Cecilia McCloskey Breaks Two USMS Records On Final Day Of USMS Spring Nationals Championships

2025 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championships

• Thursday, April 24 – Sunday, April 27, 2025
• Northside ISD Swim Center, San Antonio, TX
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets / Heat Sheets
• Live Stream
• Day 1 Recap | Day 2 Recap | Day 3 Recap

The final day of the 2025 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championships saw another barrage of USMS records fall. After 12 records went down on Day 3, ten more went down during the last session.

Swim Fort Lauderdale’s Cecilia McCloskey closed out a remarkable weekend at the 2025 U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championships by breaking two more records in the women’s 75-79 age group. On the final day of the competition, McCloskey completed her sweep of the age group’s backstroke records by swimming 33.81 to set a new standard in the 50 backstroke. Later, she was back in the water for the 50 butterfly, swimming 33.45 to set a record in that event as well.

Earlier in the meet, McCloskey broke the 100 and 200 backstroke 75-79 age group records, swimming 1:13.34 and 2:46.57. McCloskey is no stranger to breaking USMS records, she’s been racing Masters for over 30 years, collecting numerous USMS and World records, including 11 70-74 age group records in the first three months of 2020 alone. She owned eight USMS records in the women’s 75-79 age group alone, including all three of the former backstroke records. Her 50 butterfly record gives her a ninth, as she bettered the 33.93 Margaret Toppel swam in April 2023.

She was not the only Swim Fort Lauderdale swimmer to break a record on the final day as the team’s men’s 75+ quartet of Hubie Kerns, Steven Heck, Glenn Gruber, and Bruce Rollins broke their age group record in the 200 freestyle relay with a 1:54.40. The time broke the former record, held by San Diego Swim Masters, by 2.59 seconds. Kerns and Gruber were part of the record-setting mixed 75+ 200 medley relay record along with McCloskey on Day 3.

Lone Star Masters’ Tom Wolf broke his second men’s 70-74 backstroke record of the weekend, swimming a 28.62 in the 50 backstroke. Like the 100 backstroke record he set on Day 3 of the meet, the time improved on a record he already owned. In this event, his 28.62 improved on the 28.64 he posted at the beginning of this month. Like McCloskey, Wolf is a longtime masters swimmer, and broke his first USMS record in 1983. Richard Abrahams also broke his second individual record of the meet, swimming 31.10 in the men’s 50 fly to break the 80-84 age group record. On Day 3, he broke the age group’s 50 freestyle mark, which had stood since 2017, with a 28.15.

Three age group records fell in the women’s 50 butterfly. First, Penny Noyes broke the women’s 50 butterfly record in the same age group, earning her second individual USMS record of the weekend. Her swim of 30.45 took .39 seconds off the 30.84 Laura Val swam two years ago. It’s Noyes’ third record in the age group, adding to her established marks in the 50 freestyle and 100 IM.

Fresh off helping The Olympic Club smash the mixed 18+ 200 medley relay record, Crystal Murphy took down a USMS record individually. She clocked 24.47, edging under the former record of 24.51, held by Caroline Gmelich. Lastly, Longhorn Aquatics’ Caitlin Andrew took down the 35-39 mark by bringing it under 25 seconds. Andrew swam 24.93, bettering the 25.04 Noriko Inada swam in eight years ago.

Swim Utah’s Lo Knapp broke her first individual record of the championships on the final day, swimming a 3:03.47 in the women’s 200 breaststroke. That bettered the USMS record in the women’s 70-74 age group by 3.81 seconds. The record had stood at 3:07.28 for 16 years.

Finally, The Olympic Club put another USMS relay record in the books, this time in the women’s 25+ 200 freestyle relay. Lauren Green, Marie Ballenger, Grace Zhao, and Virginia Burns swam 1:34.06, shaving .56 seconds off the 1:34.62 Madison Kennedy, LaJoya Smith, Kerry Lindauer, and Erika Braun swam in 2019.

Race Videos

If you missed the live action, replays are available through “U.S. Masters Swimming Events Live Streaming” on YouTube. Due to the large number of competitors, there are separate livestreams for odd- and even-numbered heats, with the races being conducted in two different pools. Be sure to check the heat sheets to find a specific race.

Odd Heats:

Even Heats: