Lakeville's Regan Smith a favorite for Team USA in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials

Catch up fast: Smith, who learned to swim at a local Foss outpost and trained at Apple Valley's Riptide Swim Club, has been racking up medals and smashing records since leaving Stanford University to turn pro in 2022.

How it works: Swimmers with qualifying times who finish in the top two of a race make the team. There are 26 spots for women and 26 for men.

What to watch: Smith is favored to win, and maybe even beat her own American record in the 200m butterfly, per Swimming World.

• She's also a top seed in the 100m and 200m backstroke and the 100m butterfly.

State of the pools: Smith isn't the only swimmer with Minnesota ties competing or a spot on Team USA.

• Blaine native Isabelle Stadden is competing in the 100m and 200m backstroke.
• Olympic gold medalist Michael Andrew, who was born in Edina, has top-five seed times in the 50m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke.
• And Victoria's Jack Dahlgren is also competing in several events.

Ski-U-Mah: A dozen Gophers, including several incoming freshmen, also qualified for the meet, the U's athletic department tells Axios.

Between the lines: Minnesota has long been a powerhouse in the Winter Games, producing stars for hockey, skiing, curling, and other cold-weather sports.

• But with Smith and gymnast Suni Lee, who will compete in her own sport's trials here in Minneapolis later this month, we've now got big names to cheer on in the summer, too.

How to watch: The U.S. Olympic Swim Trials begin Saturday and run through June 23.

• They'll air across Peacock, NBC, and the USA Network with coverage daily from 10am, and semifinals and finals scheduled for 7pm.