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OMAHA, Neb. -- More new faces and a familiar one qualified Monday for the U.S. team for the Rio Games during the second day of competition at the Olympic Swimming Trials. While Katie Ledecky toyed with her world record in winning the women's 400-meter freestyle -- falling just 0.61 of a second short -- Kevin Cordes and Kelsi Worrell became first-time trials champions before a sold-out crowd at CenturyLink Center.
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Ledecky touched first in the 400 free in 3 minutes, 58.98 seconds, but her margin of victory was smaller than anticipated. Leah Smith was less than two seconds behind with a personal-best 4:00.65.
"I'm probably more pumped about her race than mine," Ledecky said. "She pushed me there, and I know I need that, and I know after this week we're going to have to get back to work and we'll get to train together."
Smith said she's not known for going faster in the final than the prelims, but she had plenty of Virginia teammates waiting to greet her after she finished post-race interviews to make sure Smith knew she had just accomplished something special.
"I raced her at Minnesota and I never (had) been able to see her feet before," Smith said. "My goal wasn't really, like, stay with her, because that might be a stupid plan.
"But I really just wanted to keep my eye on everybody and I knew that I could take it out fast and hold on."
As Ledecky and Smith will be training together before heading to Rio, that's what Worrell and defending Olympic champion Dana Vollmer will be doing after Worrell roared home with a fast final 50 meters to win the 100 breaststroke in 56.48.
"I wasn't expecting to see a "1" next to my name because I couldn't see Dana at all the whole time," Worrell said. "It's incredible. I've looked up to her so much and getting to know her the past year, swimming a lot of meets together.
"She has a lot of wisdom, and I'm hoping that she can pass some of that along to me this summer."
Worrell's time is the second fastest in the world this year. Vollmer qualified for her third Olympics by finishing second in 57.21.
One night after setting an American record in the 100 breaststroke, Cordes set a goal to make his first Olympic team. He did just that by leading from start to finish and touched first in 59.18, just 0.08 of a second ahead of Cody Miller, who also is heading to his first Olympics.
"It's an amazing feeling to be able to say I'm an Olympian and I'm going to Rio," Cordes said. "I've got a lot more work to do to prepare, but I'm just excited for the opportunity."
There's also a strong possibility that there will be a changing of the guard in more events Tuesday after some stunning semifinal swims after Monday's finals.
Olivia Smoliga and Kathleen Baker were the top two seeds in the women's 100 backstroke as veterans Missy Franklin and Natalie Coughlin narrowly made the cut as the seventh and eighth qualifiers.
Franklin touched in 1:00.45 and Coughlin was right behind at 1:00.46. Grace Ariola missed the cut in ninth place at 1:00.49.
Defending trials 100 breaststroke champion Breeja Larson won't have a chance to qualify for her second Olympics in that event after she was ninth in the semifinals. Lilly King (1:05.94) and Molly Hannis (1:06.24) led the way and top-seeded Katie Meili checked in third at 1:06.37.
Conor Dwyer and Jack Conger were the two qualifiers in the men's 200 freestyle semifinals. Ryan Lochte was fifth and Tyler Clary sixth in a balanced field that saw the top eight finishers separated by just 0.88 of a second.
