2022 NCSA Spring Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2022 NCSA JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 15-19, 2022
• Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center, Orlando, Florida
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Stream
• Day 1 Prelims Results
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 NCSA Spring Swimming Championships”
• Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet

The opening night of action from the 2022 NCSA Spring Junior National Championships in Orlando will feature finals in the men’s and women’s 200 back, 50 breast and 100 free, plus the fastest heats for the timed finals of the women’s 1000 free, men’s 1650 free, and 200 medley relays.

Among the highlights of this morning’s session were the 200 back swims from Lilla Bognar (1:54.22) and Josh Zuchowski (1:43.39), who claimed the top seed in the women’s and men’s 200 back, respectively. Read a full recap of the session here.

Women’s 200 Back – Final

• Meet Record: 1:49.85, Kylie Stewart, 2014

Top 3:

1. Maggie Wanezek (EBSC) – 1:52.36
2. Carly Novelline (WILD) – 1:53.17
3. Tess Howley (LIAC) – 1:53.28

The entire A-final dropped time from prelims, with several swimmers swimming more than two seconds faster than this morning. That group included Elmbrook’s Maggie Wanezek, who set a new lifetime best by over a second to win in 1:52.36. That time appears to put her in the top 20 all-time in the 15-16 age group.

WILD’s Carly Novelline took 2nd in 1:53.17, just ahead of LIAC’s Tess Howley (1:53.28). Lilla Bognar, who had the fastest time this morning, ended up 4th tonight with a 1:53.29.

Men’s 200 Back – Final

• Meet Record: 1:40.05, Jack Conger, 2013

Top 3:

1. Josh Zuchowski (FAST) – 1:41.20
2. JT Ewing (AAC) – 1:41.85
3. Sam Powe (MCC) – 1:41.99

The A-final developed into a three-man race, and the top three finished with a wide gap ahead of the rest of the field.

At the wall, FAST’s Josh Zuchowski, who had the fastest time this morning, got his hand on the wall first with a 1:41.20. That’s a new lifetime best for the 17 year-old Stanford commit, whose previous best of 1:41.68 sit at #3 all-time in the 15-16 age group.

AAC’s JT Ewing touched just ahead of MCC’s Sam Powe, 1:41.85 to 1:41.99. That’s a lifetime best by over two seconds for Ewing, who’s heading to NC State, and a best time by four-tenths for Powe, a Georgia commit.

No one else was under 1:44.8 in the A-final, and Nathaniel Germonprez‘s 1:44.46 to win the B-final would’ve finished 4th in the A-final.

Women’s 1000 Free – Timed Final

• Meet Record: 9:31.79, Becca Mann, 2013

Top 3:

1. Lucy Malys (OLY) – 9:46.36
2. Madison Smith (RMSC) – 9:49.45
3. Mary McKenna (LIE) – 9:50.23

Top-seeded Lucy Malys OLY didn’t hit a lifetime best, but she didn’t need to, as the Ohio State commit won by over three seconds with a time of 9:46.36.

A pair of 16 year-olds finished next. RMSC’s Madison Smith took 2nd in 9:49.45, knocking nearly six seconds off of her seed time, while LIE’s Mary McKenna finished 3rd in 9:50.23, hitting a new lifetime best by over eight seconds.

Men’s 1650 Free – Timed Final

• Meet Record: 14:46.40, PJ Ransford, 2014

Top 3:

1. Levi Sandidge (COR) – 14:49.75
2. Giovanni Linscheer (COR) – 14:51.96
3. Sean Green (LIAC) – 15:05.83

The fastest heat quickly turned into a battle between teammate Levi Sandidge and Giovanni Linscheer. The two were still close with less than 100 yards to go, but Sandidge appeared to find another gear and pulled away from Linscheer, winning 14:49.75 to 14:51.96.

However, the biggest swim may have come from the 3rd-place finisher, Sean Green of Long Island Aquatic Club. Only 14 years-old, Green crushed a 15:05.83 to break a 13 year-old National Age Group record. The previous mark of 15:14.17 was set by Arthur Frayler back in late 2008.

Women’s 50 Breast – Final

• Meet Record: 27.12, Lucy Thomas, 2021

Top 3:

1. Lucy Thomas (EBSC) – 27.25
2. Kaelyn Gridley (WILD) – 27.85
3. Zoe Skirboll (RXA) – 27.91

Meet-record holder Lucy Thomas of Elmbrook touched just a tad slower than her winning time from last year, but today’s time of 27.25 was enough to win by six-tenths of a second.

