2025 MCSA Summer Senior Cup Championships
- August 3-5, 2025
- Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan
- Short Course Yards (25 yards)
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2025 MCSA Summer Senior Cup Championships”
18-year-old Eli Rolfsen, fresh off a breakout performance at the Madison Futures meet two weeks ago, ripped a new best time in the 1000 yard free on Tuesday in a rare late-summer short course meet.
His time of 8:55.46 took more than 13 seconds off his previous best time and broke the Oakland University pool record.
The old pool record was a historic one: Chris Thompson from the University of Michigan swam 8:58.47 in a dual meet in 1998. Thompson went on to win a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics in the 1500 meter freestyle two years later. That swim, set almost 27 years ago, was the oldest Pool Record on the books at the RAC Pool.
This might not be his last crack at this particular record board either. Rolfsen, who currently trains with the Greater Kalamazoo Crocs in western Michigan, is committed to swim at Miami (OH) next year. The team swims an annual dual meet with Oakland, and next year’s edition will likely be hosted in Rochester based on the alternating home-and-home schedule.
The swim is well under Miami’s school record as well, which was set in 2007 by Paul Ricard in 9:09.04.
Rolfsen also swam best times at the meet in the 200 yard free (1:39.86), 500 free (4:19.96), 100 back (51.44), 200 back (1:49.41), and 100 free (47.28).
Miami won the MAC Championship last season.
At the Futures meet in July in Madison, Rolfsen also undercut best times in long course in six different events, including wins in the 400 free (3:54.56), 800 free (8:12.79), and 1500 free (15:37.60).
Other Highlights from the MCSA Senior Cup Championships
- Meghan Bluethmann from Oakland Live Y and Ella Hafner from Pointe Aquatics battled to the wire in the girls’ 200 free, with Bluethmann having just enough to hold on for the win in 1:49.10. Hafner’s 1:49.21 for 2nd place improves her own time by almost a second as the fastest Michigander 13-14 in the event this season (now by a 4.3 second margin).
- On the same day, Hafner also won the 200 back in 2:05.69, a huge drop of over two seconds from March. She had three total wins in the meet, including a 4:49.03 in the 500 free, which again was a best time by almost five seconds and a state leader by 17 in the age group.
- Bluethmann went the other way, winning the 50 free on the same day in 23.90.
- 14-year-old Quinn Ryan from Pointe Aquatics won the girls’ 100 yard backstroke in 56.52. That’s a 1.5 second improvement off her previous best time in March at the end of the short course season, following a best time in the long course version (1:08.58) in Sectionals a few weeks ago. That’s the fastest time by a 13-14 in Michigan this season.
- 17-year old Ella Dziobak pulled off a tough double on Tuesday, winning the 200 IM in a best time of 2:07.54 then coming back to win the 200 fly in 2:05.94. She is a rising uncommitted high school senior.
- 15-year-old Nicole McEnroe won the girls’ 100 breast in 1:05.72, marking a 1.2 second improvement on her lifetime best from November’s Division 2 High School State Championship Meet. She also won the 200 breast in 2:19.41.
- Rolfsen’s GKC teammate Liam Smith, a Florida commit, won the 200 back (1:45.78), 100 fly (48.30), and 200 fly (1:44.78).
The article is incorrect about there also being a 500 free pool record. He wasn’t closest to PVK’s then American Record in the 500 free. This was a great performance by Eli that I was lucky enough to witness.
This kid has been swimming lights out!
That’s a big dog right there.
Some other notes (some stats courtesy of Michigan Swimming Legends)
The 500 free from Rolfsen is the second fastest by a Michigan 18&U, after Clay Youngquist’s 4:19.49 at 2010 NCSAs. Also the 2nd swim under the 4:20 barrier by a Michigan 18&U. Hafner’s 500 marks a new 13-14 State record as well, besting Elizabeth Eichbrecht’s 4:51.35 from 2023.
Another legendary pool record at OU’s Rec Center Pool: Peter Vanderkaay’s 4:08.54 from the 2008 OLY Michigan Open, which stood as the American record until Clark Smith’s 4:08.42 in 2017. I would be willing to bet that record will make it 27 years!
We like what you did there.