INDIANAPOLIS -- In honor of tonight’s finals of the 400m IM, USA Swimming contributor Chase McFadden wrote the following ode to swimming’s answer to the decathlon:

7 Things More Grueling Than a 400 IM

Four-out-of-five swimmers who complete the 400 IM say it is the toughest swim they have ever swimmed; the fifth is too out of breath to even speak. However, there are things more grueling. Such as...

1. The three-hour car drive to the meet.
2. Sitting next to your brother who is smacking his gum and screeching out Imagine Dragons lyrics in his tone-deaf singing voice during the three-hour drive to the meet.
3. Limited data.
4. Your mom sharing pictures on Facebook of you bathing as a child with the caption, "This is where it all started! Love!!!”
5. The Katy Perry vs. T-Swizzle beef.
6. Your great aunt’s story about that nasty bunion she had on her foot that one time.
7. Sitting through the first 30 seconds of a Keeping up with the Kardashians marathon.

Here’s a look at the highlights from this morning’s prelims:

Women’s 400m Individual Medley

• Distance freestyle star Leah Smith (Pittsburgh, Pa./Cavalier Swimming) posted the ninth-fastest time in the world for the top seed in tonight’s final with a 4:36.90. The time was also a personal best by more than 6 seconds.
• Three-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel (Saunderstown, R.I./Bluefish Swim Club) followed with a 4:38.78. Beisel is a three-time national champion in this event.

Men’s 400m Individual Medley

• 2016 Olympic silver medalist Chase Kalisz (Bel Air, Md./North Baltimore Aquatic Club) claimed the top seed with a 4:13.34.
• Jay Litherland (Alpharetta, Ga./Dynamo Swim Club) will be the second seed after his 4:16.76 prelim swim. Litherland was also a 2016 Olympian in this event.

Women’s 100m Butterfly

• 2016 Olympian Kelsi Worrell (Westampton, N.J./University of Louisville) put up the top time in prelims with a 57.40. Worrell already was named the national champion in the 50m fly last night.
• Mallory Comerford (Kalamazoo, Mich./University of Louisville) picked up the third seed for tonight’s final. Comerford was named the national champion in the 100m free earlier this week.

Men’s 100m Butterfly

• Jack Conger (Rockville, Md./Nation’s Capital Swim Club) clocked the fourth-fastest time in the world this year with a 51.37 for tonight’s top seed. Caeleb Dressel (Green Cove Springs, Fla./Bolles School Sharks) was separated from Conger by one-hundredth of a second for the fifth-fastest in the world this year. Conger already claimed the national title in the 200m fly, while Dressel picked up the national crown in the 50m fly.
• 2016 Olympian Tom Shields (Huntington Beach, Calif./California Aquatics) posted the eighth-fastest time in the world this year with a 51.73 to round out the top three times from prelims.

Women’s 50m Breaststroke

• Lilly King (Evansville, Ind./Indiana University) broke the national championships meet record and posted the second-fastest time in the world with a 29.96 for the top seed.
• 2016 Olympians Katie Meili (Colleyville, Texas/New York Athletic Club) and Molly Hannis (Santa Rosa, Calif./Tennessee Aquatics) were the next top seeds. Meili’s 30.47 is the seventh-fastest time in the world this year, while Hannis is now ranked eighth after a 30.67.

Men’s 50m Breaststroke

• Kevin Cordes (Naperville, Ill./Unattached) broke the U.S. Open and national championships record with a 26.89 to lead the prelims field. Cordes won the 200m breast national title last night.
• Cody Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Badger Swim Club) will be the third seed. He was the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the 100m breast.

Women’s 50m Backstroke

• The top seed for tonight will be Ali DeLoof (Grosse Pointe, Mich./University of Michigan). DeLoof was the bronze medalist in the 50m back at the 2016 FINA World Championships (25m).
• Hannah Stevens (Lexington, Ohio/University of Missouri) followed for the second seed. She is a National Team member.
• Kathleen Baker (Winston-Salem, N.C./Team Elite) placed third in prelims. She won the 200m back title last night.

   

  Men’s 50m Backstroke

• Two-time Olympian Matt Grevers (Lake Forest, Ill./Tucson Ford Dealers Aquatics) grabbed the top seed with a 24.75.
• Ryan Murphy (Jacksonville, Fla./California Aquatics) also qualified for tonight’s final. Murphy has already won the men’s 200m back national championships title.