TYR Pro Swim Series, Day 3 Prelims: Caeleb Dressel 8th in 50 Free in 22.65

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

TYR Pro Swim Series, Day 3 Prelims: Caeleb Dressel 8th in 50 Free in 22.65

Caeleb Dressel started the TYR Pro Swim Series Thursday night in Westmont, Ill., with a win in the 100 butterfly. He wasn’t a sharp Friday morning, barely scraping into the 50 free final with the eighth-best time in prelims.

Dressel grabbed the last lane in the 50 free final for Friday night, his time of 22.65. He had been 21.99 at the U.S. Open in November.

All the action from Friday morning at the FMC Natatorium:

Women’s 200 butterfly

Regan Smith is the clear swimmer to beat in the 200 fly, her time of 2:08.20 in prelims nearly three seconds ahead of the field. The second seed was Dakota Luther in 2:11.09, then another two seconds back to Kelsey Zhang in 2:13.22. Leah Shackley was fourth in 2:14.49. Among the A finalists is Katie Grimes, who finished sixth. She and Claire Weinstein, who finished 12th, also have the 400 free later in the session.

Only 20 swimmers entered and 18 swam.

Men’s 200 butterfly

Luca Urlando scratched the 100 fly but looks in good form in the 200. He took home the top seed in 1:57.47, the best time by a half-second. It’s faster than Urlando was at the PSS stop in Knoxville in January (1:57.80) and just behind his U.S. Open time in November (1:57.38). That swim was his first 1:57 since 2021.

Trenton Julian secured the second seed in 1:58.01. Zach Harting followed in 1:58.45, and Chase Kalisz and Dare Rose were also in the 1:58s. Eight swimmers broke two minutes, with Aaron Shackell getting the last A final spot at the expense of Thomas Heilman.

Women’s 50 freestyle

Abbey Weitzeil was first in a veteran-laden 50 free, going 24.87 to lock down a middle lane. She was .03 ahead of Torri Huske. Catie DeLoof went 24.99 for third, just .04 ahead of Simone Manuel. Brooke Boak, at age 37, is in the A final in 25.24, ahead of Olivia Smoliga and Erika Connolly (nee Erika Brown).

Taylor Ruck is the top seed in the B final. Penny Oleksiak finished 18th.

Men’s 50 freestyle

Jack Alexy set the pace in the morning in 22.28 seconds, .08 ahead of Alberto Mestre. It’s an international A final, with Andrej Barna third, Santo Condorelli fourth, Lucas Peixoto sixth and Abdelrahaman El Araby seventh.

Ryan Held was fifth for the American minority with Caeleb Dressel eighth. Blake Pieroni is the top seed in a B final that includes Brooks Curry.

Women’s 100 backstroke

Regan Smith was back and it and no closer to the field in the 100 back, winning prelims in 58.75. She was more than a second ahead of runner-up Leah Shackley, who went 59.93. Only Olympian Rhyan White joined them under a minute in 59.95.

Torri Huske is the fourth seed in finals after a 1:00.60. Taylor Ruck finished fifth. Katie Grimes, aiming to swim all the events, was 13th.

Men’s 100 backstroke

Justin Ress popped a time of 54.50 seconds to set the pace in prelims. Second was Theo Andreopoulos, of noted powerhouse Drexel, in 54.77. That’s a best time for the Greek international, who had gone 55.12 at the 2022 European Championships. Third was a slightly less obscure name in Ryan Murphy, who went 55.12.

Hugo Gonzalez joins the Cal parade in the final in fourth, with Destin Lasco sixth. In between is Gabriel Fantoni.

Women’s 200 breaststroke

After coasting to the win in the 100 breast, Lilly King is the clear leader in the 200. She went 2:29.39, seventh tenths ahead of a limited field. Alexis Yaeger was second in 2:30.10, then Leah Hayes another second back. Isabelle Odgers was fourth.

Men’s 200 breaststroke

Will Licon led the way in prelims in 2:13.06. Third was Anton McKee. In between is someone more than a decade younger, with Florida commit Jordan Willis going 2:14.08.

The final eight is split, intriguingly, between four swimmers born in 2006 or 2007 and four born before 1997. Josh Bey, Noah Cakir and Xavier Ruiz lead the young generation. German Max Pilger and Tommy Cope are there for the vets.

Women’s 400 freestyle

It’ll be the same crew contesting the distance events as have been battling it out all week. Claire Weinstein set the pace in 4:13.21. The winner of the 800 free was .48 seconds ahead of Paige Madden, who was third in that race. The 800 free runner-up Katie Grimes finished sixth in prelims, setting up a decision for what she wants to swim at night. She went 4:16.76.

Three Brazilians are in the A final, led by Maria Fernanda da Silva da Costa third. Aline Rodrigues is fourth with Beatriz Dizotti eighth.

Men’s 400 freestyle

Eduardo Oliveira de Moraes led the way in the men’s 400 free in 3:52.33. He’s 1.35 seconds ahead of Kieran Smith, with Drew Kibler three seconds back 3:55.30. David Johnston, winner of the 800, grabbed the fourth seed, one of three swimmers in the 3:55s with Luke Whitlock. Michael Brinegar and Jay Litherland were also in the A final.

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