YMCA Nationals: Anna Moesch Shines Again; Emily Thompson, Garrett Gould Earn Third Titles
One day after moving the YMCA National record in the 200 freestyle into 1:43 territory, Greater Somerset County’s Anna Moesch continued to shine with another record-breaking performance in the 50 free at YMCA Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., while teammates Emily Thompson and Garrett Gould each clinched their third individual wins of the competition.
Moesch clocked 21.73 to win the 50 free by a full second, and her time knocked 24-hundredths from the previous national record of 21.97 she set in 2022. This performance would have left her just outside of the A-final at this year’s NCAA Championships in the event.
Thompson, already the winner of the 100 butterfly and 400 IM, produced a time of 1:56.41 for a three-second victory in the 200 IM. Later in the session, the team of Moesch, Thompson, Victoria Castro and Colleen Bull took the win in the 400 medley relay in 3:37.92, almost one-and-a-half seconds clear of the field and only 11-hundredths off the national record of 3:37.81 set by Middle Tyger in 2015.
The other girls’ event contested Friday was the 500 free, with Spartanburg’s Hayden Penny grabbing the top spot in 4:51.37.
For the boys, Gould was the only swimmer to break 20 in the 50 free as he clocked 19.92. Schroeder’s Ethan Schutten used a blazing final 150 yards to take first in the 500 free, clocking 4:26.63, and Farmington Valley’s John Rusnock won the 200 IM in 1:46.44. moving from sixth place at the halfway point into the lead with a sensational breaststroke leg.
Schroeder’s team of Sam Lorenz, Jack Paull, Brody LePine and Jack Sullivan won the 400 medley relay in 3:13.14, setting a new championship record. Entering the final day of the meet, the Schroder boys have the lead with 270 points, but Greater Somerset (247.5) and Ridley Area (245) are just behind. The girls’ competition, on the other hand, is a runaway, with Greater Somerset at 373.5 while Schroeder is well back at 297.