Pro Swim Series, Day 3 Prelims: Caeleb Dressel Delivers Fastest 50 Free Since Paris
Caeleb Dressel had an eventful morning in prelims of the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis Friday.
The nine-time Olympic gold medalist was a pedestrian 15th in prelims of the 50 freestyle with a time of 22.48. But then in a three-way swim-off, Dressel went 21.84, the third-fastest time of the morning. It’s Dressel’s fastest time since he went 21.58 at the Paris Olympics.
All the morning action from IU Natatorium:
- Live Results
- Day 1 Prelims Recap
- Night 1 Men’s Finals Recap
- Night 1 Women’s Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap
- Night 2 Finals Recap
Women’s 200 butterfly
Alex Schakell led the way in her home state with a time of 2:08.00 to secure the top seed. She was 1.56 seconds up on Tess Howley. Teen Audrey Derivaux placed third in 2:10.20, ahead of Caroline Bricker’s 2:11.53.
The A final will include Alex Walsh, who went 2:13.29 for third. Ellie Clark was fifth, and Bailey Hartman and Carli Cronk round out the top eight.
Men’s 200 butterfly
The surprise of the men’s prelims may be that Thomas Heilman barely made the A final, going 2:00.47 and finishing eighth. He was just .25 seconds ahead of Patrick Branon.
At the top, Enzo Solitario of Wisconsin Aquatics paced the field in 1:57.47, ahead of his teammate Dominik Mark Torok’s 1:58.53. Ilya Kharun was third in 1:58.76, easing into the final eight. Henry McFadden joins him in 1:59.02. Raekown Noel and Dare Rose also broke two minutes, while Dawson Walters was just over at 2:00.06 for seventh.
Andrew Shackell (2:00.94) and Grant Sanders are among the B finalists.
Women’s 50 freestyle
There was a Virginia-by-way-of-NYAC swimmer on top, but it wasn’t Gretchen Walsh. Kate Douglass put a scare into the PSS record by going 24.26. Walsh was third in 24.63, with Virginia teammate Anna Moesch between them in 24.54.
All eight in the A final cracked 25 seconds. Kasia Wasick was fourth in 24.64. Alabama’s Cadence Vincent continued a summer of best times by going 24.69 for fifth. Torri Huske was sixth in 24.83, followed by Liberty Clark and Kristina Paegle.
The B final includes Olivia Smoliga, Rylee Erisman, Claire Curzan and Anna Peplowski.
Men’s 50 freestyle
Caeleb Dressel had a morning. The 29-year-old tied for 15th in the 50 free in 22.48 seconds, level with Maximus Williamson and Grant House for the final spot in the B final. But in a seven-man swim off that also resolved ties for 24th and 32nd places, Dressel went 21.84.
Since the summer of 2022, Dressel has gone 21.84 at the PSS stop in Westmont in 2024, 21.61 and 21.41 at Olympic Trials in 2024 and then 21.58 in semis and 21.61 in finals of the Paris Olympics.
Dressel’s swim-off time didn’t beat Quintin McCarty’s top-seed-earning 21.81 or the 21.83 from Van Mathias to finish second. But it was way ahead of third-seed Michael Andrew’s 22.13 in the A final.
Behind Andrew, Nikita Sheremet went 22.15 for fourth. Santo Condorelli was 22.22 for fifth. Patrick Sammon, Lamar Taylor and Kaii Winkler round out the top eight.
Dylan Carter will join Dressel in the B final. Adam Chaney, Matt King, Jerry Fox and Brooks Curry are among the C finalists.
Women’s 200 backstroke
In a loaded backstroke field, Isabelle Stadden secured the top seed in 2:07.51 in the morning session. She was seventh tenths up on Maggie Wanezek, the Wisconsin swimmer setting a best time of 2:08.20. Rylee Ersiman was within a tenth of her best when she went 2:08.32 for third.
Fourth place went to Rhyan White, the Olympian going 2:09.11 to edge Leah Shackley by .22 seconds. Claire Curzan was sixth in 2:10.68, just ahead of Phoebe Bacon’s 2:10.82, with Teagan O’Dell eighth. No room in the A final for Anna Peplwoski, Audrey Derivaux or Katie Grimes.
Men’s 200 backstroke
Cornelius Jahn will be the top seed in the 200 back final Friday night, the Ohio State swimmer dropping a best time of 1:58.04 to best the field. Keaton Jones was second in 1:58.59. Three more swimmers got under 1:59, with JT Ewing leading in 1:58.78, followed by Gavin Keogh and Tommy Hagar.
David King was sixth, .02 up on Michael Long on 1:59.66. Owen McDonald’s 2:00.11 got into the final eight. Destin Lasco is among the B finalists, in 11th, while Daniel Diehl was 18th.
Women’s 400 freestyle
Katie Ledecky bested the field in prelims by a wide margin, her time of 4:02.28 best in the field by more than 6.5 seconds as she looks to build on Wednesday’s win in the 1,500.
Second was Kennedi Dobson a ways back in 4:09.05. Erin Gemmell was third in 4:09.44, followed by Mila Nikanorov and Cavan Gormsen in the 4:10s. It is a Virginia-tinted final eight, with Aimee Canny sixth in 4:11.82 to join Madi Mintenko and Katie Grimes in the A final.
Men’s 400 freestyle
Aaron Shackell led the men’s field with a time of 3:51.24. 17 seconds up on William Mulgrew. Third was Max Carlsen in 3:54.08. He was joined in the 3:54s by Kieran Smith and Bobby Finke. Carson Hick was sixth in 3:55.25, with Trent Allen and Yuki Ikari also making the A final cut, the latter by .01 over Ellis Crisci.