By Sam Blacker on SwimSwam
2025 U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tuesday, June 3 – Saturday, June 7, 2025 Indianapolis, Indiana Indiana University Natatorium LCM (50 meters) World Championship Selection Criteria SwimSwam Preview Index Meet Central Psych Sheets (Updated 6/02) Live Results How To Watch (USA Swimming Network) Prelims Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 Finals Live Recap: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3Day 5 Finals Heat Sheet
The final session of the 2025 U.S. National Championships is upon us. It was a short prelims session this morning, but tonight’s finals take us the full breadth of distances, with the 50 freestyle, 200 IM, women’s 1500 freestyle and men’s 800 freestyle on the docket.
We have some bonus content tonight as well, with not one, not two, but three swim-offs to kick off the session. The first of those does not relate to worlds, but rather to a World University Games spot in the 200 freestyle. Baylor Nelson and Jake Mitchell, both of whom made the 2023 World Championship team in the 4×200 free relay, tied for fifth in the ‘B’ final on Wednesday and will duke it out for the second spot available behind Aaron Shackell.
There are then two women’s events that will have ramifications for Worlds. First, Anna Peplowski and Erin Gemmell will battle it out in the 200 freestyle after tying for fourth on Wednesday in 1:55.82. With two of the swimmers ahead of them (Katie Ledecky and Torri Huske) likely to decline the event for Worlds this may be an individual spot as well as the difference between Priority #1 and Priority #3. Both are already on the Worlds team as the women have already hit the number of required doubles to take the fifth- and sixth-place finishers in the 100 and 200 freestyle.
The second will feature Paris Olympian Emma Weber and Tennessee’s McKenzie Siroky in the 50 breaststroke after they tied for second on Thursday in 30.43. Siroky was faster in the heats at 30.27, whilst Weber set her best in the final. This one will be a straight shootout for Worlds qualification with neither woman qualified elsewhere.
We will then move onto the women’s 1500 freestyle, where Katie Ledecky is the only woman entered under 16 minutes after Katie Grimes‘ scratch this morning. Texas teammates Jillian Cox and Kate Hurst will flank her, with Cox looking to put herself on the Worlds team at the final opportunity this week after being run down from six seconds back by Claire Weinstein in the 800 freestyle on Day 1.
With no Kate Douglass in the field, Alex Walsh will be the favourite to win the 200 IM, but the second spot is wide open. 2022 World bronze medallist Leah Hayes will be next to her in lane 5, but 200 fly champ Caroline Bricker looked strong as she set a new PB to take third overall. Hayes is the only other swimmer than Walsh to have broken 2:10, so she looks to be in pole position if she can be near her best.
The men’s event is more clear-cut: Shaine Casas and Carson Foster qualified 1-2 this morning and are expected to repeat that tonight. It could be a close battle behind that pair, with Owen McDonald (1:58.43), Kieran Smith (1:58.50), Grant House (1:58.57) and Trenton Julian (1:58.71) separated by less than three-tenths of a second.
The men’s 800 free is almost a carbon copy of the women’s 1500 — a Florida pro (Bobby Finke) flanked by two Texas Longhorns (David Johnston and Rex Maurer). Maurer figures to be the favourite for the second spot after a phenomenal 400 freestyle where he broke Larsen Jensen‘s US Open Record, but watch for some outside smoke from Luka Mijatovic in lane 1 after huge drops in the 200 and 400 free for him so far this week.
The women’s 50 free saw the big names comfortably make it through, with Gretchen Walsh (24.30), Kate Douglass (24.38), Torri Huske (24.42) and Simone Manuel (24.70) taking four of the top five spots. Julia Dennis sliced two-tenths off her best to slot in fourth, and could be in the mix tonight along with that quartet. Douglass is the American record holder in this event in 23.91, but there is no clear consensus on who the top two will be – which has the makings for a great race tonight.
The men’s 50 gave us slightly more jeopardy this morning, as Michael Andrew missed out on the ‘A’ final in 10th. The other big names will be in the fastest heat tonight, as Jack Alexy, Chris Guiliano and Matt King made it safely through, but it was Jonny Kulow and ‘Mr Worldwide’ Santo Condorelli who will be next to top seed Alexy tonight as they went 21.75 and 21.87 respectively. Guiliano was the only other man under 22, with Alexy the man to beat after his dominant 100 earlier this week and his 21.49 50 free time trial on Wednesday.
