U.S. Nationals Day 1 Highlights: Curry, Dressel Win 100 Free and Moesch Sets American Record
At the 2026 U.S. National Championships in Irvine, Brooks Curry and Caeleb Dressel topped the men's 100-meter freestyle, while Anna Moesch broke the American record in the women's 100-meter freestyle.
The first night of finals at the 2026 U.S. National Championships in Irvine, California featured a strong showing in sprint events. In the men’s 100-meter freestyle, Caeleb Dressel claimed victory with a time of 47.70 seconds, edging out Brooks Curry (47.81) and Patrick Sammon (47.87). Dressel’s performance marked his best swim since the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, improving by 0.28 seconds from his prelims time.
"It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a one next to my name. It feels like freshman year again," Dressel said after the race.
Curry, who posted a 47.56 in the morning heats, led the prelims field that saw four swimmers break the 48-second barrier. Maximus Williamson also recorded a sub-48 finish in the final (47.99).
In the women’s 100-meter freestyle, Anna Moesch of Virginia set a new American record with a 51.88, also establishing a U.S. Open and championship record. Her split at the 50-meter mark was 25.07, putting her half a second ahead of the field, and she finished well ahead of Rylee Erisman (52.92) and Liberty Clark (52.97).
The 200-meter butterfly finals produced a surprise winner as Hannah Bellard of Michigan posted a lifetime best of 2:06.86 to claim the national title, moving her into the world’s top-six for the season. Bella Sims, the top seed, finished second after a strong final 50 meters.
In the men’s 200-meter butterfly, Luca Urlando won with a season-best 1:54.45, narrowly holding off Ilya Kharun (1:54.59). Both swimmers moved into the top-four worldwide for the year.
The women’s 800-meter freestyle was won by Texas’ Kate Hurst in a personal best of 8:28.33, while the men’s 1500-meter freestyle title went to William Mulgrew, who broke the 15-minute barrier for the first time with a 14:58.50, placing him among the fastest American distance swimmers in history.
Overall, Day 1 delivered multiple personal bests and record-breaking performances across sprint and distance events, setting the stage for the remaining program of the championships.