2025 Pro Swim Series – Westmont: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2025 TYR Pro Swim Series — Westmont

Day 2 Prelims Heat Sheet

Good Morning, Folks. For those of you who cannot wait for the bathtub swimming that is short course yards to be over, don’t worry the domestic long course season is kicking off in grand style. For those of you who, like me, tell yourselves that if the pool were 20 yards long, you’d be Olympians, don’t get your hopes dashed too much, as NCAAs are just around the corner. However, we have plenty of Olympians in action this morning at the first stop of the Pro Swim Series.

• Women’s 100 Freestyle
• Men’s 100 Freestyle
• Women’s 100 Breaststroke
• Men’s 100 Breaststroke
• Women’s 50 Backstroke
• Men’s 50 Backstroke
• Women’s 200 Butterfly
• Men’s 200 Butterfly
• Women’s 400 Freestyle
• Men’s 400 Freestyle

Kicking off the morning in style in Westmont is the Women’s 100 free, where we will see multiple Olympic medalists right off the bat. The top seed is Australian Meg Harris, who claimed her first individual Olympic medal in Paris (silver-50 free), this last summer. However, things aren’t going to be easy for her as she has BOTH of the 2016 Olympic gold medalists in this event, and both Simone Manuel and Penny Oleksiak are entered. The 100 free also sees some youth enter the conversation as 15-year-old Rylee Erisman is the #5 seed.

Those entries highlight an interesting point about this first stop on the Pro Swim Series. As the NCAA season is still going on, this meet will have some stark contrasts, as the established veterans, who have turned pro, look to fend off those looking to make a name for themselves but are not yet in college.

Olympic teammates Lilly King and Kate Douglass headline the 100 breaststroke, while teammates Regan Smith and Katharine Berkoff do so in the 50 back. Both Smith and Berkoff have busy mornings as they have doubles, as Smith is in the 200 fly and Berkoff is in the 100 free.

The US isn’t the only nation to enter some of their Olympians in the meet. In addition to the aforementioned, Harris, Australian Sam Short reigns as the #1 seed in the 400 free, and Max Giuliani is the #3 seed in the 100 free, squaring off against the likes of Hunter Armstrong and Yuri Kisil. Kisil, a Canadian, is one of a handful to make the trip south, as have Sophie Angus (#4 seed in the 100 BR) and Mary-Sophie Harvey (#4 in 100 FR and 400 FR).

Also making their way to Westmont, albeit from Florida, is Canadian Summer McIntosh. The Olympic gold medalist in the 200 fly will have a rematch against Smith but will have to also contend with a cadre of swimmers younger than her, which is hard to say as McIntosh is still just 18. Kelsey Zhang, 17, and Vivien Jackl, 16, are just two of a handful who would love to launch their career by beating the likes of Smith and McIntosh.

And while the meet is chock-full of 2024 Paris Olympians, this stop also serves as a platform for several swimmers to start their season off well after the sour notes of last year, Michael Andrew being foremost among them.

Andrew, after failing to make the 2024 team, has shifted training bases and coaches since then and will take on both the 100 breast and 50 back. In the 100 breast, Andrew, the American Record Holder, is just one of two swimmers entered under 1:00 as AJ Pouch join him there. In the 50 Back, which is just one event later, will have to deal with the likes of Armstrong and Shaine Casas.

Women’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 51.71 – Sarah Sjostrom, SWE (2017)
• World Junior Record: 52.70 – Penny Oleksiak, CAN (2016)
• American Record: 52.04 – Simone Manuel (2019)
• U.S. Open Record: 52.54 – Simone Manuel, USA (2016)
• Pro Swim Record: 52.74 – Siobhan Haughey, HKG (2024)

Top 8

1. Simone Manuel (TXLA) – 54.17
2. Rylee Erisman (LAKR) – 54.19
3. Mary-Sophie Harvey (TQ) – 55.08
4. Meg Harris (AUS) – 55.12
5. Madi Mintenko (PPA) – 55.32
6. Penny Oleksiak (MVN) – 55.37
7. Beata Nelson (WISC) – 55.69
8. Kasia Wasick (UN) – 55.78

With a time of 57.12 to beat, set by heat 2’s Madison Kryger, a 16-year-old from Canada, the first of the circle-seeded heats saw a strong swim from 2016 gold medalist Penny Oleksiak, who stopped the clock in 55.37. Oleksiak was shadowed by Beata Nelson over the 100, with the former Wisconsin Badger taking 2nd in 55.69.

