It could also be a chilly and wet day in Indianapolis, particularly when in comparison with the temperature two years in the past on the Olympic Trials, however the motion definitely heats up this morning, because the second session of prelims on the 2026 Indianapolis Pro Swim Series is about to get underway.
It’ll be laborious to prime final evening’s performances, as Katie Ledecky had one more unbelievable efficiency within the 1500, and Van Mathias, reset his personal American Record within the 50 breaststroke, however these might all be overshadowed by our first occasion this morning, as Gretchen Walsh takes on the 100 fly for the primary time since she went her blistering 54.33 final month on the Fort Lauderdale Open.
The prime seed by over a second, Walsh shall be making her first look in Indianapolis, eschewing yesterday’s occasions. The quickest girl ever within the occasion may have her coaching companion, Claire Curzan, to her aspect within the final warmth, however Walsh shall be maintaining a tally of the opposite two circle-seeded heats, that are led by 2024 Paris Olympians Torri Huske and Alex Shackell. They, together with Leah Shackley and Charlotte Crush, will all be vying for a spot within the remaining, in what is without doubt one of the strongest occasions for the US within the World.
The males’s 100 fly, too, sees the world report holder make their first look for the reason that Fort Lauderdale Open meet, as like Walsh, Caeleb Dressel is anticipated to swim his first occasion of the week. Seeded second, Dressel must keep watch over Thomas Heilman‘s outcomes from the earlier warmth in addition to these of Ilya Kharun and Dare Rose from the final warmth, if he needs to earn the highest seed within the remaining tonight. Kharun, who’s coming off a robust exhibiting on the Mare Nostrum Tour, will look to proceed that momentum as he, too, makes his first look in Indianapolis this week.
The velocity and aggression of the 100 fly offers means for the techniques and restraint of the 200 breaststroke with Kate Douglass, returning to the pool after having received the 200 IM final evening. The American report holder is the highest seed by a large margin and will comfortably make the ultimate with little effort. While representing the New York Athletic Club, Douglass trains at UVA, a program that would almost fill the ultimate, as Alex Walsh, Katie Christopherson, Sophia Umstead, Leah Hayes and Emma Weber are all nicely positioned to make a run to the ultimate. It could also be as much as 50 breaststroke winner Eneli Jefimova to interrupt up the Cavalier dominance within the occasion. Indiana too holds a stranglehold on the occasion with Josh Matheny, Josh Bey, Alexei Avakov, Noah Cakir and Toby Barnett all seeded within the final three heats, however Matheny, the highest seed, shall be below some stress as Ben Delmar of North Carolina and Denis Petrashov of Cardinal Aquatics are seeded proper behind him.
From the 200 breaststroke, we rapidly leap into the blink, and also you’ll miss the 50 backstroke. Last evening’s runner-up within the 100 again and 2025 World Champion, Katharine Berkoff, leads the sector and may have fond reminiscences of this pool, as she set the American report in it final 12 months at Nationals. Similar to the 100 yesterday, the 50 again is backwards and forwards between NC State, UVA and Wisconsin as Berkoff and her teammates, Leah Shackley, Erika Pelaez and Rhyan White will look to carry off the costs of Claire Curzan, Gretchen Walsh and Isabelle Stadden of UVA and people of Phoebe Bacon and Maggie Wanezek of Wisconsin.
NC State sits atop the sector within the males’s occasion as nicely with Quintin McCarty and Aiden Hayes occupying the highest two seeds. Joining them close to the highest of the sector are their teammates Daniel Diehl and Gavin Keogh. Looking to knock them out of the highest spots is Adam Chaney, final evening’s third place finisher within the 100 again and, in fact, Ryan Murphy, the winner within the 100 final evening. Entered with a 100 time, Murphy is within the third of eight heats, so search for the Cal Bear to place up the time to beat.
