It was a hectic prelims session at day five of the 2016 NCSA Juniors Championships with the timing system faltering a few times. One heat of the men’s 200 IM and one of the women’s had to re-schedule their heat after the starting system faltered. Despite these technical difficulties, there were fast swims all around with several swimmers looking to add to their medal collection.
Lucie Nordmann of Magnolia has set herself up to sweep the backstroke events, after posting a 25.08 in this morning’s 50 back. Nation’s Capital’s Phoebe Bacon and Hannah Lindsey delivered matching times in prelims to both qualify with times of 25.26.
Lucie Nordmann examining her race after posting the top time in the 50 back in prelims.
Dylan Curtis grabbed the top spot in the men’s 50 back with a time of 22.36. Ethan Young, the 100 backstroke champion, finished fourth overall with a time of 22.69. Tyler Sesvold and George Wozencraft delivered similar times of 22.62 and 22.66 to grab second and third respectively.
Margaret Aroesty posted the top time in the women’s 200 IM, stopping the clock at 1:59.41. The breaststroke champion used her signature stroke to catch Kylie Jordan in the lane next to her and surge ahead. Aroesty won the 400 IM by multiple seconds on night three and will be looking to add another sweep. Nation’s Capital’s Eireni Moshos grabbed second for tonight’s finals with a time of 1:59.81 to be the only other swimmer under the 2-minute mark. Katie Drabot, the number one seed on the psych sheet, rounded out the top three with a time of 2:00.23.
Maggie Aroesty and Kylie Jordan dueled for the win in their heat of the women’s 200 IM. Jordan, the 100 fly champion, led during the first half of the race until the breaststroke leg where Aroesty surged ahead to finish first.
NOVA’s Frederick Schubert qualified first for tonight’s finals in the men’s 200 IM, stopping the clock at a 1:47.25. Schubert, who was denied the win in the 400 IM by teammate Charles Swanson, will look to claim his first individual win. Thomas Cope was a close second at a 1:47.36, while Swanson rounded out the top three with a time of 1:47.97.
After doubling in last night’s finals, Dean Farris will look to add a third individual title to his name as the top returning qualifier in the men’s 50 free. Farris stopped the clock at a 20.28 to lead his fellow sprinters. In typical sprinting fashion the second and third place qualifiers posted strikingly similar times of 20.38 seconds and 20.40 seconds. Daniel Krueger returns as second, while Aidan Pastel took third.
Mary Smith dashed to the top of the qualifiers list in the women’s 50 free with a time of 22.79. Kayla Filipek and Amalie Fackenthal delivered similar times of 22.82 and 22.83 to return as second and third respectively.
The women of Long Island Aquatic Club dominated the competition in the 200 medley relay, finishing just shy of two seconds ahead of the competition. Kristen Romano (54.56), Aroesty (1:00.58), Lauryn Johnson (55.00), and Cara Treble (50.02) turned in a combined time of 3:40.25 for first. Magnolia Aquatic Club grabbed second with a time of 3:42.20. Nordmann kicked off the relay with a sizzling back split of 53.07 before turning it over to Caitlin Reynera (1:04.63), Emily Reese (54.35), and Monica Gumina (50.15). Nation’s Capital rounded out the top three with a time of 3:42.27.
NOVA’s men dashed to first in the men’s 400 medley relay with Sam Cuthbert (49.15), Swanson (54.67), Schubert (47.33), and Aaron Schultz (44.56) posting a combined time of 3:15.71. Curtis (49.90), Cope (53.84), Cody Bybee (48.59), Eric Knowles (45.77) of the Dayton Raiders grabbed second with a final time of 3:18.10. Nation’s Capital finished third with a time of 3:18.82.