Oleksiak’s co-gold medalist from 2016, Simone Manual, took the win in heat 4, swimming a comfortable 54.17. Out in 26.14, Manuel actually was trailing the young star in the making, Rylee Erisman, who led at the 50 by .05, However, the veteran came home just a little faster to outtouch the 15-year-old by. 02.

Heat 5 saw the beauty of the back half race, as Mary-Sophie Harvey went to her tried and true strategy. Out in 27.11, Harvey came home in 27.97, to stop the clock in 55.08, securing herself the #3 seed for tonight. A WR holder on the 4×100 free, top seed Meg Harris, was out much faster in a 26.64, but faded or shut it down and came home in 28.48, to take 4th tonight with a 55.12.

Men’s 100 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 46.40 – Pan Zhanle, CHN (2024)
• World Junior Record: 46.86 – David Popovici, ROU (2022)
• American Record: 46.96 – Caeleb Dressel (2019)
• U.S. Open Record: 47.08 – Jack Alexy, USA (2024)
• Pro Swim Record: 48.00 – Nathan Adrian, USA (2016)

Top 8

1. Grant House (SUN) – 49.17
2. Mikel Schreuders (SUN) -49.37
3. Shaine Casas (TXLA) – 49.63
4. Max Giuliani (AUS) -49.66
5. Misha Lee (SIN) -49.67
6. Jack Dolan (SUN) – 49.76
7. Laon Kim (UCSC) – 49.90
8. Hrvoje Tomic (UN) -49.94

Australia’s Max Giuliani took the win in the first of the circle-seeded heats, easily overtaking the 50.72 of Kamal Muhammad from the previous heat. Out in 23.97, Giuliani had to play catch up to Jack Dolan, who flipped over .3 ahead (23.68), but the Australian used his 200 prowess to come home in 25.69, outpacing the 26.08 by Dolan, hitting the wall in 49.66, exactly .1 ahead of Dolan.

Heat 4 was a fast affair as Grant House used a speedy 25.43 backhalf to take the heat win and post the fastest overall time with a result of 49.17, easily out pacing the #2 seed Yuri Kisil, who struggled to hold onto things on the back half, closing in 26.35 to finish with an overall time of 50.16.

The last heat saw USA Olympians Hunter Armstrong and Shaine Casas go up against Aruban Olympian Mikel Schreuders. Schreuders, who had spent some time training in France, was sporting a Sun Devils cap and is entered with the team. Schreuders took it out fast, 23.28, the only swimmer in the field under 23.50, and held off Casas to take the win in 49.37. Casas, who was over half a second back at the turn, closed in 25.80 to take 2nd in the heat with 49.63. Armstrong, the top seed, never got things going, flipping in 24.5o, and ultimately hit the wall in 50.62, tied for 13th.

Women’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims

• World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
• World Junior Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• American Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King (2017)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:04.45 – Jessica Hardy, USA (2009)
• Pro Swim Record: 1:05.32 – Lilly King, USA (2021)

Top 8

1. Kate Douglass (NYAC) – 1:07.13
2. Anna Ekendt (TXLA) – 1:07.85
3. Lilly King (ISC) – 1:07.90
4. Sophie Angus (CAN) – 1:08.34
5. Anita Bottazzo (FLOR) – 1:08.64
6. Macarena Ceballos (ARG) – 1:08.94
7. Gabriele Assis (FRJ) – 1:10.75
8. Isabele Odgers (NOVA) – 1:10.86

With just three heats, we jump straight into the circle-seeded heats, and heat 1 was taken by the #3 seed Anna Elendt. A German Olympian, Elendt, is maybe more well known for her time as a Texas Longhorn, where she earned 13 All-Americans. Elendt was out in 32.28 but used a strong 35.57 to pull away from the field and touch the wall in 1:07.85.

Surging to the front of the ranking from heat 2 was US Olympian Kate Douglass. Douglass, who swam collegiately for Virgina, was out much faster than Elendt, hitting the wall in 31.82, and came home faster as well to easily claim the heat win in  1:07.13, nearly two seconds clear of the next fastest competitor, Macarena Ceballos, who touched in 1:08.94.

Heat 3, the last heat, saw a duel between Lilly King and Sophie Angus. King, the World and American record holder, was out faster with 31.65 to 31.94. Angus, a Canadian Olympian, tried to make a move on the backhalf, but the race experience of King was too much as she cruised into the wall in a 36.25 to take the heat win with a 1:07.90, the 3rd fastest time overall.

