Olympic Trials Day 4 Prelims: Alex Shackell Leads Regan Smith in 200 Butterfly

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Olympic Trials Day 4 Prelims: Alex Shackell Leads Reagan Smith in 200 Butterfly

Regan Smith returned to the pool this morning to compete in the women’s 200-meter butterfly, holding true to her word in that she had other events to focus on this week – and she was put to work this morning by 17-year-old Alex Shackell.

Shackell challenged the current 100 backstroke world record holder throughout the entirety of the swim. She held close to Smith through the first half of the swim; to overtake her in the final 75 meters coming into the wall. Shackell touched the wall first with a time of 2:06.71, which will be the top seed time coming into the semi-final tonight.

Smith touched the wall second in the final heat of the circle seeded heats with a time of 2:07.24, which will put her in the second seed spot for the later semi-final.

National team member, Linsday Looney, pulled ahead of a very tight second to last heat of the event to victory with a time of 2:08.24 – which will seed her in the third ranked spot. Two time national champion, Emma Sticklen, and NCAA qualifier, Dakota Luther, touched second and third behind Looney in the heat with times of 2:08.55 and 2:08.69, respectively. They will come into semifinals occupying the fourth and fifth seeds.

Pan-American team member, Lucy Bell, finished with a time of 2:09.07 which will register her a sixth-place seed. World Cup Champion, Tess Howley, and two-time PAC-12 champion, Caroline Bricker, will round out the top eight with times of 2:09.10 and 2:09.12.

In ninth is 26 time All-American, Kelly Pash, with a time of 2:09.43. Followed by the silver medalist from 2021 World Championships, Charlotte Hook, with a time 2:09.80 and NCAA champion, Rachel Klinker with a time of 2:10.16. They will occupy the 10^th and 11^th spots. Big Ten Champion, Megan Van Berkom, will follow suite in the 12^th spot with a time of 2:10.25. She will be followed closely by the 14 year old, Audrey Derivaux, who touched at a 2:10.77. That swim will be good enough for the 13^th spot for semi-finals.

The final three spots that are guaranteed a second swim tonight will belong to Sara Stotler with a time of 2:11.63, Katie Crom with a time of 2:11.69 and Greta Pelzek with a time of 2:11.70.

Alternates for the Olympic Trials semifinals are Leah Gingrich and Zoe Dixon with times of 2:11.97 and 2:11.93.

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