UF S&D | Four Gators Punch Tickets to Budapest on Day 1 of Phillips 66

Caeleb Dressel, Bobby Finke, Natalie Hinds and Katie Ledecky earn spots on the USA roster team

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – On the first day of the Phillips 66 International Team Trials, four Gators clinched their tickets to the 2022 FINA World Championships.

Caeleb Dressel, Bobby Finke, Natalie Hinds and Katie Ledecky secured their spots on the Team USA roster after their performances on Tuesday night.

Caeleb Dressel punched his first ticket to Budapest on Night 1 after posting the fastest time in the world this year in the 100M free, taking first with a time of 47.79. He was the top seed in the race after posting a time of 48.12 in the preliminary session.

Kieran Smith also competed in the A Final of the 100M free, finishing seventh overall with a time of 48.51 after his prelim time of 48.50. Macguire McDuff represented Florida in the B Final of the 100M free, finishing 14th overall with a swim of 49.66.

Natalie Hinds qualified for a spot in Budapest herself after finishing fourth in the 100m free, securing her at least a relay position on the squad. She went a 53.65 in the A Final, going .12 seconds faster than her preliminary time. Micayla Cronk competed in the C Final for Florida, finishing third in the heat and 17th overall with a swim of 55.69, a whole second better than her prelim time.

Bobby Finke was well ahead of the pack in the 1500M freestyle race, finishing first overall with a time of 14:45.72. That marks the third-fastest time in the world this year and secured him a spot on the Team USA roster.

Tyler Watson and Brennan Gravely finished ninth-tenth overall after all the 1500M timed finals completed, recording times of 15:28.22 and 15:31.30, respectively.

Volunteer Coach Katie Ledecky rounded out the Gators that earned a trip to Budapest on Tuesday evening, finishing first in the women’s 800m free with a time of 8:09.27. That was the fastest time for Ledecky since 2019 and was her sixth-fastest time overall.

Tylor Mathieu posted an eighth-place finish in the 800M free, touching the wall in 8:36.85, while Elise Bauer posted a 17th-place finish with a swim of 8:46.75 on the first night of competition.

In the A Final of the 200M fly, Amanda Ray finished eighth overall with a time of 2:10.70. She swam her way into the finals after placing eighth in the prelims, touching the wall in a time of 2:10.85.

Jace Crawford posted a time of 1:57.09 in the A Final of the 200M fly, finishing eighth overall. He earned his spot in the final after finishing seventh overall in the prelim session with a time of 1:57.40.

Allie Piccirillo competed in the 200M fly prelims, finishing 29th with a time of 2:17.45 and Adam Chaney rounded out the competitors with an appearance in the 100M freestyle event, placing 25th with a time of 50.05.

Tomorrow’s races will begin at 9 a.m. with the women’s 200-meter freestyle. Watch live at USASwimming.org.

Finals Times:
Women’s 200M Fly – A Final

* Amanda Ray – 2:10.70 (8th place)
Men’s 200M Fly – A Final

* Jace Crawford – 1:57.09 (8th place)
Women’s 100M Free – A Final

* Natalie Hinds – 53.65 (4th place)
Women’s 100M Free – C Final

* Micayla Cronk – 55.69 (3rd in heat; 17th overall)
Men’s 100M Free – A Final

* Caeleb Dressel – 47.79 (1st place)
* Kieran Smith – 48.51 (7th place)
Men’s 100M Free – B Final

* Macguire McDuff – 49.66 (6th in heat; 14th place overall)
Women’s 800M Freestyle (Timed Finals)

* Katie Ledecky – 8:09.27 (1st place)
* Tylor Mathieu – 8:36.85 (8th place)
* Elise Bauer – 8:47.75 (17th place)
Men’s 1650M Freestyle (Timed Finals)

* Bobby Finke – 14:45.72 (1st place)
* Tyler Watson – 15:28.22 (9th place)
* Brennan Gravley – 15:31.30 (10th place)

*Bold indicates qualification for FINA World Championships

Preliminary Times:
Women’s 200M Fly