By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam
2026 Sacramento Pro Series
May 20-23, 2026 Sacramento, CA LCM (50 meters) Psych SheetsThe Sacramento stop of the Pro Swim Series is just hours away, and the highly anticipated return of Olympic Champion Backstroker Ryan Murphy. Here are five storylines to keep an eye on as the racing kicks off on Wednesday, with four full days of events set to unfold.
Ryan’s Return to Racing
As previously mentioned, arguably the biggest story of this Sacramento Pro Series is the reunion of American Olympic mainstay Ryan Murphy and the racing scene. Murphy has not competed since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he won a trio of medals, including an individual bronze in the 100 backstroke. Though he is entered here as the top seed (52.08), by over eight tenths of a second at that, his performance will be something major to keep an eye on.
As mentioned in yesterday’s SwimSwam Breakdown, the men’s American backstroke scene this season has yet to have a performer crack the top 25 in the world. Though in 2026 alone, Shaine Casas holds the top American time of 53.76 from the Westmont Pro Series, which makes him the 11th fastest performer during the calendar year. It does not feel too far-fetched to say that Murphy can be faster than 53.76, given that prior to his break from competition, he was consistently under 53.7 for quite literally every meet since April of 2018.
Murphy is only entered in the 50 and 100 backstroke races for this meet, notably opting not to race the 200 back, which was an event in which he notably missed the championship final in Paris, finishing 10th in the semifinals in 1:56.62, despite winning the event in Indianapolis, swimming over two seconds faster at the Olympic Trials.
The 50 back is a similar story to the 100 back; Casas holds the top time among Americans in 2026 in 25.00, Murphy’s best came at the National Championships back in 2018, clocking 24.24. He is no stranger to the sub-25-second race, but coming off a long break, it should be interesting to see what kind of racing shape Murphy will be in.
No matter the results, the image of Murphy back in the water will be a return to the norm for swimming fans.
No Smith/Stadden, No Problem; Women’s Backstroke Remains Deep
Despite the absence of a pair of global top performers, Regan Smith and Isabelle Stadden, the backstroke scene in Sacramento remains loaded. Headlining this meet will be Katharine Berkoff, Leah Shackley, Kennedy Noble, and Taylor Ruck, among many others.
Berkoff enters here as the top seed in both the 50 back and 100 in 26.97 and 57.83. For much of the season, Berkoff has had some stellar battles with Stadden, but with Smith and Stadden absent from this meet, it gives Berkoff a solid platform to deliver a strong individual showing as the favorite in the two sprint events. She is also seeded 6th in the 200 back in 2:12.19, and the field ahead of her will be pushing to deny Berkoff a potential sweep of the backstroke events in Sacramento.
In addition to Berkoff, NC State/Wolfpack Elite representation is well represented in Sacramento, with the likes of Shackley, Noble, and Rhyan White all set to compete this week. Shackley is also entered in all three backstroke races, as are Noble and White, making for several potential event finals that Wolfpack swimmers will dominate.
Phoebe Bacon enters this meet with the top seed in the 200 back in 2:05.61, just over three tenths faster than Shackley (2:05.99). Canadian power Taylor Ruck will look to spoil the American backstroke party. She comes in 4th in the 100 back (58.93) and 7th in the 50 back (28.36).
Also well in the mix for the 50 back is Bella Sims, who is back training with Sandpipers, along with her former and now again club teammate Claire Weinstein, after each of them closed out successful college seasons (Sims at Michigan and Weinstein at Cal). Sims is seeded 8th at 28.57.
Mia West to Race First LCM Meet Since Breakout Sophomore Season at Cal
Canadian talent Mia West, fresh off a very strong sophomore season after competing for Cal, is set to return to racing in meters in Sacramento this week.
West last competed at the Women’s NCAA Championships, where she finished 3rd in the 200 IM (1:52.96) and 7th in the 200 free (1:42.00). Just a few weeks earlier, West won the ACC title in the 200 fly (1:51.52), and finished 3rd in the 200 IM (1:52.30). Here in Sacramento, West is entered in a loaded event lineup; including the 100 free, 200 free, 50 fly, 100 fly, 200 IM, and 400 IM.
Her highest seeding is in the 200 free, where she is seeded #12 at 2:02.16. She also comes into this meet as the #13 seed in the 100 free in 56.06. However, she has been as fast as 2:00.48 at the 2023 Canadian Swim Trials and 55.58 at the 2023 World Junior Championships.
After a college season in which she continuously rewrote her own personal record book, this meet marks her first long-course action of the season, and with a loaded event lineup, her lower seeds may end up being a trick for the eyes. With the overall field of this meet not being as deep as other Pro Series so far this season, this could be the perfect opportunity for West to get the ball rolling early on her long-course campaign.
Young Talents Take Center Stage
With a smaller field of experienced veterans comes a youthful, hungry field, led by several area and regional swimmers looking to make their mark in Sacramento.
Among the youthful talent competing is 16-year-old Mikayla Tan, who is entered to swim in four events this week: the 50 breast, 100 breast, 200 breast, and 200 IM. In all four of those events, she is seeded in the top ten, including a #4 seed in the 200 breast with her 2:28.11. about a second and a half off the top-seeded Katie Christopherson of SwimAtlanta in 2:26.65. Tan will also have a solid field around her in the 200 IM (seeded 6th in 2:15.20), including top-seeded Torri Huske (2:09.43), Letitia Sim (2:13.42), and Elle Scott (2:13.61).
Charlie Cancelmo, the 16-year-old from Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club, is entered here with five events. He sits as the 3rd-fastest entry time in the 200 fly, only behind a pair of US World Championship team members, Luca Urlando and Gabriel Jett. Cancelmo is the 11th fastest 15-16 year old in NAG history in the 200 fly with his 1:58.27. If he manages to dip under that 1:58 barrier, it would put him inside the top 10, and if he can get under 1:57.8, he would leap into the top seven.
Not a regional talent, but one of the biggest young names, if not the biggest in the nation, Luka Mijatovic will be in attendance, racing the 200 free, 400 free, 800 free, and 1500 free. The distance fields will not be the deepest, especially in the 1500 free (with only 18 entered swimmers). Still, the fastest short course 1000-yard freestyler in history will get to race some top talents in the 200 free, including Jett, Henry McFadden, Brooks Curry, and Lucas Henveaux.
Urlando Back From Injury
After a “minor injury” that kept him out of the NCAA Championships, Luca Urlando is entered here to race at the Pro Series. The reigning 200 fly world champion will be looking to continue that momentum that he developed last summer, and the starting line could be in Sacramento.
Though we are unsure of the minor injury that Urlando sustained, the excitement of Urlando coming back to racing is a headline in itself. And as the top seed in the 200 fly and the 2nd seed in the 100 fly, there is hope and a sense of optimism that we get to see flashes of his 2025 self.
Urlando broke his own NCAA, American, and US Open Records in the SCY 200 fly at the Georgia Fall Invitational in November in 1:36.41. That excitement built towards the NCAA Championships until news broke that he had sustained a minor injury, causing him to withdraw from the meet.
Similar to Murphy in the sense of wondering what he is truly capable of throwing down at this meet, but the opportunity to watch Urlando compete again is enough to make it worth the wait.
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