The second day of the 2020 Toyota U.S. Open featured a morning and an evening session across nine sites nationwide. At the conclusion of the two sessions, 11 events were won by U.S. National Team members.  

The night started with the women’s 400-meter freestyle, which U.S. National Team member Emma Weyant (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Sharks) kicked off with a 4:10.38 in Sarasota. Her performance was three tenths shy of her personal best in the event, which she set last June.  

“I’m pretty happy with it,” Weyant said. “It was nice to race with my teammates and I think it’s just fun to race right now. I was just executing my race, when there are not people up there with you, just try to keep going.”  

In the men’s event, National Team member Kieran Smith (Ridgefield, Conn./University of Florida) took the title in 3:48.78, marking the only time in the field under 3:50. For Smith, this was his first of two wins on the day, as he added a victory in the 200m freestyle in 1:47.29 during the evening session. 

Multiple stars put up solid performances in the women’s 200m I.M., but ultimately it was Madisyn Cox (Lubbock, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics) who touched first in 2:10.49.   

“It was fun to get out there and race, swim next to people and just have those prerace jitters that we haven’t felt since the last race – that was Des Moines (TPSS) before all of this. It was pretty fun,” Cox said. “We were so used to racing all the time, and all of a sudden, racing is this foreign thing! But it’s muscle memory and we’re back to it. It’s great to be here in that groove again, doing what we love to do and why we do this sport. Practice is fun, but it’s really all about the meets and about competing.”  

Torri Huske (Arlington, Va./Arlington Aquatic Club) and Kathleen Baker (Winston-Salem, N.C./Team Elite) also turned in strong performances, going 2:11.18 and 2:12.97 for second and third place, respectively.  

In the men’s event, I.M. veteran Chase Kalisz (Bel Air, Md./Athens Bulldog Swim Club) turned in a first-place swim, touching in 1:59.72. Kalisz and Carson Foster (Montgomery, Ohio/University of Texas), who went 1:59.82, were the only swimmers in the competition to post swims under two minutes.  

Wrapping up the morning session was the 50m freestyle, which was won by Maggie MacNeil (London, Ontario, Canada/Univeristy of Michigan) and Santo Condorelli (Italy).  

Friday’s evening session kicked off with the men’s and women’s 400m I.M., which was won by U.S. National Teamers Emma Weyant (Sarasota, Fla./Sarasota Sharks) and Carson Foster (Montgomery, Ohio/University of Texas). Both Weyant’s 4:40.84 and Foster’s 4:16.51 were good for top-10 times in the world in 2020.  

One of the day’s strongest performances came in the women’s 100m butterly, where Claire Curzan (Cary, N.C./TAC Titans) set a new 15-16 National Age Group record, as well as a Toyota U.S. Open meet record, with a 56.61 time. This marks the first senior-level victory at a national meet for Curzan, and marks the fourth time she has broken a 15-16 NAG record since December of 2019. 

“I was pretty nervous going into it,” Curzan said about expectations for the meet. “But with COVID and everything you don’t really have expectations, so it eases the nerves a little bit. But, I was just trying to focus on my underwaters and my stroke count, so I wasn’t really worried about where I was or my time but just more focusing on what I was doing.”  

In the men’s event it was a duo of National Team members who finished 1-2, as Miles Smachlo (Rexford, N.Y./Michigan) finished in 52.54, with Zach Harting (Madison, Ala./Cardinal Aquatics/Huntsville Swim Association) finishing shortly after in 52.62. 

Another National Team victory came out of the men’s 100m breaststroke, where Andrew Wilson (Bethesda, Md./Athens Bulldog Swim Club) went 59.58, beating the outstretched arm of Cody Miller (Las Vegas, Nev./Sandpipers of Nevada) by seven tenths to finish in first. 

The 100m backstroke closed out the busy day of swimming, with the talented women’s group of Regan Smith (Lakeville, Minn/Riptide Swim Team), Kathleen Baker (Winston-Salem, N.C./Team Elite) and Phoebe Bacon (Chevy Chase, Md./Nation’s Capital Swim Club) once again on display. Ultimately, it was Baker who finished first, touching in 59.82. 

“I definitely was dusting off the cobwebs and broke out a little bit quicker than I’m used to tempo-wise,” Baker said. “I’m just getting used to racing again and I’m happy to be under a minute. I don’t really have any expectations for this meet. It’s only November. The fall is always a little bit iffy, but I’m just enjoying getting to race and definitely liked that there was some more music playing tonight.”