The 2025 U.S. Nationals presented an exciting blend of unexpected moments, curiosity, and remarkable performances. Following the event, we surveyed SwimSwam readers to find out what surprised them the most earlier this month in Indianapolis.
Two performances shone brighter than the others for impressive swims in Indy: Campbell McKean in the men’s 100 breaststroke, and Caroline Bricker in the women’s 200 butterfly.
McKean topped the poll, stepping up when the Americans urgently needed support in the men’s 100 breast, especially with Nic Fink absent after being the reliable choice for the medley relay over the past three years.
McKean, 18, arrived at the meet with a personal record of 1:00.40 in the 100 breast, achieved only a month before Nationals at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim, and improved that time to 1:00.18 in the prelims to secure 2nd place in the finals behind Josh Matheny (59.80).
In the final, McKean passed Matheny with a blazing second 50 to secure the win in a time of 58.96, dropping over a second from his personal best time to break the boys’ 17-18 National Age Group Record of 59.82, established by Michael Andrew in 2016.
McKean’s swim also marked him as the first swimmer aged 18 and under to break 59 seconds in the 100 breast (by birthday, since he will turn 19 later this year, which disqualifies him from breaking the World Junior Record).
Many anticipated the Texas commit would emerge as the leading American in the 100 breast this year, but witnessing him break 59 seconds was certainly surprising.
His performance was not only historically significant, but also positioned him as a future leader in an event that has long lacked depth in the U.S. beyond Nic Fink. To see an 18-year-old rise to the top in such a commanding fashion was, as the readers indicated, the biggest shock of the championship. The aggressive back-half split in the final demonstrated not just speed, but race maturity beyond his years.
Bricker secured a close 2nd place in the poll, garnering over a quarter of the votes, after achieving a remarkable upset in the opening final of the event in the women’s 200 fly.
Entering the event, it seemed certain that Regan Smith would effortlessly secure victory in the 200 fly, while Alex Shackell was favored to take 2nd, with rising star Audrey Derivaux also becoming competitive after her time of 2:06.46 in Fort Lauderdale.
Smith is the sole American ever to run under 2:04 in the event, initially recording 2:03.87 in 2023 before securing Olympic silver in Paris with a time of 2:03.84. Entering Nationals, she had already achieved a time of 2:05.38 in the 2024–25 season.
Contrast that with Bricker, who came into the meet holding a personal best of 2:09.12 from the 2024 Olympic Trials, which is over five seconds slower than Smith’s PB.
During the preliminaries at Nationals, Smith topped the field with a time of 2:06.25, while Bricker established a new personal best of 2:07.37, securing 2nd place overall.
In the final, Smith surged ahead of Bricker on the second 50 and increased her lead on the third, putting Bricker nearly nine-tenths behind at the final turn. But Bricker charged home with a 33.20 split, overtaking Smith (34.11) to win by five one-hundredths in 2:05.80.
The performance not only represented an enormous drop in time for Bricker but also a bold arrival on the national stage. Her furious final 50 meters showcased not just physical strength but mental toughness. Beating one of the most decorated American swimmers in Smith under championship pressure added further to the drama and surprise of the race.
McKean’s 100 breast and Bricker’s surprising victory in the 200 fly led the poll, with the sole other choice receiving more than 10% of votes being Santo Condorelli making the World Championship team.
Condorelli, 30, was raised competing in the U.S. and was a junior national champion while with the Bolles School Sharks in the early 2010s, but acquired Canadian sporting citizenship in 2015, subsequently representing Canada at the World Championships and Rio Olympic Games.
He subsequently competed for Italy on the international stage, including at the Tokyo Olympic Games, but chose to return to swimming for the U.S. in 2023. He requested to revert his sporting citizenship to the U.S. prior to the 2024 Olympic Trials, claiming he would be eligible before the Olympic Games, but an arbitrator ultimately rejected that request.
Entering the last day of Nationals, Condorelli wasn’t prominently considered as the 50 free was his only event in Indianapolis, indicating he hadn’t competed yet.
Following a strong preliminary swim of 21.87, he surged to a time of 21.68 in the final, shattering his personal best (21.83) by a significant margin to take 2nd place behind Jack Alexy, narrowly defeating Jonny Kulow (21.73) and Quintin McCarty (21.79) to secure his spot representing his third country at the World Championships.
Condorelli’s return to Team USA is a compelling story of resilience and reinvention. His journey—crossing borders and battling administrative hurdles—made his performance even more noteworthy. Despite being out of the public eye in recent years, his explosive finish in the 50 free demonstrated that he still has elite speed.
Condorelli’s place on the Worlds team garnered over 15% of the poll votes, while Phoebe Bacon qualifying for Singapore in the women’s 200 IM after failing to make it in her top event (200 back), Bobby Finke overtaking Carson Foster to win the men’s 400 IM, 16-year-old Luka Mijatovic making the lineup in the men’s 400 free, and Claire Curzan defeating Smith to secure the women’s 200 back all received between 5 and 7% of the votes.
Bacon’s recovery after the disappointment in her primary event was a testament to her mental strength and adaptability. Finke, a distance specialist, proved he has the versatility to contend in shorter medley formats. Mijatovic’s inclusion as a 16-year-old injected youthful energy into the men’s field, and Curzan’s win over Smith offered a reminder of her all-around skill and competitiveness.
Ultimately, the 2025 U.S. Nationals showcased the unpredictability that makes swimming such a thrilling sport. While veterans and established names continued to shine, it was the breakthroughs of McKean and Bricker that truly captured the imagination of fans and added new names to the American swimming conversation heading toward the World Championships.