Dressel, Lazor, Ledecky, Sims and Smith all earn podium spots
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Five swimmers with Florida ties claimed five medals on the second night of the Phillips 66 National Championships, as Caeleb Dressel, Annie Lazor, Katie Ledecky, Bella Sims and Kieran Smith all found themselves on the podium Wednesday evening.
Volunteer coach Ledecky and incoming freshman Bella Sims went two-three in the 200m free A-final to open up the night. Ledecky’s 1:55.28 was just .02 away from first, while Sims set a personal-best 1:56.08, nearly a second-ahead of her previous best.
In the C-final, Isabel Ivey went 1:59.32 to finish second, while incoming freshmen Michael Mattes (fourth) and Lainy Kruger (eighth) competed in the D-final.
In the men’s 200m free, Smith went 1:45.63 for national runner up, dropping .47 seconds off his prelim time. Jake Mitchell, who’s headed into his senior season, just missed the podium, finishing fourth at 1:46.25 but still qualified for the 800m free relay team at the World Championships next month.
Assistant Coach Annie Lazor earned a spot on the podium in the women’s 200m breast, clocking a 2:25.86 to finish third. Incoming freshman Grace Rainey went 2:34.39 in the D-final for fifth.
Caeleb Dressel earned bronze in the 50m fly, dropping an event-best .44 seconds off his prelim time to swim 23.35, as the seven-time Olympic gold medalist continues to make strides in his comeback.
Clocking a personal-best 23.80 in the 50m fly B-final, Jace Crawford placed second in the group, and tenth overall.
Natalie Hinds racked up a sixth-place finish in the women’s 50m fly, dropping a quarter of a second from her prelim time to finish 26.20. Olivia Peoples also dropped a quarter of a second off her prelim time to finish in second of the B-final to tally a personal-best 26.60.
In the women’s 200m back, Jo Jo Ramey, who will be on the roster this fall, went 2:10.58 in the A-final to finish eighth among the nation’s best.
Incoming freshman Catie Choate went a personal-best 2:10.94, dropping over two seconds from her previous time to finish fourth in the B-final.
Caleb Maldari, who will join the team in the fall, finished sixth in the 200m back B-final, clocking a 1:59.48 during the evening session. Future teammate Amadeusz Knop clocked a 2:02.29 to place fifth in the D-final.
Prelims:
Women’s 200 Free
Katie Ledecky reigned supreme during her morning swim, finishing as the top time with a 1:55.49. Incoming freshman Bella Sims joins Ledecky in the A-final after finishing fourth with a time of 1:57.07. Isabel Ivey and Emma Weyant both qualified for the C-final after Ivey clocked a 1:59.33 for 18th with Weyant finishing 20th at 1:59.78.
Lainy Kruger and Michaela Mattes, both freshman during the 2023-24 season, finished 44th and 47th during the morning. Micayla Cronk finished 53rd with a 2:03.68.
Men’s 200 Free
Jake Mitchell and Kieran Smith will both represent the Gators in the A-final. Mitchell went 1:45.82 to finish fourth, one slot ahead of Smith’s fifth-place finish at 1:46.10.
Women’s 200 Breast
Newly-hired assistant coach Annie Lazor posted a 2:26.51 during the morning to finish with the third-best time overall and a spot in the A-Final. Incoming freshman Grace Rainey touched the wall in 2:34.50 for 28th to qualify in the D-Final.
Men’s 200 Breast
The lone Gator in the event, Peter Bretzmann finished 28th during his morning swim at 2:16.77 for a spot in the D-Final.
Women’s 200 Back
Jo Jo Ramey, an incoming freshman, notched the final spot in the A-final, finishing eighth at 2:09.69. Fellow 2023-24 freshman Catie Choate quailed for the B-Final after clocking a 2:12.33 to tie for 15th. Zoe Dixon finished 34th after swimming a 2:15.74.
Men’s 200 Back
Incoming freshman Caleb Maldari notched a 1:57.86, narrowly missing an automatic qualification to the A-final with a ninth-place finish. Amadeusz Knop went 2:03.78 to place 45th and earn a spot in the D-final.
Women’s 50 Fly
Natalie Hinds jumped out early to get a 26.45 for an A-final spot, while Olivia Peoples placed 11th at 26.85. Aris Runnels went 27.46 to place 28th.
Men’s 50 Fly
Caeleb Dressel qualified for his first A-final of the week, finishing seventh at 23.79 to earn the chance at a title. Jace Crawford (24.06) earned a B-final spot, while incoming freshman Scotty Buff (24.50) will swim in the C-final.
The 2023 Phillips 66 National Championships continue Thursday, with prelims starting at 10 a.m. ET and finals at 7 p.m. ET. The prelims are streamed on the USA Swimming Youtube page while the finals are available on Peacock.
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