Anna Moesch Breaks 25 in 50 Freestyle for Fourth Win at YMCA Nationals, Finishes Meet With 53.98 Relay Split
This week in Greensboro, N.C., Anna Moesch of Greater Somerset YMCA cemented her status as a rising star in the sprint freestyle events. She opened the meet with a 54.34 in the 100 freestyle, and then she broke 2:00 in the 200 free and added a win in the 400 IM. On the final day of competition, Moesch broke Katrina Konopka’s 2015 meet record in the 50 freestyle in prelims with a mark of 25.53, and in the final, she cranked a time of 24.92 to crush her previous best time of 25.29.
At the end of the session, Moesch powered Greater Somerset to a win in the 400 free relay to complete a sweep of the five women’s relays this week. Moesch was in third place as she dove in for the anchor leg, but then unleashed a 53.98 anchor split to pull her team more than three seconds ahead by the finish. Emily Thompson, Colleen Bull and Caitlyn Hughes provided the first three legs, and the finishing mark was 3:49.61.
Thompson also captured an individual victory Saturday, her third of the meet after winning the 100 and 200 butterfly. She finished in 2:16.39 in the 200 IM, while Moesch ended up second in 2:17.38 before she entered the pool for her two sprint freestyle performances. Additionally, Western Branch’s Katelyn Fitzgerald won the 1500 free in 17:35.05.
On the men’s side, Western’s Daniel Godino took the 1500 free (16:16.79), and Western Branch’s Alexander Karahalis put up a time of 2:07.37 to win the 200 IM. The men’s 50 free went to Ridley Area’s Jake Kennedy (23.35). Western Branch’s team of Liam Simmons, Alek Elder, Zachary Redding and Tommy Janton concluded the meet with a 400 free relay win (3:29.59).
Meters or yards?