Pro Swim Series Indy, Day 2 Prelims: Katharine Berkoff Fires Meet Record in 50 Back
Katharine Berkoff was ready to go for Thursday’s prelims session of the TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, popping a meet record in the women’s 50 backstroke.
Her time of 27.05 downs the series mark of 27.13 set by Kylie Masse of Canada in Fort Lauderdale on May 1, 2025. Berkoff’s time brushes within a tenth of her American record, set last summer, at 26.97.
All the action from prelims on Thursday:
Women’s 100 butterfly
Gretchen Walsh got the morning off to a flyer with a time of 55.56 in the 100 fly, grabbing the top seed by 2.5 seconds over her sister Alex Walsh, who went 58.08. Alex Shackell, swimming close to home, was second in 58.63, with Claire Curzan’s 58.85 the only other sub-59 swim.
Fifth was Torri Huske in 59.08. then came two ties. Tess Howley and Erika Pelaez were level on 59.44 for sixth. A swim-off is required to separate teens Charlotte Crush and Rylee Erisman, who tied for eighth in 59.63.
The B final includes Liberty Clark in 12th and Leah Shackley in 13th. Of note in the B final is a best time for 14-year-old Finola Whelehan, the TAC Titans swimmer going 59.69 to trim 1.5 seconds off her best. She’s just a second off the NAG of Curzan, set in 2019 at 58.61.
Men’s 100 butterfly
Kaii Winkler led the way in 51.52, the German international the only one to break 52 and followed by a parade of 10 52s. Dylan Carter was first among them in 52.23, .02 up on Ilya Kharun. Thomas Heilman and Ole Eidam tied for fourth in 52.54. Dare Rose was sixth in 52.74. Maxim Skazobtsov and Michael Andrew round out the top eight.
In 11th place was Caeleb Dressel, who went 52.98. He’ll swim in the B final.
Women’s 200 breaststroke
Kate Douglass led the way with a time of 2:25.28, the meet and American record holder out in front by nearly three seconds. Second place went to Alex Walsh, on the back end of a double, in 2:27.99.
Aimee Canny had a rare swim that didn’t result in a South African record this week, thanks to the impressive depth in that program’s breaststroke history. Canny was third in 2:28.64.
Elizabeth Nawrocki, Adalene Robillard and Eneli Jefimova all cracked 2:30 to reach the A final, joined by Katie Christopherson and Sophia Umstead.
Men’s 200 breaststroke
Luke Barr posted the fastest time in the morning at 2:11.98, a best time for the 23-year-old and an improvement by nearly a second on the PB he set last month. Josh Bey was second, flying the flag of Indiana, in 2:12.61, with Jed Garner of Towson third in 2:12.92.
Charlie Egeland was third, joined in the 2:13s by Finnley Conklin, Denis Petrashov and Josh Matheny. Wilson York, a 16-year-old, rounded out the top eight in 2:14.48.
Women’s 50 backstroke
Katharine Berkoff’s was the swim of the morning, going 27.05 to instantly challenge her year-old American record of 26.97. She’s the leader but only by a tenth over Isabelle Stadden, whose impressive form continues. She set a best time of 27.18 for second in what might be a two-horse race.
Veteran Olivia Smoliga was third in 27.78, two tenths up on Claire Curzan, who has a time of 27.26 in her past. Olympian Rhyan White was fifth in 28.01, .02 up on Maggie Wanezek and .06 ahead of Kaitlyn Owens. Leah Shackley’s 28.15 rounded out the top eight.
No room for Erika Pelaez, who was ninth. Gretchen Walsh finished 10th in 28.24. Also in the B final are Anna Peplowski in 12th and Phoebe Bacon in 13th.
Men’s 50 backstroke
Fresh off his win in the 100 back, comeback kid Ryan Murphy led the way again in the 50 back, going 24.75. He was .17 up on Quintin McCarthy of NC State, and his fellow Wolfpacker Kaii Winkler placed third in 25.04.
Adam Chaney was fourth in 25.18. The A final also includes Michael Andrew, David King, Grant Bochenski and Remi Fabiani, 25.36 required to get in.
Daniel Diehl and Aiden Hayes are among the B finalists.
Women’s 400 IM
Teenager Sydney Schoeck led the way with a best time in the 400 IM at 4:39.86. She was nearly two seconds ahead of Emma Weyant’s 4:41.80 with another two seconds back to Katie Grimes in 4:43.70.
Newly minted South African 200 IM record holder Aimee Canny is fourth in the 400 IM, her 4:44.66 still seven seconds shy of the national record. Audrey Derivaux, Caroline Bricker, Leah Hayes and 13-year-old Kate Allen round out the A final. Teagan O’Dell was ninth.
Men’s 400 IM
Canadian international Lorne Wiggington secured the top seed in the men’s by going 4:17.13. He was a second ahead of Yi Zheng, the 16-year-old from Carmel clocking in at 4:18.27. Ryan Erisman dropped a huge best time by nearly five seconds in 4:18.35 to finish third.
Fourth was Grant Sanders in 4:19.43, while Yuki Ikari and Dominik Mark Torok also broke 4:20. Tristan Jankovics and Bobby Finke mean a pair of Olympians round out the A final.