We finish with the flighted 400 IM heats, which can see the highest 16 swimmers compete for each the women and men, with the remainder of the sector following behind. Olympic medalists Katie Grimes and Emma Weyant headline the sector and have been the dominant pair within the occasion, however the discipline is stuffed with younger swimmers who shall be trying to problem their dominance, particularly with Texas commit Audrey Derivaux within the discipline. She’s not the lone teenager within the discipline, as Sydney Schoeck, Teagan O’Dell and Emerson Callis are all nicely positioned to earn a spot within the remaining.
In the boys’s race, Bobby Finke, who may have the 1500 remaining tonight, is nicely positioned to simply make the ultimate, coming in as the highest seed by precisely 4 seconds. Behind him, nevertheless, it’ll be a good battle as Michael Hochwalt, Tristan Jankovics, Lorne Wigginton and Dominik Mark Torok all jostle for place.
Women’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims
Top 8:
Gretchen Walsh (New York Athletic Club) – 55.56
Alex Walsh (New York Athletic Club) – 58.08
Alex Shackell (Carmel Swim Club) – 58.63
Claire Curzan (TAC Titans) – 58.85
Torri Huske (New York Athletic Club) – 59.08
Tess Howley (Long Island Aquatic)/Erika Pelaez (NC State University) – 59.44
With a stroke that scarily appears to be like somewhat like Gretchen Walsh‘s Anna Moesch took the primary warmth of the 100 fly in a time of 1:00.23. Out in 28.03, Moesch sliced over three seconds off her PB finest from 2024, to publish the quickest time of the morning. Unlike yesterday within the 200 IM, Moesch, who has been tackling off occasions, didn’t stay atop the leaderboard for lengthy as Alex Walsh blasted her solution to a 58.08 prelims swim within the very subsequent warmth, opening up in a 26.86, almost a full second forward of Liberty Clark, who joined Walsh within the sub-60 membership, recording a time of 59.83.
Alex Shackell wasted no time because the Carmel Swim Club opened up her 100 fly in a swift 26.89, hitting the wall .65 forward of fellow teenager Charlotte Crush. Shackell, who earned a spot on the Olympic group two years in the past within the 200 fly, continued to construct her lead over the sector over the past 50 and cruised to the end, hitting the wall in 58.63, the 2nd-fastest time of the morning thus far. Crush tried to stay inside putting distance of Shackell, but it surely was NC State’s Erika Pelaez who nabbed 2nd, outtouching Crush 59.44 to 59.63.
The 2nd-to-last warmth was somewhat slower, with lane 1’s Leilia Fack reaching the midway level first, hitting the lone flip in 27.40. The University of Michigan swimmer’s lead didn’t final lengthy, nevertheless, because the #2 seed and Olympic Champion Torri Huske wrestled the lead away from her on the backhalf, taking the warmth win in 59.08 with Fack touching 2nd in 59.68.
Always a risk to pop off, prime seed and World Record Holder Gretchen Walsh was simply out entrance within the final warmth of the 100 fly, particularly contemplating as she had an open lane to at least one aspect of her as Caroline Bricker didn’t take to the block. Walsh hit the wall in 25.88, the quickest opening 50 of the sector, and appeared clean as she closed in 29.68 to the touch the wall in 55.56. While the time appears pedestrian for Walsh, it clocks in as her 14th-fastest efficiency and Seventeenth-fastest efficiency ever. Her teammate Claire Curzan, the Fifteenth-fastest performer of all time, took 2nd within the warmth at 58.85, forward of Tess Howley’s 59.44 and Rylee Erisman’s 59.63. Erisman’s time notably ties Crush’s time, and the pair of youngsters will probably must swim off for a spot within the remaining.
