Speedo East Juniors: Alex Shackell, Thomas Heilman Set Meet Records in 200 Fly
Alex Shackell and Thomas Heilman wrapped up the final day of the Speedo East Junior Championships by winning the 200 fly in record times.
Shackell went 1:50.15, the Carmel swimmer clubbing nearly a second off Bella Sims’ meet record of 1:51.06 from 2022. That’s also a national age-group record, undercutting Claire Curzan’s 1:50.85.
Heilmann followed by going 1:40.73 to lower his record from last year by .13 seconds. That had also been the 15-16 age-group record.
Heilmann added a win earlier in the night in the 100 free, going 42.00. He was .72 seconds up on Devin Digler and threatened Kaii Winkler’s NAG of 41.96 seconds. Heilman went 42.00 off the front of the 400 free relay, teaming with David King, Will Browne and Max Moore to set a meet record of 2:54.66.
- Speedo East Winter Juniors Results
- Winter Junior Nationals: Thomas Heilman, Maximus Williamson Put on 200 Free Show at Separate Sites, Both Set NAG Records
- Thomas Heilman Lowers His 200 IM NAG, Ties 50 Free Mark at East Winter Juniors; Charlotte Crush Blasts NAG
- Speedo Juniors West: Maximus Williamson Breaks NAG Record to Win 200 IM
- Speedo East Winter Juniors: Alex Shackell Lowers 100 Fly Meet Record in Golden Double
- Speedo West Juniors: Maximus Williamson Continues Roll; Destroys NAG Record in 200 Free
Kayla Han picked up another win in the mile, going 16:00.73. She was 7.5 seconds ahead of Kate Hurst. Lexie Ward finished third to buoy Carmel’s team title aspirations.
Luke Whitlock pulled away to win the men’s mile to win in 14:50.37. Nathan Szobota finished second nine seconds back, and Freddy Klein was third.
Leah Shackley won the 200 backstroke in 1:50.21, the 17-year-old leaving Charlotte Crush behind. Crush had been the top seed in prelims at 1:51.74, but ended up nearly a full second slower in finals. She was .08 ahead of Audrey Derivaux’s 1:52.75, which got her third place.
Jillian Crooks bested a tight field in the 100 free to win in 47.30. She had been the top seed in prelims. Crush made a big jump from getting into the final in sixth to finish second in 47.86. Rylee Erisman went 48.32 for third place.
Baylor Stanton came out on top in the 200 back, going 1:41.24. It’s a tenth slower than he was in the morning, but it was enough to hold off King, who went 1:41.69 to finish second. Kyle Peck went 1:42.71, the only other swimmer under 1:43, to get third.
Molly Sweeney added a win in the 200 breast, the Carmel swimmer going 2:07.49. She was easily ahead of the morning’s top seed, Addie Robillard, who finished second in 2:08.75. It was a distance back to third-place Avery Klamforth (2:11.27).
Xavier Ruiz went 1:54.97 to capture the boys 200 breast. He had been just the fifth seed out of prelims, but he took control on the front half of the final. Noah Cakir nearly charged him down with a 29.10 coming home, but he settled for second in 1:55.09. Jordan Williams finished third, edging Grayson Nye by .01 in 1:55.31.
Shackley was second to Shackell in the 200 fly, her time of 1:54.07 nearly four seconds back. It was another second and a half to Emily Brown’s 1:55.50, with Derivaux fourth in 1:55.90.
Suburban Swim Club’s Jacob Johnson and Drew Hitchcock of Baylor Swim Club tied for second in the 200 fly in 1:43.46, a second ahead of Gregg Enoch. Stanton was eighth in that final.
Shackell led off the Carmel 400 free relay in 47.61, leading them to a win in 3:15.78. She joined Lynsey Bowen, Sweeney and Han. They were nearly two seconds clear of Lakeside, which included Crush splitting 47.50.
Bolles was second in the boys relay in 2:55.85, behind Cavalier Aquatics.