There was a tight race for 2nd, but WILD’s Kaelyn Gridley got her hands on the wall first in 27.85, followed by Zoe Skirboll of RXA at 27.91. FOXJ’s Caroline Larsen touched just behind Skirboll at 27.92.

Men’s 50 Breast – Final

• Meet Record: 24.14, Anthony Grimm, 2019

Top 3:

1. Kael Mlinek (ISWM) – 24.32
2. Kledi Kadiu (CSP) – 24.52
3. Chase Swearingen (NAAC) – 24.78

Inspire’s Kael Mlinek, a Princeton commit, got his hands on the wall first with a 24.32, finished exactly two-tenths of a second ahead of CSP’s Kledi Kadiu (24.52).

There was a decent margin between those two and the rest of the field. 16 year-old Chase Swearingen took 3rd in 24.78, just ahead of Ozan Kalfat (24.82) and Alan Churches (24.87).

Women’s 100 Free – Final

• Meet Record: 47.09, Simone Manuel, 2014

Top 3:

1. Carly Novelline (WILD) – 48.46
2. Camille Spink (NCAP) – 48.69
3. Elizabeth Tilt (GOLD) – 49.10

This race quickly turned into a duel between the swimmers in the middle of the pool, but WILD’s Carly Novelline eventually pulled away just enough from Camille Spink of NCAP, and won 48.46 to 48.69. Each swimmer has been faster, but they were the only two under 49 tonight.

Third-place went to GOLD’s Elizabeth Tilt, who touched in 49.10. Notably, Lucy Thomas took 5th in 49.65 less than 15 minutes after winning the 50 breast.

Men’s 100 Free – Final

• Meet Record: 43.56, Jack Dolan, 2019

Top 3:

1. Hudson Williams (NAAC) – 43.32
2. Scotty Buff (GTAC) – 43.56
3. William Hayon (MWWM) – 44.18

NAAC’s Hudson Williams, pushed past GTAC’s Scotty Buff on the last length and got his hand on the wall in 43.32 to set a new meet record. Williams, a NC State commit, moves to #8 all-time in the 15-16 age group with that swim, and he’s now only 0.03s behind Caeleb Dressel for #7 on that list.

A Florida commit, Buff’s underwater talent was on display tonight, and he took 2nd in 43.56, matching the previous meet record, which was set by Jack Dolan in 2019. Will Hayon of the Mid Wisconsin Wave Makers took 3rd in 44.18; the future Virginia Tech Hokie’s lifetime best of 43.74 came at this meet last year,

Further down the results, Alec Filipovic won the C-final with a time of 43.76 after going 45.49 in prelims. His time tonight would’ve finished third overall had he made the A-final this morning. Filipovic, a Texas commit, has a lifetime best of 43.67 from last December.

Women’s 200 Medley Relay – Timed Final

• Meet Record: 1:37.74, Elmbrook Swim Club, 2021

Top 3:

1. Elmbrook Swim Club – 1:36.77
2. New Albany Aquatic Club – 1:40.52
3. Academy Bullets Swim Club – 1:40.84

Elmbrook took down their year-old record by nearly a second en route to winning by nearly four seconds tonight.

200 back champion Maggie Wanezek flexed some range, leading off in 24.26. Lucy Thomas split 26.89 on breast, right in line with her winning 50 breast time. Campbell Stoll split 23.47 on fly, and Abby Wanezek anchored in 22.15, good for a 1:36.77 overall.

That time appears to break the 15-18 National Age Group record in the event. The previous record of 1:37.04 was set by the Nashville Aquatic Club in 2019. That quartet included a star-studded cast of Alex Walsh, Ella Nelson, Jordan Hurt, and Gretchen Walsh.

New Albany took 2nd in 1:40.52, followed by the Academy Bullets at 1:40.84.

Men’s 200 Medley Relay – Timed Final

• Meet Record: 1:26.47, Nation’s Capital, 2015

Top 3:

1. Arlington Aquatic Club – 1:28.16
2. New Albany Aquatic Club – 1:28.68
3. Nation’s Capital – 1:28.89

It was a much closer race on the men’s side, as three teams touched under 1:29, but Arlington emerged victorious.

Nolan Dunkel nearly got under 22, leading off in 22.09. Bailey De Luise split 24.54 on breast, then JT Ewing (21.54) and Mcgrath Marsh (20.33) brought it home for a total time of 1:28.16.

Just as on on the women’s side, New Albany took 2nd, touching in 1:28.68, while Nation’s Capital finished 3rd in 1:28.89.