YMCA Nationals: Daniel Diehl, Brendon Whitfield Each Earn Third Win; Both Set Meet Records
On the second-to-last night of the Short Course YMCA Nationals in Greensboro, N.C., Cumberland’s Daniel Diehl and Lynchburg’s Brendan Whitfield each claimed their third individual victories of the meet, and both swims came in meet-record time. First off, Diehl returned from strong swims in the 200 backstroke and 100 backstroke the last two nights to top the 200 IM in 1:44.51. That knocked 0.36 off the previous meet record set by future NCAA champion Brendan Burns in 2019.
In the next men’s race, Whitfield blasted to the wall in 19.48 in the 50 freestyle to beat the meet record of 19.52 set in 2014 by Ryan Held, who would go on to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team two years later. Whitfield, headed to Virginia Tech in the fall to represent the Hokies, previously won the 100 butterfly and 200 free.
Another Virginia native, Piedmont’s David King, picked up a four-second win in the 500 free as he touched in 4:22.37. On the women’s side, Greater Somerset’s Emily Thompson completed the individual medley sweep as she swam a time of 1:56.85 in the 200 IM, holding off Champaign’s Angie Coe (1:57.38). Coe would return later in the session to win the 50 free in 22.50, just ahead of Greater Somerset’s Anna Moesch (22.57). A blistering finish in the 500 free saw Kanawha’s Madi McGlothen overtake Spartanburg’s Hayden Penny on the last 50 and win, 4:47.50 to 4:48.31.
The Greater Somerset women won the 800 free relay in 7:20.42 with a team of Colleen Bull, Moesch, Erica Maltsev and Thompson, and Whitfield led Lynchburg to a win in the men’s relay. He led off in 1:34.13, and he was followed by teammates Max Schonfelder, JC Gordon and Jack Mills on the way toa 6:39.00.