US National Championships Day 1 Women’s Finals: Hannah Bellard Holds off Bella Sims in 200 Fly; Derivaux Makes Junior Pan Pacs
The USA Swimming 2026 Toyota National Championships have kicked off from Irvine, California.
The women’s events for the Day 1 finals include the 200 butterfly, 100 freestyle and 800 free.
Here is a look at what happened during the women’s finals:
Women’s 200 Butterfly
There was some electricity in the water before the 200 fly A final to kick off the first night in Irvine.
Audrey Derivaux won the 18-under final in 2:07.86, a time that would have finished fourth in the A final, but the top 18-under swimmers were in one heat together.
Her time qualified her for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
That led to the A final where University of Michigan swimmers went 1-2.
Hannah Bellard won the national title in the event with a swim of 2:06.86, holding off college teammate Bella Sims, who got to the wall in 2:07.19.
Texas’ Lindsay Looney was third in 2:07.26, followed by Tennessee’s Emily Brown (2:08.25) and former Cal star Rachel Klinker (2:07.59).
Rounding out the top eight were Bailey Hartman (2:10.21), Carli Cronk (2:11.17) and Campbell Stoll (2:12.74).
Women’s 100 freestyle
With some of the sport’s stars resting for the Pan Pacific Championships, the women’s 100 free was still incredibly fast.
Virginia’s Anna Moesch threw down an American record 51.88 to win the national championship.
Moesch turned in 25.07 and closed in 26.81.
Her time broke Moesch’s own American record in the event (51.94) set in March.
It wasn’t just Moesch that was speedy, either.
Rylee Erisman and Indiana’s Liberty Clark were both in the 52s, chasing Moesch and finishing with stellar swims.
Erisman got to the wall in 52.92, while Clark touched in 52.97.
Tennessee’s Camille Spink took fourth in 53.19, followed by Indiana’s Kristina Paegle (54.24), Alabama’s Cadence Vincent (54.30), Wolfpack Elite’s Erika Pelaez (54.33) and Louisville’s Caroline Larsen (54.40).
Women’s 800 Freestyle
Texas Longhorn Aquatics’ Kate Hurst claimed the national championship in the 800 free.
Hurst got to the wall in 8:28.33 to hold off the field by three seconds.
Gena Jorgenson was second with a swim of 8:31.18, which held off Sydney Schoeck, who took third in 8:32.44.
Brinkleigh Hansen took fourth in 8:33.0-5, followed by Michigan’s Katie McCarthy (8:33.94), Paige Downey (8:35.07), OSU’s Mila Nikanorov (8:35.47) and Zayda Miehl (8:35.56).
