Denise Phelan Hits 1:00.62 100 Breast at LIAC Short Course Championships

2021 LIAC Virtual Short Course Championships

• March 12-14, 2021
• Nassau County Aquatic Center, East Meadow, New York
• Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2021 MR LIAC Virtual Championship”

Long Island Aquatic Club (LIAC) hosted the LIAC Virtual Short Course Championships for teams across the Metropolitan LSC. The meet featured a total of 14 teams, as well as a small collection of unattached swimmers. Times from the meet were also submitted to USA Swimming’s 18 & Under SCY Virtual Championships, a virtual meet that allows swimmers across the country to submit times during the month of March to view rankings.

One of the top performances of the meet came from 16-year-old Denise Phelan of Team Suffolk. After narrowly missing her lifetime best time in her prelim swim of the 100 breast, Phelan dropped over half a second in finals, finishing in 1:00.62. This performance makes her the 29th fastest girl in the 15-16 age group in USA Swimming history. The swim also ranks her within the top-50 performances in the event this year across all age groups.

Phelan wasn’t done with impressive performances after her first event. In the 200 breast she narrowly missed her best time of 2:11.23, finishing in 2:11.43. She also added new best times in the 100 free (51.33), 100 back (56.87), 200 back (2:03.44), and 400 IM (4:18.91).

Also swimming for Team Suffolk, Noah Cakir became the third-fastest 13-year-old, and 21st fastest 13-14 year old, in the 400 IM for the 2020-21 season, touching in 4:07.91. Later in the same session, Cakir became the second-fastest 13-year old this year in the 200 breast, touching in 2:06.21. Finishing just behind him was the 10 fastest 13-year old in the event this year, David Kushnirksy (2:12.01). Cakir would have won the 15 and up event as well, with Michael Jang finishing with the fastest time of 2:06.84.

Despite only competing in two events, JuanCarlos Castrillon of Long Island Aquatic Club managed to hit two new lifetime bests. In the 100 breast, the 17-year old touched second in 57.30, while in the 200 IM he won in 1:51.49.

16-year old Cavan Gormsen swam to a pair of event wins, topping the field in the 100 fly and 100 free. In the 100 fly she finished in 55.30, while in the freestyle she touched in 49.77. Her time in the 100 free ranks her as the 17th fastest performer in the 15-16 age group this season, and one of less than 25 girls to dip below 50.0 this year.

Other Notable Performances

• Rachel Hui, who is 11, won 5 events in the 11-12 girls age group.
• John Protano, a 19-year old member of the Carnegie Mellon University team, broke 56.0 for the first time in the 100 breast, finishing in 55.97.
• Aaron Mendoza, a 14 year old, won the 200 IM in 1:55.74.