16-year-old Will Hayon Scores 100 Fly Nationals Cut at Wisconsin State Champs

2021 WI 13 and Over State Championship

• March 4-7, 2021
• Pleasant Prairie RecPlex, Pleasant Prairie, WI
• Short Course Yards
• Results

Teams from across Wisconsin met in Pleasant Prairie for the 13 and Over State Championship over the weekend, marking the state’s first major age-group championship since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. The meet featured about 400 swimmers aged 13-18.

The Waukesha Express Swim Team came away from the weekend with both the overall title and the women’s team title. On the men’s side, the Schroeder YMCA Swim/Dive Team narrowly defeated Waukesha to claim victory. 

Team Scores- Overall 

1. Waukesha Express Swim Team 2,780
2. Schroeder YMCA Swim/Dive Team 2464
3. Madison Aquatic Club 1768
4. Elmbrook Swim Club 1653.50
5. Lake Country Swim Team 1607

Team Scores – Men’s 

1. Schroeder YMCA Swim/Dive Team 1367
2. Waukesha Express Swim Team 1336.50
3. Madison Aquatic Club 844
4. Lake Country Swim Team 777
5. Mid-Wisconsin Wave Makers 648

Team Scores – Women 

1. Waukesha Express Swim Team 1443.50
2. Schroeder YMCA Swim/Dive Team 1096
3. Elmbrook Swim Club 1060.50
4. Madison Aquatic Club 924
5. Lake Country Swim Team 830

Individually, 16-year-old Will Hayon led all scorers, racking up a total of 144 points. 

Hayon, who swims for the Mid-Wisconsin Wave Makers, won all 6 of the individual events he entered, swimming best times in 5 of them.

Opening the weekend, Hayon won both the 100 backstroke and 50 freestyle. In the 100 backstroke, Hayon posted a time of 48.10, knocking almost 2 seconds off of his best time of 49.97. His performance also got under the US Open and Junior National cuts in the event, which currently stand at 49.89 and 49.69, respectively. In the 50 freestyle, Hayon touched the wall in a winning time of 20.37, coming less than 2 tenths of a second off of his best time of 20.19. 

Hayon then won the 200 butterfly in a personal best of 1:47.02, knocking over 2 seconds off of his old time. Like the 100 backstroke, Hayon managed ro get under the Junior National cut of 1:47.89 with his performance. However, in the shorter of the two butterfly distances, the 100 butterfly, Hayon proved to have his best performance of the weekend. Entering the meet with a personal best of 47.56, Hayon cut 2 tenths of a second, narrowly grabbing his first USA Swimming National Championship cut by .01 with a time of 47.28. 

Later, Hayon also contested the 100 freestyle, dropping a personal best of 43.91 to cut over a second off of his best time. The swim marked his first time under both the :45 and :44 second barriers. 

Closing out the weekend, Hayon slashed over 2 seconds off of his best time in the 200 IM, finishing first overall in a best time of 1:51.11. 

Hayon also contributed several key relay splits for the Wave Makers. On the team’s 200 free relay that finished 3rd overall, Hayon dropped a monster 19.54 split. Comparably, at the recent PAC-12 Championships, Hayon’s split would’ve been the 4th-fastest anchor split in the entire field of the 200 freestyle relay. 

On the 400 medley relay, Hayon switched up strokes, splitting a 48.65 on the opening backstroke leg. The team went on to finish 2nd overall. In the 200 medley relay, Hayon once-again swam a different stroke, throwing down a split of 20.91 on the butterfly leg, helping the team to another 2nd place finish. His final relay appearance came on the 800 freestyle relay, where Hayon split a 1:39.77, as the team finished 2nd overall. 

Other Highlights: 

• 13-year-old Alana Berlin dropped times  of 54.31 in the 100 backstroke and 2:00.69 in the 200 backstroke, earning her first Winter Junior Nationals cut in the latter of the two events. 
• 18-year-olds Michael Linnihan and Ozan Kalafat battled in the 200 freestyle, with Linnihan narrowly coming out on top with a time of 1:38.12 to Kalafat’s 1:38.16.
• 15-year-old Maggie Papanicholas cut a whopping 4 seconds in the 200 breaststroke, winning in a time of 2:12.84.