Men’s 100 Butterfly – Prelims
Top 8:
Kaii Winkler (NC State University) – 51.52
Dylan Carter (Azura Florida Aquatics) – 52.23
Ilya Kharun (Sun Devil Swimming) – 52.25
Thomas Heilman (Cavalier Aquatic) – 52.54
Ole Eidam (University of Michigan) – 52.54
Dare Rose (Scarlet Aquatics) – 52.74
Maxim Skazobtsov (TAC Titans) – 52.83
Michael Andrew (MA Swim Academy) – 52.92
Kaii Winkler made an excellent begin to take an early lead within the first of the circle-seeded heats, opening his morning with a 23.76, the lone sub-24 break up within the discipline. Winkler, who switched his sporting nationality to Germany in 2024, closed in 27.76 to hit the wall in 51.52, establishing himself because the one to beat. ACC rival Thomas Heilman of UVA was almost a second again of Winkler on the 50, opening in 24.73 and was unable to make up any floor on him, with Heilman coming residence in 27.81 to the touch the wall in 52.54.
The penultimate warmth was a slower affair but it surely was a good one as Michigan’s Ole Eidam obtained the win in 52.54. Eidam was neck and neck with Michael Andrew on the 50 flip, hitting the wall in 24.08 to Andrew’s 24.19, however used a robust backhalf to drag himself away from the pack, closing in 28.46 to take the win in 52.54. Andrew paid for his early velocity, closing in 28.73 and was almost run down by Caeleb Dressel and Aiden Hayes, who have been 25.03 and 24.48 on the 50. Dressel had a robust backhalf, closing in 27.95, however ran out of room and took third within the warmth with a time of 52.98, to Andrew’s 52.92.
Outside smoke was evident within the final warmth of the boys’s 100 fly because the 30-year-old Dylan Carter blasted his solution to an early lead, hitting the wall in 24.06. The Trinidad and Tobago swimmer maintained his wire-to-wire lead, but it surely was an in depth name as prime seed Ilya Kharun, who opened in 27.76, closed like a freight practice along with his 27.76 and almost caught Carter, as he touched simply .02 again at 52.25.
With Carter’s and Kharun’s velocity in addition to sturdy performances from Dare Rose (52.74) and Maxim Skazobtsov (52.83) the final warmth superior 4 swimmers, bumping out the likes of Owen McDonald (Tenth- 52.95), Dressel (eleventh – 52.98) and Hayes (twelfth – 53.05).
Women’s 200 Breaststroke – Prelims
Top 8:
Kate Douglass (New York Athletic Club) – 2:25.28
Alex Walsh (New York Athletic Club) – 2:27.99
Aimee Canny (South Africa) – 2:28.64
Elizabeth Nawrocki (Academy Bullets) – 2:29.35
Adalene Robillard (Alto Swim Club) – 2:29.70
Eneli Jefimova (Estonia) – 2:29.95
Katie Christopherson (SwimAtlanta) – 2:30.14
Sophia Umstead (Michigan Lakeshore) – 2:30.56
The University of Virginia did the University of Virginia issues as they took 5 of the highest eight spots within the ladies’s 200 breaststroke. It’s not that stunning, as they have been seeded to swim nicely, particularly with American report holder Kate Douglass throwing down a really clean and managed 2:25.28 within the final warmth. Out in 1:10.14, the quickest opening 100, Douglass was the one swimmer to maintain her 50s all below 38, as she closed in 37.30 and 37.84.
Surrounding her tonight shall be her coaching companions, Alex Walsh and Aimee Canny. Walsh, the 2nd seed, posted the 2nd quickest swim of the morning, going 2:27.99 within the penultimate warmth, after opening in 1:11.77. Canny, a South African nationwide, had an excellent day yesterday, rewriting nationwide information in each the 200 IM and 200 free, opened almost a second sooner than Walsh (1:11.01) however closed almost a full second slower on the final 50. Canny was entered with a yards time, so was very a lot accountable for her warmth, and should have stepped off the gasoline somewhat.
