2020 U.S. Open – Des Moines Friday AM: Regan Smith Bests Phoebe Bacon in 200 IM

2020 U.S. OPEN Swimming Championships

• Thursday, November 12 – Saturday, November 14
• Des Moines, IA
• Long course meters (LCM)
• Timed Finals
• Where To Watch US National Team Members
• Meet Central
• Des Moines Psych Sheets
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2020 Toyota US Open Championships – Des Moines”

Regan Smith bested Phoebe Bacon in the 200 IM, a showdown of top young backstrokers to highlight Friday morning of the Des Moines U.S. Open.

The 18-year-old Smith was 2:15.20 for the win. That’s two seconds off her personal-best, set in March of 2020 just before the coronavirus pandemic. Smith’s March swim actually came in this same pool, at the Des Moines Pro Swim Series. And outside of that 2:13.1, her swim this morning was the best of Smith’s career.

The 18-year-old Bacon was 2:16.05. She, too, was a bit off her career-best, set in the summer of 2019 at 2:14.5.

Smith and Bacon are two of the top three NCAA prospects in the nation from the high school graduating class of 2020. Smith, the #1 recruit in the class, deferred her enrollment to Stanford amid the pandemic, taking a gap year to remain in Minnesota and prep for the 2021 Olympics. Bacon, the #3 recruit nationally, is currently a freshman at the University of Wisconsin.

University of Arkansas star Emily Barclay won the 50 free in 25.25. She was just three tenths off a lifetime-best. Barclay is a British national competing in her first season for Arkansas in the NCAA.

Behind her, Madison Aquatic Club 17-year-old Sophie Fiske dropped three tenths to go 26.17 for second.

Other event winners from Friday morning:

• University of Michigan senior Gus Borges was 22.75 to win the men’s 50 free. That’s still about half a second off a lifetime-best for Borges, who represents Brazil internationally.
• Arkansas senior Peyton Palsha was 4:15.91 to win the 400 free, with just two swimmers competing. That’s a drop of about eight tenths of a second from her previous career-best.
• Fabio Dalu, a current sophomore at McKendree University, won the men’s event in 3:58.46. That’s a career-best by two seconds for Dalu, who represents Italy internationally.
• Central Iowa Aquatics 17-year-old Andrew Reiter won the 200 IM in 2:12.75.