Anita Bottazzo, whose 1:08.64 earned her 5th in tonight’s final, is currently a first year at Florida and appears upon the recently released NCAA psych sheets as the 5th ranked swimmer in the 100 breast with a time of 57.49.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims

• World Record: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
• World Junior Record: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
• American Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew (2021)
• U.S. Open Record: 58.14 – Michael Andrew, USA (2021)
• Pro Swim Record: 58.86 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2017)

Top 8

1. Michael Andrew (SUN) – 1:00.65
2. Garrett Clasen (FMC) – 1:01.78
3. AJ Pouch (PRVT) – 1:02.32
4. Apollo Hess (CAN) – 1:02.46
5. Joao Rodrigues (GTCH) -1:02.56
6. Michael Houlie (TNAQ) – 1:02.69
7. Dante Nicola Rho (MCK) – 1:02.72
8. Uros Zivanovic (GTCH) – 1:03.13

Much like the Women’s 100 breaststroke, with only three heats, the men’s race (with all guaranteed a second swim) was a little slow. Top seed and recent transplant to ASU, Michael Andrew took heat 3 and posted the overall fastest time with a 1:00.65. As it was just a morning swim and with a small field, one shouldn’t read too much into the swim, as Andrew also, at least on paper, still has the 50 back to swim. Out in 28.39, Andrew came home the fastest in the field and just one of two under 33 (32.26) to post a mark of 1:00.65.

After Andrew, it’s a bit of a jump back to Garrett Clasen. A local swimmer and former swimmer for the University of Chicago, Clasen’s last 50 of 32.92 gave the NCAA D3 star the second seed in tonight’s final as he finished in 1:01.78, less than .5 off his PB of 1:01.42. After Clasen, it’s a bit of a jump as the top two were the only swimmers under the 1:02 barrier.

Women’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record: 26.86 – Kaylee McKeown, AUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 27.49 – Minna Atherton, AUS (2016)
• American Record: 27.10 – Regan Smith (2023)
• U.S. Open Record: 27.12 – Katharine Berkoff, USA (2022)
• Pro Swim Record: 27.38 – Kylie Masse, CAN (2023)

Top 8

1. Kylie Masse (CAN) – 27.48
2. Katharine Berkoff (WOLF) – 27.68
3. Regan Smith (TXLA) – 27.97
4. Rhyan White (WOLF) – 28.01
5. Ingrid Wilm (CAN) – 28.29
6. Teagan O’Dell (MVN) – 28.72
7. Rylee Erisman (LAKR) – 28.75
8. Brynn Lavigueur (SYS) – 28.91

Waking up the somewhat sleepy crowd with a speedy 27.48, Kylie Masse nearly eclipsed her own PSS record of 27.38 set in 2023. After failing to medal in the 100 back in Paris, Masse brought some speed to Short Course Worlds, where this past December she claimed the bronze medal.

In a weird coincidence, the podium from Budapest is a mirror image of the top three swimmers from this morning, as Katharine Berkoff claimed silver in Hungary and her 27.68 places her as the #2 seed tonight. Taking the gold in Budapest (in World Record fashion), Regan Smith swam a smooth and controlled 27.97 to win heat 3 and give herself a lane in tonight’s championship final. Smith, like Andrew in the previous event, was likely holding back, as she too has a double coming up. She is the #2 seed in the 200 fly.

Speaking of doubles, Rylee Erismam successfully made the A-finals in both of her events. In the 100 free, she is 2nd only to Simone Manuel, and in the 50 back, her 28.75 earned her lane 1 in tonight’s final as the #7 seed.

Men’s 50 Backstroke – Prelims

• World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 24.00 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
• American Record: 23.71 – Hunter Armstrong (2022)
• U.S. Open Record: 23.71 – Hunter Armstrong, USA (2022)
• Pro Swim Record: 24.30 – Hunter Armstrong, USA (2023)

Top 8

1. Shaine Casas (TXLA) – 24.93
2. Tommy Janton (UN) – 25.01
3. Jack Dolan (SUN) – 25.51
4. Michael Andrew (SUN) – 25.55
5. Yuril Kosian (UN) – 25.89
6. Finn Winkler (FASTIN) -26.17
7. Patrick Groters (MVN) – 26.29
8. Cole Pratt (CAN) – 26.33

Shaine Casas emulates the feat of Rylee Erisman and has earned himself his second A-final as the 2024 Paris Olympian, posting the fastest time and only sub-25 time in the men’s 50 back. His 24.93 cleared the rest of the field by .08 as Tommy Janton, who trains out of Notre Dame, posted the 2nd fastest time of the morning with a 25.01.

