TYR Pro Series Westmont, Day Four Finals: Regan Smith and Kate Douglass Double; Shaine Casas Makes It Six Wins
The first major U.S. long-course competition of the 2025 campaign has featured plenty of speed over the past few days, with Summer McIntosh and Shaine Casas starring during the first two full finals sessions of the TYR Pro Series stop in Westmont, Illinois. McIntosh followed up a victory in the 200-meter butterfly with the fourth-fastest time in history on Friday in the 400 individual medley. Casas, meanwhile, picked up victories in the 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 50 backstroke and 200 backstroke.
The last day of the meet figured to bring additional high-level performances, thanks to McIntosh racing the 200 individual medley and Regan Smith chasing a double in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly. Casas qualified for Saturday night’s finals in the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly, and could bring his win total to six before he returns to training in Austin, Texas.
Here is an event-by-event breakdown of Saturday night’s action.
Meet Results
Men’s 50 Freestyle
On Friday night, Aruba’s Mikel Schreuders shared the title in the 50 breaststroke with South African Michael Houlie. In the final event of the Pro Series in Westmont, Schreuders had the podium to himself, as he won the 50 freestyle in 22.13, which was quicker than the 24.27 of Jack Dolan.
Women’s 50 Freestyle
Kate Douglass completed her double by the slimmest of margins, as she touched the wall in 24.62 for a .01 edge over Australian Meg Harris. Douglass earlier won the 200 breaststroke and her versatility was on display as she dropped down to a sprint event and overhauled a field that included an impressive lineup.
While Harris was second in 24.63, third place went to Poland’s Kasia Wasick in 24.76 and Simone Manuel checked in at 24.79 for fourth place.
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
Carson Foster of United States of America competes in the swimming 400m Individual Medley Men Heats during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Defense Arena in Paris (France), July 28, 2024.
Carson Foster completed a sweep of the individual medley events behind a mark of 1:57.04. Coming off a win in the 400 IM on Friday night, Foster trailed Michael Andrew after the opening butterfly leg, but moved into the lead on backstroke and never looked back. Foster has looked sharp throughout the weekend, which bodes well for a season that features a World Championships during the summer.
Grant House was second in 1:58.71 while Andrew was third in 2:01.69. Andrew was out under world-record pace for the fly leg, but fell off considerably over the closing 150 meters, including a 30.87 freestyle split.
Women’s 200 Individual Medley
Under world-record pace through the butterfly and backstroke legs, Canadian Summer McIntosh destroyed the field in the 200 individual medley. McIntosh stopped the clock in 2:07.42, less than a second off her winning time in the event from last summer’s Olympic Games in Paris. McIntosh finished more than four seconds ahead of Mary-Sophie Harvey, who took second in 2:11.53.
McIntosh enjoyed a superb weekend in Illinois, as she went 2:04.00 in the 200 butterfly and recorded the fourth-fastest time in history in the 400 IM.
Men’s 100 Butterfly
Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Make it six victories on the weekend for Shaine Casas, his latest perhaps the most impressive of the past three days. The American blew away the competition in the 100 fly, going 50.82 for a stellar March time. Casas opened up a .88 advantage on the first lap and continued to add to his margin, with second place going to Trenton Julian in 52.68.
Casas’ earlier victories came in the 100 freestyle, 200 free and all three backstroke events.
Women’s 100 Butterfly
Sitting second at the turn, Regan Smith used a big underwater to move into the lead and pulled away from Aussie Lily Price over the last 50 meters to win the 100 fly in 56.85. Smith went 26.99 over the opening length, which was .09 behind Price, but the American had way too much over final 50 meters, which she covered in 29.86. Price took second in 58.26.
Smith’s win was her second of the night and third of the meet. Earlier in the session, Smith topped the field in the 100 backstroke. Simone Manuel, best known for her sprint-free prowess, registered a personal best on the way to third place, as she stopped the clock in 58.62.
Men’s 200 Breaststroke
A two-man battle unfolded in the men’s 200 breaststroke, where Josh Bey rallied from a slight deficit at the 150-meter mark to grab the win in 2:12.61. Bey was .28 behind A.J. Pouch through three laps, but a closing split of 35.00, compared to the 35.80 of Pouch, enabled Bey to pull ahead. Pouch touched for second place in 2:13.13.
Women’s 200 Breaststroke
kate-douglass-
Kate Douglass showed why she is the reigning Olympic champion in the 200 breaststroke as she cruised away from the field to grab victory in 2:22.60. The American-record holder in the event, Douglass packaged a wire-to-wire triumph and finished almost three seconds ahead of Germany’s Anna Elendt, who was timed in 2:25.51. Canadian Mary-Sophie Harvey was third in 2:25.78.
Douglass has established herself as one of the most versatile swimmers in the world, also ranking among the globe’s elite in the 200 individual medley, sprint-freestyle events and 100 butterfly.
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Tied with Tommy Janton at the midway point of the race, Shaine Casas pulled away over the second length and won the 100 backstroke in 53.54. The victory was Casas’ fifth of the weekend, complementing earlier first-place finishes in the 100 freestyle, 200 free, 50 backstroke and 200 backstroke. Janton touched in second place in 53.82, with no other swimmers going under the 54-second barrier.
A Paris Olympian for the United States in the 200 individual medley, Casas bypassed that event on Saturday in order to tackle the 100 backstroke/100 butterfly double. His performances over the weekend have provided evidence that his training in Austin, Texas have been successful, with the World Championships targeted during the summer.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Backing up her victory in the 200 backstroke, Regan Smith dominated a stacked field in the 100 backstroke on Saturday night. Smith bolted to the lead off the start and delivered a winning mark of 58.64, which was almost a second ahead of the 59.51 posted by Katharine Berkoff for second place.
The Olympic silver medalist in the event from last summer’s Games in Paris, Smith was out in 28.25 and came home in 30.39. Berkoff was the bronze medalist in the event in Paris and the field also included Canadian Kylie Masse, who was third in 59.56. Masse is a former world-record holder in the 100 backstroke and twice has medaled in the event at the Olympic Games.
Placing fourth and cracking the minute barrier was American teenager Rylee Erisman. The 15-year-old went 59.67 for a personal best.
Men’s 800 Freestyle
The winner of the 400 freestyle earlier in the meet, Australian Sam Short enjoyed a runaway triumph at twice the distance. Short prevailed in the 800 freestyle in 7:45.02, good for a 10-second margin over Brazilian runnerup Guilherme Costa (7:56.45).
Women’s 800 Freestyle
The women’s 800 freestyle opened the final session of the weekend and Brazil managed a sweep of the top-two positions behind Gabrielle Gonçalves Roncatto and Maria Fernanda Costa. Roncatto earned the victory with a time of 8:36.95, which was more than two seconds faster than the 8:39.21 of Costa.
