{"id":530192,"date":"2023-06-27T07:34:33","date_gmt":"2023-06-27T14:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=530192"},"modified":"2023-06-27T10:55:52","modified_gmt":"2023-06-27T17:55:52","slug":"u-s-nationals-regan-smith-cruises-to-top-qualifying-time-in-200-fly-prelims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/u-s-nationals-regan-smith-cruises-to-top-qualifying-time-in-200-fly-prelims\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Nationals: Regan Smith Cruises to Top Qualifying Time in 200 Fly Prelims"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.S. Nationals: Regan Smith Cruises to Top Qualifying Time in 200 Fly Prelims<\/strong><\/p>\n

Regan Smith<\/strong> has been among the best 200 butterfly swimmers in the world for several years, but she made a huge move three weeks ago as she became the fourth-fastest performer ever in the event, knocking off a 14-year-old American record in the process<\/a>. She is the fastest swimmer in the world so far this year by almost a second over Canadian teenage star\u00a0Summer McIntosh<\/strong>. Now, Smith is set up to win a U.S. title in the event for the first time.<\/p>\n

Smith was just off her own American-record pace at the halfway point before cruising home. Smith touched in 2:06.80 to secure the top qualifying mark for the final by more than a half-second. In the final heat, Smith was followed into the wall by Longhorn’s Emma Sticklen<\/strong> (2:08.61) and\u00a0Sun Devil’s\u00a0Lindsay Looney<\/strong> (2:08.67), who earned the fifth and seventh seeds for finals, respectively.<\/p>\n

Longhorn’s\u00a0Dakota Luther<\/strong>, who qualified for the World Championships in 2017 as a 16-year-old in the 200 fly, raced to a big lead in heat five, and she held off her fast-finishing Texas teammate\u00a0Kelly Pash<\/strong>. Luther finished in 2:07.55 for the second-best time of the morning. Pash went 2:08.40 for the fourth seed. There will be a strong Texas flavor in the A-final with Luther, Sticklen and Pash all among the top five in qualifying.<\/p>\n

Alex Shackell<\/strong> had a big morning swim, with the 16-year-old from Carmel Swim Club cutting more than seven tenths off her best time while beating veteran\u00a0Hali Flickinger<\/strong> to the wall by more than a second. Shackell touched in 2:07.95 for third overall in the morning session. Flickinger, the Olympic bronze medalist in this event and the silver medalist at last year’s World Championships, swam a time of 2:08.64 for the sixth seed.<\/p>\n

Long Island’s\u00a0Tess Howley<\/strong> ended up eighth in 2:09.08. Katie Grimes<\/strong>, the World Championships silver medalist in the 1500 free and 400 IM last year, is entered in a grueling program of events this week at Nationals, and she placed ninth in her first event. Her 2:09.84 left her seven tenths shy of a spot in the A-final. It’s unclear if Grimes will remain in the event and race the B-final or scratch. She is seeded third in Tuesday evening’s 800 free, where she will have a very real chance at qualifying for Worlds.<\/p>\n