U.S. Nationals Day 3 Women’s Prelims: Gretchen Walsh Goes Fourth-Fastest Time Ever in 100 Fly
The 2025 U.S. National Championships continued from Indianapolis with the prelims of Day 3.
The Day 3 events are the 400 IM, 100 butterfly, 50 breaststroke and 50 backstroke.
Here is a look at the women’s prelims from Thursday:
US Nationals: Women’s 400 IM
The first circle-seeded heat saw Emma Weyant out to an early lead over Zoe Dixon and continue that lead the entire race. Weyant built her lead through the breaststroke leg and built it in the freestyle. She got to the wall in 4:40.01. Dixon was second in 4:44.84.
The final heat saw Caroline Bricker take the early lead after the butterfly but Katie Grimes quickly took the lead in the first few meters of the backstroke leg. Audrey Derivaux was hanging with Grimes by the end of the backstroke and the start of the breaststroke leg. Derivaux took the lead at the breaststroke turn the Leah Hayes took over the lead by the end of the breaststroke ahead of Derivaux and Grimes. Hayes had a half-body length lead to start the freestyle leg and hung on.
Hayes touched in 4:39.82, ahead of Grimes (4:41.13) and Derivaux (4:43.96).
Hayes will have the top seed, followed by Weyant, Grimes and Derivaux.
Teagan O’Dell took fifth in 4:44.40, ahead of Dixon.
Bricker, the NCAA champion in the event, started strong but ended up ninth.
US Nationals: Women’s 100 Butterfly
The 100 butterfly was expected to be a race between Gretchen Walsh, Torri Huske, and the big question was if Walsh would break her world record of 54.60 set earlier this year at Fort Lauderdale.
Walsh was out fast in 25.74 and pulled away from the field quickly in the final heat and finished in 55.29, the fourth-fastest performance in history. The world record could be under siege tonight.
Huske was out with the lead and hung on to win her heat in 57.80. Charlotte Crush (58.23) and Beata Nelson (58.37) were just behind in the race.
Leah Shackley went a 59.18 to win the first circle-seeded event.
Walsh, Huske and Shackley took the top three seeds heading into finals.
Regan Smith, Phoebe Bacon and Simone Manuel scratched the event.
US Nationals: Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Lilly King made the most of her first race of the meet, claiming the top seed in the 50 breaststroke in 30.15. She has announced that this will be her final season swimming.
McKenzie Siroky won her heat to take the second seed into finals at 30.27.
Piper Enge took the third spot at 30.65, ahead of Emma Weber (30.66), Lucy Thomas (30.84) and Alex Walsh (30.86).
US Nationals: Women’s 50 Backstroke
The women’s 50 backstroke field consisted of the American record-holder (Regan Smith) and the U.S. Open record holder (Katharine Berkoff) plus a handful of Olympians.
Leah Shackley went 27.60 ahead of Smith (27.74) in their heat.
Berkoff went a 27.15, missing the American record by five hundredths and her U.S. Open record by three hundredths.
Curzan was second in 27.45, followed by Shackley, Kaitlyn Owen (27.89) and Smith.