After the front two, it’s a bit of a jump back as Jack Dolan, who, like Casas, will be in two A-finals, was 25.51 for 3rd. With so many events packed into the schedule, doubles will be relatively common as Michael Andrew, with just one event in between (and a 10-minute break) posted the 4th fastest time of 25.55.

After failing to advance to the top 8 in the 100 free, top seed Hunter Armstong no-showed this event.

Women’s 200 Butterfly – Prelims

• World Record: 2:01.81 – Zige Liu, CHN (2009)
• World Junior Record: 2:03.03 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2024)
• American Record: 2:03.84 – Regan Smith (2024)
• U.S. Open Record: 2:03.87 – Regan Smith, USA (2023)
• Pro Swim Record: 2:04.80 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)

Top 8

1. Summer McIntosh (SYS) – 2:06.40
2. Regan Smith (TXLA) – 2:10.56
3. Rachel Klinker (CAL) – 2:12.09
4. Kelsey Zhang (UN) – 2:13.57
5. Maya Hetland (PASA) – 2:15.83
6. Lainey Mullins (IA) – 2:16.34
7. Ella Detter (UN) – 2:16.34
8. Vivian Jackl (HUN) – 2:17.58

With just 17 swimmers seeded in the event, it was going to be a small field, but with 4 of them either DFS or no showed, Summer McIntosh really was in a race by herself. The top seed and Olympic gold medalist, McIntosh, was just one of four swimmers in heat 3. Out in 1:00.25, the only swimmers under 1:02, the Canadian had nearly a four-second lead at the 100-meter turn and easily cruised home closing in 1:06.15, coming home with the only sub-34 last 50. To note, McIntosh’s prelims time of 2:06.40 would have placed 4th in the Paris Olympics. While it should not be too much of a surprise as there has not been too many LCM meets, her time this morning vaults her to first in the world.

In the previous heat, coming off of the back of the 50 back prelims, American record holder Regan Smith was out in 1:02.31, and looked smooth over the back half, coming home in 33.97 and 34.28 to stop the clock in 2:10.56. Like McIntosh, with little competition, Smith only had to do enough this morning to get a spot in the A-final. Look for the two top seeds to be faster tonight as they will be next to each other in lanes 4 and 5 and will be able to push one another.

Men’s 200 Butterfly – Prelims

• World Record: 1:50.34 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2022)
• World Junior Record: 1:53.79 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
• American Record: 1:51.51 – Michael Phelps (2009)
• U.S. Open Record: 1:52.20 – Michael Phelps, USA (2008)
• Pro Swim Record: 1:53.84 – Luca Urlando, USA (2019)

Top 8

1. Trenton Julian (MVN) – 1:58.73
2. Patrick Branon (UN) – 1:58.93
3. Jon Joentvedt (NST) – 1:59.97
4. Jack Dahlgren (AQJT) – 2:00.34
5. Yeziel Morales (MNV) – 2:02.77
6. Tyler Bardak (FOX) – 2:04.36
7. Laon Kim (UCSC) – 2:04.62
8. Charlie Mayr (UN) – 2:04.83

Holding off both Patrick Branon and the proverbial piano that has chased him so often in his career, top seed Trenton Julian posted the fastest time of the morning with a 1:58.73. The pair, swimming out of heat 3, were close at the 100 turn, with Julian leading 56.38 to 56.57. Branon, who is in his first year at Notre Dame, started to lose ground on the 3rd 50, but closed what was a .54 gap at the 150 meter mark to just .2 as he came home in 31.29 to Julian’s 31.63. The pair were the only two swimmers under 1:59, and just two of three under 2:00 as heat 1’s Jon Joentvedt claimed the heat win in 1:59.97.

#2 seed Jack Dahlgren, like Regan Smith before him, had little to push him in his heat and cruised to the wall in 2:00.34, securing the 4th seed for tonight. Taking 2nd behind him in the heat and earning a 2nd A-final appearance is Canada’s rising star Laon Kim, who will also have lane 1 in tonight’s 100 free A-final.

