2022 SCY YMCA Nationals: Anna Moesch Swims 22.26 200 Free Relay Lead-Off

2022 Short Course YMCA Nationals

• March 28 – April 1, 2022
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, NC
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results

The 2022 SCY YMCA Nationals meet kicked off tonight at the Greensboro Aquatic Center in Greensboro, NC. Tonight’s action included timed finals of 1000 free and prelims of the 200 free relays. Finals of the 200 free relays will be swum during tomorrow’s (Tuesday) finals session.

Starting things off with the women’s 1000 free, ME Lyons Anderson Y 16-year-old Ava Sutphin won handily, swimming a 9:55.62. Early on in the race, Sutphin was swimming right with a handful of other competitors, but by the 500 mark, she had built a lead of over 1 second. She grew that lead steadily through the back half of the race, ultimately finishing nearly 6 seconds ahead of runner-up Catherine Meisner from Greater Somerset County Y (10:01.37).

Sutphin started the meet on a high note, not only picking up the win, but taking 11.92 seconds off her personal best in the process as well. Moreover, her previous best time of 10:07.54 was set just two weeks ago.

Moving on to the men’s 1000 free, ME Lyons Anderson Y picked up a win there as well. 19-year-old Alex Craft swam a 9:15.95, touching first by two seconds. Craft swam a consistently-split race, posting a 4:37.09 on the first 500, then clocking a 4:18.86 on the final 500. The swim also marked a personal best for Craft by 11.45 seconds.

Coming in 2nd was 17-year-old Logan Richards out of Phoenixville Y, who swam a 9:17.86. Richards was seeded with an LCM time, putting him in a slower heat. Nonetheless, he posted a massive lifetime best, beating his previous mark of 9:51.02 by 33.16 seconds. To add to the gravity of his swim, Richards’ previous best was swum in January of this year, just two months ago.

Getting on to the relays, Greater Somerset County Y posted the top time of prelims in the women’s 200 free relay. They were led off by 16-year-old sprint star Anna Moesch, who sped to a new career best of 22.26. For Moesch, the swim undercut her previous best of 22.33, which she swam in December of 2021 at the Speedo Winter Juniors Championships – East meet. The swim also moves Moesch up to a tie for #26 all-time in the 15-16 age group in the event.

The rest of the Greater Somerset relay was made up of Zoe Arakelian (23.63), Caitlyn Hughes (22.95), and Emily Thompson (23.01). They swam a 1:31.85, leading prelims by half a second.

Let’s take a look at some other notable splits from the women’s relay. Champaign County Y’s Angela Coe, a Texas recruit, led her relay off in 22.75, smashing her previous best of 23.28. Alexa Fulton, another Texas recruit who represents Upper Maine Line Y, led her squad off in 22.56. That swim clips her previous best of 22.65. Additionally, Piedmont Y’s Morgan Thomas swam a 22.97 lead-off, breaking 23 seconds in the 50 free for the first time in her career.

York Y led prelims of the men’s 200 free relay, swimming a 1:21.27. They were led off by Carlos Hidalgo in 20.82, and followed by Thomas Smolinski in 20.59 and Nathan Welker in 20.41. Florida recruit Daniel Gordon anchored the team in 19.45, marking the faster split in the event tonight.

There was one other swimmer in the field who split under 20 seconds tonight. Western Branch Y 18-year-old Tommy Janton anchored his relay in 19.97. Janton is a Notre Dame recruit.