2025 YMCA Short Course Nationals
- March 31 – April 5, 2025
- Greensboro Aquatic Center, NC
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results: “2025 YMCA Short Course Nationals” on Meet Mobile
2025 YMCA Nationals wrapped up with Charlottesville-based Cavalier Aquatics surpassing Wisconsin-based Schroeder for the overall team title. Cavalier’s boys team, led by names such as Thomas Heilman and Will Browne, captured the boys’ title, while the girls title decisively went to Schroeder. This marks a change of powers from 2024, when Schroeder took the boys’ title and Somerset took the girls’ and overall title.
This session saw the meet’s youngest winner yet: 14-year-old Skylar Zuleger in the girls’ 100 breaststroke. Representing the Northwest North Carolina Riptyde, Zuleger scorched a 1:01.14 in the event. This puts her #12 all-time in the 13-14 age group performers. Her previous best stood at 1:01.87 from 2025 NC Age Group Champs.
The boys’ 100 breaststroke went to Drew Gaerthofner. The 18-year-old Oshkosh swimmer put up a quick 53.90 to sweep the breaststroke events at this meet and dip under 54 for the first time in his career.
After three individual 2nd places, Kenneth Barnicle of Somerset finally scored his first win. The victory came in the 100 free, where he dropped .84 from his lifetime best to go 43.04. Maggie Dickinson wrapped up a breakout meet with yet another win in the girls’ 100 free. The 15-year-old lowered her best from 50.44 to 49.32.
In what presumably was his last-ever short course race as a YMCA swimmer, Heilman won his signature event, the 200 fly. His time, 1:43.30, was off his Y National record of 1:40.73 but good enough for a two-second margin of victory. On the girls’ side, Molly Yacoviello picked up her third win of the meet. The 18-year-old York swimmer was the only girl to get under two, touching in 1:58.55. This was a best time for the Wisconsin meet, beating out the 1:59.69 she posted at her YMCA District Champs earlier this year.
In the final event, the 400 freestyle relay, the Schroeder girls held on to their winning streak while the Cavalier boys narrowly lost theirs to Somerset.
The Schroeder foursome of Alana Berlin (49.22), Maggie Dickinson (49.41), Anne Dickinson (50.07), and Ari Zhao (50.15) combined for a final time of 3:18.85. The team won the event with five seconds to spare.
The Somerset boys put up a quick 2:56.35 to upset Cavalier Aquatics (2:56.66). Their line-up consisted of Gregory Yukhvid (44.75), Kenneth Barnicle (42.93), Riqui Iturbe Cosano (44.69), and Gabriele Beverini (43.98). This marks a new New Jersey LSC record for the boys. It also establishes a new meet record, surpassing the 2:58.61 that Schroeder put up last year.
Team Scores
Overall
- Cavalier Aquatics 780
- Schroeder 752.5
- Spartanburg 589.5
Boys
- Cavalier Aquatics 453
- Spartanburg 405.5
- Somerset 314.5
Girls
- Schroeder 481
- Cavalier Aquatics 327
- Upper Main Line 317
Just a note on GSCY’s win over CA in the men’s 400 Free Relay – that time of 2:56.35 is a new GSCY club record, a new NJ LSC state record, a new YMCA National Championship record, and places them third this season nationally behind the times Boles and Lakeside (TX) put up at Winter Juniors.
Nice job!
Way to go Schroeder!