Men’s 200 Freestyle – Swim-Off
World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, GER (2009) American Record: 1:42.96 – Michael Phelps (2008) U.S. Open Record: 1:43.73 – Luke Hobson (2025) 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Winner: Luke Hobson, 1:44.89 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:46.70Results:
Jake Mitchell (FLOR) – 1:46.34 Baylor Nelson (TXLA) – 1:47.04Nelson was breathing towards Mitchell on the first 50, which meant that he watched as the Florida swimmer built a four-tenth of a second lead through the first length.
That only extended over the next 50 as he hit the halfway point in 51.59 to Nelson’s 52.21. The third 50 saw Nelson close slightly, with the gap back down to four-tenths, but Mitchell pulled away down the final 25 to go 1:46.34, a full second faster than the 1:47.38 he swam in the final on Day 2.
Nelson was also faster, going 1:47.06 to finish seven-tenths of a second back. Mitchell will now take the second individual 200 freestyle sport for the World University Games, joining Nelson on the roster. The Texas transfer will be swimming the 400 IM, and possibly 200 IM depending on the outcome of that final later in the session.
Women’s 200 Freestyle – Swim-Off
World Record: 1:52.23 – Ariarne Titmus, AUS (2024) American Record: 1:53.61 – Allison Schmitt (2012) U.S. Open Record: 1:54.13 – Summer McIntosh, CAN (2023) 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Winner: Katie Ledecky – 1:55.22 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:58.23Results:
Erin Gemmell (TXLA) – 1:55.23 Anna Peplowski (IND) – 1:55.70Just like Mitchell in the heat before Gemmell built a lead over the first 50, although this one was smaller at only 0.17 seconds. The lead grew again on the second 50, as Gemmell hit the wall in 56.22 to Peplowski’s 56.58.
Peplowski gained a tenth on the Texas swimmer over the third 50, but in a sense of deja vu it was the swimmer in lane 4 that streaked away down the final length. Both swimmers closed under 29.5, Gemmell with a 29.27 to Peplowski’s 29.47
Gemmell touched in 1:55.23, knocking six-tenths off the best time she set just three days ago. Peplowski was also under the 1:55.82 they both swam on Wednesday to go 1:55.70, and has now taken 1.29 seconds off her 200 freestyle time in a matter of days.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke – Swim-Off
World Record: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania (2023) American Record: 29.40 – Lilly King (2017) U.S. Open Record: 29.62 – Lilly King, United States (2018) 2023 U.S. Nationals Champion: Lilly King – 29.77 2025 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 30.75Results:
Women’s 1500 Freestyle– Final Heat
World Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky, USA (2018) American Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky — 2018 U.S. Open Record: 15:20.48, Katie Ledecky (USA) — 2018 Championship Record: 15:29.64, Katie Ledecky (USA) — 2023 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 16:24.56Top 8:
Women’s 200 IM – Final
World Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu, HUN (2015) American Record: 2:06.15 – Ariana Kukors (2009) U.S. Open Record: 2:06.79 – Kate Douglass, USA (2024) 2024 Olympic Trials Winner: Kate Douglass – 2:06.79 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 2:12.83Final:
Men’s 200 IM – Final
World Record: 1:54.00 — Ryan Lochte, USA (2011) American Record: 1:54.00 — Ryan Lochte, 2011 U.S. Open Record: 1:54.56 — Ryan Lochte, USA, 2009 2024 Olympics Trials Winner: Carson Foster – 1:55.65 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 1:59.05Final:
Men’s 800 Freestyle – Final Heat
World Record: 7:32.00, Zhang Lin, CHN (2009) American Record: 7:38.67, Bobby Finke — 2023 U.S. Open Record: 7:40.34, Bobby Finke (USA) — 2023 Championship Record: 7:40.34, Bobby Finke (USA) — 2023 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 7:48.66Top 8:
Women’s 50 Freestyle – Final
World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjöström, Sweden (2023) American Record: 23.91 – Kate Douglass (2024) U.S. Open Record: 24.00 – Abbey Weitzeil, USA (2023) 2024 Olympics Trials Winner: Simone Manuel – 24.13 2025 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 24.86Final:
Men’s 50 Freestyle– Final
World Record: 20.91 – Cesar Cielo, BRA (2009) American Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel, (2019/2021) U.S. Open Record: 21.04 – Caeleb Dressel, USA (2021) 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials Winner: Caeleb Dressel – 21.41 World Aquatics ‘A’ Cut: 22.05Final:
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