Caden LaPlante Breaks 32-Year-Old LSC 50 Free Record at Maine Swimming Championships

Maine Swimming LCM Championships

• July 18-20, 2025
• Colby College – Waterville, ME
• 50 meters (LCM)
• Results
  • Meet Mobile “2025 Maine LCM Championships”

The Maine Swimming Championships saw a number of fast swims, highlighted by Caden LaPlante taking down a 32-year-old LSC record in the 50 free.

LaPlante, who swims for the Mid-Maine Dolphins/Waterville Area YMCA, broke the Maine Swimming record in the boys’ 13-14 50 freestyle with a 25.18 en route to winning the event. The 14-year-old shaved .14 off of the record, which previously stood at 25.32 set by Jon Stanka of Coastal Maine Aquatics back in 1993.

LaPlante won the event by over two and a half seconds, charging ahead of runner-up Dominic Young from Seacoast Swim Club (27.88). LaPlante’s performance marked a lifetime best time by .0.67 and tied him at #65 on the ranking of top times this season in the 13-14 boys’ 50 free.

LaPlante has improved his 50 free time by well over a second in a year, going from a personal best time of 26.42 in July 2024 to his record-breaking time of 25.18 in July 2025.

He broke two more Maine Swimming LSC records over the course of the weekend. He broke his own record in the boys’ 13-14 50 fly record with a best time of 26.07 after breaking it for the first time last August in 26.77.

LaPlante also took down the LSC record in the 50 breast, clocking 31.22 in the final and shaving .27 off of the former record set by Nicholas Partridge of Down Easy Family YMCA in 2019 after tying the record during prelims.

LaPlante set best times in every event and prevailed in three more races at the meet. He won the 100 free (57.14), 100 breast (1:11.53) and 100 fly (58.45) and was the runner-up in the 200 IM (2:22.30).

Other Notable Performances

• Kennebec Valley YMCA’s Noah Katz won the 15 and over 50 breast in 29.89, just over half a second off of his lifetime best from 2023 (29.43). His performance marked his fastest time in two years, and he was the only competitor in the field to go under 30 seconds in the event.
• Ella Montgomery of the Down East Family YMCA threw down a significant personal best in the 15 and over 100 fly, charging to the wall in 1:03.74. Montgomery knocked .89 off of her previous lifetime best (1:04.63) and claimed the championship victory by over six seconds.
• Gabrielle Williamson prevailed in the 15 and over 50 free in 27.83, charging into the wall a full second ahead of runner-up Layla Hammer (28.86). Williamson, who swims for Cheshire YMCA Sea Dog Swim Club, posted a season-best in the event, improving upon her time from the Connecticut Senior Championships (29.16) by almost one and a half seconds.
• Gaffney McDonough of the Long Reach Swim Club turned in a strong performance in the 15 and over 50 fly, winning the event in a season-best 25.81. McDonough was the only competitor in the field to break the 26 barrier; Connor Hedstrom was the runner-up behind him in 26.22.
• Long Reach Swim Club’s Milo Robinson blasted into the wall in 1:03.74 in the 100 free, picking up the victory by over six seconds. The 11-year-old also won the 100 back by a significant margin, posting a 1:14.64 to claim the title by over eight seconds.

Final Team Standings

Boys’ Top 5:

1. Long Reach Swim Club/Bath YMCA – 1877.5
2. Kennebec Valley YMCA – 1429
3. Westbrook Seals – 1087.5
4. Canoe City Swim Club – 684
5. Down East Family YMCA – 655.5

Girls’ Top 5: 

1. Long Reach Swim Club/Bath YMCA – 1588
2. Kennebec Valley YMCA – 1550
3. Mid-Maine Dolphins – 1006
4. Westbrook Seals – 923
5. Mount Desert Island YMCA – 917

Combined Top 5:

1. Long Reach Swim Club/Bath YMCA – 3465.5
2. Kennebec Valley YMCA – 2979
3. Westbrook Seals – 2010.5
4. Mid-Maine Dolphins – 1637
5. Down East Family YMCA – 1105.5