Women’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 3:55.38 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2023)
• World Junior Record: 3:56.08 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023)
• American Record: 3:56.46 – Katie Ledecky (2016)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• Pro Swim Record: 3:57.94 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)

Top 8

1. Madi Mintenko (PPA) – 4:13.38
2. Maria Fernanda Costa (BRA) – 4:13.54
3. Gabriele Roncatto Goncalves (BRA) – 4:15.03
4. Mary-Sophie Harvey (TQ) – 4:15.64
5. Maria Paula Heitmann (SESC) – 4:17.77
6. Viven Jackl (HUN) – 4:19.19
7. Marian Ploeger (MICH) – 4:19.58
8. Abby Dunford (SYS) – 4:20.60

With a small entry field of just 22 seeded swimmers, the pressure to earn a second swim was minimal, but the fight for a spot in the A-final was intense as ultimately just .03 separated 8th from 9th.

Taking the top seed tonight, with her second swim this morning, is Madi Mintenko. A senior in high school and a UVA commit, Mintenko was the runner-up in this event at the 2024 Junior Pan-Pacs. Mintenko led the top seed Maria Fernanda Costa at the 200 by over a second, 2:04.68 to 2:05.85, but was nearly caught over the last 1oo as Costa, a Brazilian Olympian, closed the gap to just .18 as she touched in 4:13.54, just behind Mintenko’s 4:13.38.

Joining Mintenko with the 100 free/400 free double is Canada’s Mary-Sophie Harvey. The Olympian was the only swimmer amongst the top ten to be over 2:09 at the 200 (2:09.15), but going to her tried and true strategy, she backhalfed the race, descending the last three 100s, 1:06.31 to 1:04.53 to 1:01.96. She also negative split the race, finishing with 200 splits of 2:09.15 and 2:06.49, ultimately hitting the wall in 4:15.64, which was good for 4th.

Also earning a 2nd A-final tonight and with the hardest of doubles is Hungary’s Vivien Jackl, who placed 8th in the 200 fly and 6th in this 400 free.

Of note, Michigan swimmer Marian Ploeger, who was entered with a yards time and swimming out of heat 1, placed 7th with a time of 4:19.58. Ploeger, a first year, appears on the NCAA invite list at the 22nd ranked swimmer in the mile.

Men’s 400 Freestyle – Prelims

• World Record: 3:40.07 – Paul Biedermann, GER (2009)
• World Junior Record: 3:44.31 – Petar Mitsin, BUL (2023)
• American Record: 3:42.78 – Larsen Jensen (2008)
• U.S. Open Record: 3:43.53 – Larsen Jensen, USA (2008)
• Pro Swim Record: 3:43.55 – Sun Yang, CHN (2016)

Top 8

1. Sam Short (AUS) – 3:47.01
2. Guilherme Costa (SESC) – 3:49.78
3. Carson Foster (RAYS) – 3:50.19
4. Luka Mijatovic (PLS) – 3:50.22
5. Ilia Sibirtsev (UZB) – 3:51.93
6. Stephen de Freitas Steverink (FRJ) – 3:52.17
7. Ryan Erisman (LAKR) – 3:52.20
8. Aiden Hammer (KING) – 3:53.59

The only swimmer out in under 1:52.00 at the 200 turn, Sam Short and his 1:50.58 got some electricity flowing in the quiet pool as his flashed up as showing the Australian being .84 under the super suited World Record pace of Paul Biedermann. However, the spark of excitement was relatively short-lived as by the 300 turn, the differential had swung from a negative .84 to over a second over and with the 2023 World Champion out ahead of the field and alone, no one was there to push him as he looked to either tire or shut it down as he cruised home to take the heat win and post the top time of 3:47.01.

While heat 4 saw the fastest time, the previous heat had the more exciting races as Guilheme Costa, Carson Foster, and Luka Mijatovic duked it out for the heat win. The Brazilian had built himself a lead of nearly a second at the 200 turn, flipping in 1:52.10, with Foster at 1:53.03 and Mijatovic at 1:53.11. By the 300 mark, however, Foster had moved ahead of Costa and was leading him by .14. While many associated Foster with his IM abilities, Foster was (for about an hour) the American record holder in the 500 free.

The pair separated by just .09, with Mijatovic not far behind, had themselves a drag race into the finish, with the elder of the two, Cost,a getting his hand on the wall first 3:49.78 to 3:50.19, with the teenaged Mijatovic just .03 back of Foster at 3:50.22.

Of note, the #3 seed overall, Aaron Shackell, the US Olympic Trials Champion, struggled on the back half, posting three consecutive splits above 30 to close the race out, ultimately finishing in 9th place with a time of 3:55.13, over 1.5 back of 8th. The #4 seed overall and winner of the bronze medal last night in the 1500, Luke Whitloc,k was a no-show.