The non-VA threats surrounding the main trio are comprised of Elizabeth Nawrocki, Adalene Ronillard and Eneli Jefimova. Jefimova, the winner of the 50 breast final evening, has the quickest seed time of the three, but it surely’s Nawrocki who poses the perfect wager to interrupt up UVA’s dominance because the UGA and Academy Bullets swimmers demolished her seed time of two:34.31, with the twenty fifth seed crashing into the sub-2:30 membership for the primary time, recording a mark of two:29.35.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke – Prelims
Top 8:
Luke Barr (Texas Ford Aquatics) – 2:11.98
Josh Bey (Indiana University) – 2:12.61
Jed Garner (Towson University) – 2:12.92
Charlie Egeland (Bergensvømmerne) – 2:13.23
Finnley Conklin (University of Louisville) – 2:13.65
Denis Petrashov (Cardinal Aquatic) – 2:13.67
Josh Matheny (Indiana Swim Club) – 2:13.74
Wilson York (Lakeside Swim Team) – 2:14.48
Indiana wasn’t as dominant as UVA was within the ladies’s 200 breaststroke, with the college advancing simply two swimmers into tonight’s remaining. Tonight’s prime seed, Luke Barr, did practice there however has now relocated to Texas Ford Aquatics.
Barr was the lone swimmer below the two:12 barrier this morning and employed a really quick first 100 to get an early lead in his warmth, opening up in a 1:02.47, earlier than closing in a 34.33 and 35.18 to cease the clock at 2:11.98. Barr must take care of Indiana’s Josh Bey, who was out almost two seconds slower on the 100 (1:04.21), however employed a 33.95 to cost residence within the final 50 to win the final warmth, and publish the 2nd quickest time general, stopping the clock at 2:12.61.
Several swimmers missed or got here near lacking the boat, because the 2nd seed, Ben Delmar, completed Tenth general at 2:14.90, one spot behind the sixth seed Alexei Avakov, who touched in 2:14.72. Top seed getting into the morning, Josh Matheny seemed to be in hassle because the Indiana swimmer touched 4th within the final warmth behind Barr, Charlie Egeland (2:13.23) and teammate Noah Cakir (2:13.25), however Cakir was disqualified, and Matheny’s 2:13.74 was sufficient to nab lane one in tonight’s remaining.
Olivia Smoliga appeared to have the perfect begin within the first of the circle-seeded heats of the ladies’s 50 backstroke and led the sector on the 25-meter mark, however she couldn’t maintain off the quick turnover of the hard-charging Isabelle Stadden. Stadden, who swam collegiately at Cal however has since relocated to Virginia, surged previous Smoliga and ended up with a big lead on the end, as she hit the wall in 27.18, .60 forward of Smoliga’s 27.78. For Stadden, the time stands as a brand new private finest by .11 and jumped her to third on the earth rankings. While not a PB, Smoliga’s 27.78 is a brand new season finest and vaulted her into the top-25, coming in because the 18th-fastest on the earth this season.
Stadden’s time because the quickest American within the occasion was short-lived as Katharine Berkoff, within the final warmth, mixed the facility of Smoliga’s begin with Stadden’s closing velocity to blast her solution to not solely a brand new season-best, but additionally the quickest time on the earth this season, recording a mark of 27.05. Breaking Kylie Masse‘s Pros Swim Series report of 27.13 set final 12 months, Berkoff, the 2025 World champion, appears to have an affinity for this pool, because it was the location of her American record-breaking swim from final 12 months, and now is also the location of her 2nd quickest swim and sixth quickest efficiency of all time.
Claire Curzan, the winner of the 2nd circle-seeded warmth, joined Berkoff, Stadden and Smoligia below the 28.00 barrier as she hit the wall in 27.98. Curzan, who additionally swam the 100 fly earlier, managed the double finest as she was the lone swimmer to make each A-finals, beating out the likes of Erika Pelaez (Ninth- 28.16) and Gretchen Walsh (Tenth- 28.24).
