Daniel Diehl Nears Best Times Two Weeks after TYR Spring Cup

2021 MA KA May Melee Meet

• May 14-16
• Carlisle, Pennsylvania
• Long Course Meters (LCM)
• Results available on Meet Mobile (“KA May Melee”)

15-year-old Daniel Diehl of Cumberland MD YMCA dominated the sprint freestyle and backstroke events at the 2021 May Melee Meet hosted by Keystone Aquatics, despite just having swam at the TYR 18 and Under Spring Cup two weeks prior.

Diehl captured three wins over the course of the meet in the 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle, and 100 backstroke. He also swam the 200 IM and the 200 free, where he earned second and third place, respectively.

On the first day of the meet, Diehl blasted the fastest swim of the afternoon in the men’s 100 free with a time of 50.80. His time was just over a tenth from the 50.65 swam at the TYR Spring Cup, with both times nearing the Wave I Trials cut in the event. 

Tommy Janton of Western Branch YMCA Wahoos took second place, finishing almost two seconds after Diehl with a 52.58. Janton, who is currently a junior, is committed to swim for Notre Dame starting in the fall of 2022. He holds trials cuts in both the 100 and 200 back. At the meet, he won the 200 back by seven seconds with a time of 2:03.62.

Diehl swept the 50 free and 100 back on Sunday, posting times of 23.38 in the former and 57.11 in the latter. Both times were off of what he swam at the TYR Spring Cup, but still well ahead of his competitors in the meet. Two weeks ago, Diehl swam a 22.99 in the 50 and scored a Wave I Trials cut in the event. He also bested his previous best time of 54.90 in the 100 back at the TYR Spring Cup (a race he already had the Wave I Trials cut in) and qualified for Wave II of Trials in the event.

13-year-old Gavin Tran of Keystone Aquatics took two top-5 finishes at the meet, earning fourth place in the 100 breast with a time of 1:10. 21 and a time of 2:31.75 in the 200 breaststroke. He had huge time drops in both events, lowering his times by 6.87 seconds in the 100 and 10.16 seconds in the 200. 

Tran’s times are now just outside of the USA Swimming Futures cuts. They also moved him up in the national rankings for his age, placing him fifth in the 100 breast and third in the 200 breast.