered in six events, 100 free, 200 free, 400 free, 100 fly, 200 fly, 200 IM where he is notably the #4 seed in the 200 fly and #9 seed in the 100 fly.

Grimes And Weinstein, From Worlds Scratch To Westmont Swims

Sandpipers of Nevada teammates Katie Grimes and Claire Weinstein were originally scheduled to swim at the 2024 World Championships but decided to stay home in January. Grimes ended up competing in the open water but did not swim in the pool. The two swam SCY a few weeks ago, but now will turn back to the LCM pool.

At the time of their scratch from Worlds, Sandpipers of Nevada coach Ron Aitken told SwimSwam, “There were many factors that went into the decision, and [it] just made more sense to stay closer to home.” They are indeed much closer to home in Westmont than they would have been in Doha.

Weinstein was originally scheduled to swim the 200, 400, and 800 freestyles at 2024 Worlds, while Grimes was originally scheduled to swim the 400 IM, 400 and 1500 freestyles, 200 backstroke, and 200 butterfly. In Westmonth, Weinstein will take on the 50 free, 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 400 IM, and 200 butterfly while Grimes will swim the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, 400 IM, 200 butterfly, and 100 backstorke.