US Nationals: Battle of Olympians Brewing in the 400 Free (Friday Prelims Heat Sheet)
The Friday morning preliminary session at the 2025 US Nationals will see action in the 400 freestyle, the 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke. The five-day competition is taking place at the historic IU Natatorium in downtown Indianapolis.
Click here to view the full heat sheet.
In the 400 freestyle, Olympic champion Katie Ledecky leads a pack filled with Olympians. The first of the circled seeded heat will see Olympians Anna Peplowski, Bella Sims, Claire Weinstein and Emma Weyant take the water. In the second circle-seeded heat, Ledecky will be joined by Erin Gemmell and Katie Grimes. Based on their entry times, Ledecky and Weinstein hold a significat advantage over the rest of the field. In the men’s event Aaron Shackell will look to defend his Olympic Trials win from a year ago, but will face challenges from both veterans and newcomers. Kieran Smith and Jake Mitchell bring in the veteran experience, while Rex Maurer, Ryan Erisman and Luka Mijatovic will bring in the younger power.
In the 100 breaststroke, Lilly King will look to go out as the queen in her final 100 on American soil. The Olympic champion and world-record holder will face competition in Emma Weber and Alex Walsh. Another swimmer trying to put herself into contention will be McKenzie Siroky, who put together an outstanding performance in the 50 breaststroke on night three and finished tied for second. 2024 Olympian Josh Matheny is the top-seed in the men’s events, having a slight edge over Michael Andrew. Matheny will be joined by two of his Indiana teammates in the circle seeded heats in Brian Benzing and Charlie Egeland, both of whom look to make their first major international team.
To close out the morning on the women’s side, world-record holder Regan Smith comes in as the favorite to defend her national title in the 100 backstroke. Her biggest competition will come from Katharine Berkoff, who set the American record in the 50 backstroke on night three and is seeded eight tenths behind Smith. In the men’s 100 backstroke, it will be a changing of the guard with the absence of 2024 Olympians Ryan Murphy and Hunter Armstrong. Jack Aikins comes in as the top seed after narrowly missing making the Olympic Team last summer and will be joined by Trials finalists Tommy Janton, Will Modglin and Jack Wilkening.
