Daniel Branon Breaks Phelps’ 200 Fly Record, NBAC Boys Smash 37-Year-Old Record

2023 Maryland 14 & Under Championship Meet

• March 2-5
• Aquatic Center at the Michael P. O’Brien Athletics and Recreation Center | St Mary’s, MD
• SCY (25 yards)
• Full Results
• MD LSC SCY Records

Several North Baltimore Aquatic Club swimmers made history at the Maryland LSC 14 & Under Championships on March 2-5. They were led by 14-year-old Daniel Branon, who not only took down swimming-phenom Michael Phelps’ LSC age group record, but also helped his 400 medley relay team crush a 37-year-old LSC record.

In the last session of the meet, Branon annihilated the 200 fly field by over 11 seconds, posting a 1:49.76 and breaking Phelps’ 23-year-old record. The previous mark, a 1:49.97, was set right before Phelps’ break out year in 2001. At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, he became the youngest male to break a world record, breaking the 200-meter fly at only 15 years old. 

Branon won every event he swam–save for a DQ in the 200 IM–and picked up several top-20 rankings in the nation for 13-14 boys, his highest ranking being 3rd in the 200 fly. 

Earlier in the meet, Branon joined teammates Charlie Lakatta, Spencer Belbot and Justin Roberts to take down the 13-14 Boys 400 Medley Relay LSC record, one set previously by Chris Desmarais, Mike Haynes, Blake Porch and Chris Colburn in 1986 with a 3:38.09.

They beat the field by over 10 seconds thanks to a quick 50.85 fly leg from Branon, a time that was faster than the majority of freestyle legs in the field, and a solid 1:00.48 breast leg by Belbot. 

Belbot, only 13 years old, won both of the individual breaststroke events. He also posted multiple top-20 national rankings for his single-age age group; his highest ranking is currently 8th with a 9:50.25 1000 free.

Team Scores

Top-5 Combined

1. North Baltimore Aquatic Club – 5091.5
2. Columbia Aquatics Association – 2081
3. Naval Academy Aquatic Club – 1766
4. Eagle Swim Team – 1720.5
5. SPRC Stingrays – 1440

Top-5 Girls

1. North Baltimore Aquatic Club – 2512.5
2. Columbia Aquatics Association – 1043.5
3. Monocacy Aquatic Club – 940
4. Naval Academy Aquatic Club – 846
5. Eagle Swim Team – 842

Top-5 Boys

1. North Baltimore Aquatic Club – 2579
2. Columbia Aquatics Association – 1037.5
3. Naval Academy Aquatic Club – 920
4. Eagle Swim Team – 878.5
5. SPRC Stingrays – 753.5

Other Highlights:

Girls: 

• Fox Swim Club’s Maddie Devine, 10, won every one of her individual swims and picked up a pair of top-20 rankings in the country for 9-10 Girls. Her 1:06.79 100 back currently sits 13th and her 59.01 100 free 20th.
• 11-year-old Willa Kulp of NBAC took gold in two of her individual events. Beating the field by 4 seconds, Kulp took 1st in the 200 fly with a 2:19.04, a time that ranks her 10th among other 11-year-olds in the nation. Kulp’s second 1st place finish was in her last event of the meet, the 400 IM. Her speedy 4:49.91 currently ranks her 5th in the nation for her single-age age group.
• NBAC’s Julia Rommel, 13, won the 200 back with a time of 2:04.07, beating the field by over 1.5 seconds. Her night swim and prelims swim of 2:03.30 both land top-20 among other 13-year-olds in the country. She is currently ranked 10th from her 2:02.45 at the MD NBAC Christmas Invitational Meet in December. Rommel took 2nd place in 6 of her 7 other individuals.
• Shannon Conway, a 14-year-old for NBAC, won every event she swam at this meet. Her 10:08.57 1000 free is currently ranked 14th in the country for 13-14 Girls. 

Boys:

• Henry Knott of Bel Air Athletic Club, only 9 years old, won all but two of his individual events and posted a 1:08.49 in the 100 fly, a time that ranks him 6th in the country for 9-year-olds. What is most notable about his efforts is that this meet was prelims/final for 10 & unders.
• Jude Burkhart of NBAC, at only 11 years old, walked away with three individual wins: the 200 back, 200 IM and 400 IM. Burkhart smoked his competition in the 400 IM with a 4:36.09, a 12 second drop from his seed time. To put that time into perspective, the next fastest 11-year-old boy in the field was 5:08.35. That time ranks him 4th among other 11-year-olds in the country, and his 2:08.11 200 back sits 2nd. All but one of his swims from this meet are ranked top-20 in the country for his single-age age group. 
• Naval Academy Aquatic Club’s Nolan Rider took gold in the 11-12 Boys 200 back with 2:08.11, a massive 17 second drop from his seed time that he swam back in January.