2
Kaylee MCKEOWN
AUS
27.13
06/08
3
Isabelle Stadden
USA
27.18
06/18
4
Mollie O’Callaghan
AUS
27.19
06/08
5
Alina Gaifutdinova
RUS
27.23
04/19
View Top 26»
Men’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims
Top 8:
Ryan Murphy (California Aquatics) – 24.75
Quintin McCarty (NC State University) – 24.92
Kaii Winkler (NC State University) – 25.04
Adam Chaney (Sun Devil Swimming) – 25.18
Michael Andrew (MA Swim Academy) – 25.25
David King (Cavalier Aquatics) – 25.29
Grant Bochenski (Hinsdale Swim Club) – 25.30
Remi Fabiani (Sun Devil Swimming) – 25.36
If you thought to tune into the boys’s 50 backstroke solely on the circle seed heats, then you definitely missed out on some quick swimming as Kaii Winkler produced a really swift 25.04 to set a benchmark from the 2nd warmth. Swimming out of lane 8, Winkler has had a really sturdy meet thus far, right here in Indianapolis, with the NC State swimmer posting the highest time within the 100 fly this morning and taking 2nd within the 100 backstroke final evening.
His consequence this morning, 25.04, seems to be over a two-second PB, and sits lower than half a second off the German nationwide report of 24.57 set by Ole Braunschweig again in 2023.
Winkler’s time atop the leaderboard because the presumptive prime seed was very short-lived, nevertheless, as within the very subsequent warmth, Ryan Murphy produced the primary sub-25 results of the morning, with the 30-year-old hitting the wall in 24.75. Entered with a 100 meter time, Murphy, the winner of final evening’s 100 again, was 25.36 in prelims final month in Sacramento and received the ultimate in 25.17, so the 30-year-old is making quick enhancements as he continues his comeback from almost two years off.
While the ladies’s world rankings is chockablock with Americans, Murphy’s time makes him simply the 2nd American, slotting him in because the twenty second quickest on the earth this season. Hoping to hitch him there tonight are the 2nd and 4th seeds, Quintin McCarthy and Adam Chaney, who produced outcomes of 24.92 and 25.18.
Like Winkler, Michael Andrew has been having a really sturdy meet, incomes his 2nd A-final of the night by inserting Fifth this morning within the 50 again with a time of 25.25.
Women’s 400 IM – Prelims
Top 8:
Sydney Schoeck (CSP) – 4:39.86
Emma Weyant (GSC) – 4:41.80
Katie Grimes (CA) – 4:43.70
Aimee Canny (RSA) – 4:44.66
Audrey Derivaux (JW) – 4:45.67
Caroline Bricker (ALTO) – 4:46.33
Leah Hayes (CA) – 4:47.04
Teagan O’Dell (UN) – 4:47.61
Through the primary two quickest heats of the ladies’s 400 IM, the highest time belongs to a youngster, however maybe not the one individuals have been anticipating, as Sydney Schoeck of CSP Tideriders produced an outstanding efficiency to win the primary warmth and sure earn lane 4 within the remaining tonight. The 17-year-old opened in 1:03.78 after which was 1:09.62 on the backstroke to guide Olympic medalist Emma Weyant 2:13.40 to 2:17.02.
Weyant, the nineteenth quickest performer of all time, used a robust backhald to shut the hole somewhat, however appeared content material to not expend an excessive amount of vitality letting Shoeck stay in entrance, taking the win 4:39.86 to 4:41.80. Her time, a brand new private finest by almost one and a half seconds, betters her earlier report of 4:41.21 set earlier this month on the Mel Zajac Jr. meet. It additionally jumps her into the highest 25 all-time within the 17-18 National Age Group rankings, slotting her between Ariana Kukors and Teagan O’Dell, the latter of whom positioned seventh this morning.
The first warmth was undoubtedly a sooner affair than the second, as Schoeck and Weyant posted the highest two instances, and Audrey Derivaux and Caroline Bricker posted the 4th- and Fifth-fastest instances. Sandwiched between the 2 pairs on the leaderboard was the highest seed getting into the occasion, Katie Grimes. She took the race out sooner than Schoeck did, opening in 1:02.78 and was in digital first after the backstroke, hitting the midway level in 2:12.99, however with a 1:26.42 breaststroke break up (4 plus seconds slower than each Schoeck and Weyant) Grimes fell off her tempo and cruised into the wall touching in 4:43.70. She didn’t have a lot stress to assault the race as she completed over three second away from her coaching companions Leah Hayes (4:47.04) and O’Dell (4:47.61).
Continuing her sturdy run of kind and once more exhibiting why you should take note of all of the swims, Aimee Canny as soon as once more parlayed a yards entry time into an A-final worthy look as she hit the wall in 4:44.66. Adding to her busy night as she was additionally slated to look within the 200 breaststroke remaining, Canny dominated her warmth, opening in a really swift 1:01.30 and persevering with her relentless tempo, closing in 1:05.88 to win the warmth by almost 9 seconds, beating out her teammate Sophie Umstead, who stopped the clock at 4:53.82. Canny’s time seems to be a private finest as she has no recorded consequence within the occasion within the World Aquatics database.
Men’s 400 IM – Prelims
Top 8:
Lorne Wigginton (MICH) – 4:17.13
Yi Zheng (CSC) – 4:18.27
Ryan Erisman (CAL) – 4:18.35
Grant Sanders (SPA) – 4:19.43
Yuki Ikari (KCJ) – 4:19.62
Dominik Mark Torok (WISC) – 4:19.67
Tristan Jankovics (OSU) – 4:20.51
Bobby Finke (SPA) – 4:21.43
There is a advantageous line between utilizing the time period conserving vitality for the ultimate tonight and lacking the ultimate, and Bobby Finke was lucky to land on the previous time period, because the top-seeded swimmer completed seventh general after the primary two heats.
After a really sturdy and barely surprising win on this occasion eventually 12 months’s nationals on this very pool, Finke almost missed the A-final, as his prelims swim of 4:21.43 was lower than two seconds from not qualifying. Finke, who’s slated to swim the 1500 free remaining this night, was sure to attempt to preserve some vitality this morning, opening in 58.78 earlier than posting a backstroke break up of 1:06.05 to hit the midway mark at 2:04.83. After a tough 100 breaststroke of 1:17.49, Finke needed to put in some work within the remaining 100, closing in 59.11 to cease the clock at 4:21.43, simply getting by Gregg Enoch and his 1:00.36 final 100 to complete 4th within the warmth, behind the Big-10 rivals Dominik Mark Torok of Wisconsin and Tristan Jankovics of OSU and the warmth winner Grant Sanders, who hit the wall in 4:19.43, a drop of 1.51 from his seed, and simply over a second off his PB of 4:18.28 from the 2019 National Championships.
All 5 of them have been chasing Lorne Wigginton‘s time of 4:17.13 from the previous heat, with the University of Michigan swimmer using a strong breaststroke split of 1:13.88 and a freestyle split of 58.98 to power to a heat win. Wigginton led after the fly, opening in 56.78 to take an early lead, but Yi Zheng, who had a strong showing in yesterday’s 200 IM, powered his solution to a lead within the backstroke leg, and would have remained there had he not come residence in 1:00.59 to the touch 2nd within the warmth at 4:18.27.
2nd seed Michael Hochwalt, in contrast to Finke, missed the ultimate, ending Tenth general with a time of 4:22.76. Fink’s spot turned much more precarious as California’s Ryan Erisman dropped over 5 seconds from his seed, taking pictures up from the presumptive Seventeenth seed to third after profitable the third warmth (1st males’s warmth within the B flight) in a time of 4:18.35. Erisman opened in 57.55 and used a robust backstroke to hit the midway level at 2:03.67. Like so lots of the IMers earlier than him, he faltered somewhat on the breaststroke however got here residence in a quick 58.25, setting a brand new private finest and bettering his 4:19.35 from the 2024 NCSA meet.