Josh Zuchowski Hits 400 IM Lifetime Best at Florida Virtual Champs Site 2

Florida Virtual Champs — Site 2

• December 4-6, 2020
• Stuart, FL
• SCY
• Friday Finals Results
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2020 Florida Virtual Championships – Site 2”

Josh Zuchowski of Flood Aquatics hit a new lifetime best in the 400 IM Friday evening at the Stuart site of the Florida Virtual Championships. The 16 year-old dropped nearly five seconds off of his official personal best (and two seconds off of his unofficial personal best) to touch in 3:48.49. That times moves him up to #15 all-time in the 15-16 age group, displacing David Wharton, who won this event at NCAAs four times in his college career at USC and is the former world record holder in both the 200 and 400 IM (LCM).

We ranked Zuchowski at #3 in our initial ranking of the boys class of 2022. His time from last night is faster than Zachary Tan’s 3:48.84, which at the time we published led the class. According to the USA Swimming database, no one else between the ages of 15 and 17 has been under 3:50 so far this season, but it appears that Baylor Nelson hit 3:48.37, which puts him ahead of Zuchowski at the top of the class.

Coming into this weekend, Zuchowski’s official best time was a 3:53.06 from March of 2019, when he was 14, although he went 3:50.26 in an unsanctioned meet this August. Last month, Zuchowski clocked the fastest time in the class in the 200 back as well.

While Zuchowski’s swim was the definitely the highlight yesterday, there were several other strong swims at this meet, which counts towards USA Swimming’s 18&U Winter Championships this year.

On the men’s side the next-biggest swim came from 16 year-old Mitchell Ledford of TCSC. Ledford won the 100 fly by over two seconds with a time of 47.22, which appears to make him the fastest 16 year-old in the country so far this season. That’s a also a big lifetime best, knocking over 1.5s off of his previous best of 48.73, which came at last month’s Florida high school state championships. Coming into that meet, he hadn’t yet cracked 50.0, so he’s now lowered his personal best by over three seconds in less a month.

In other action, North Palm Beach’s Varis Monroe shaved 0.66s off of his lifetime best to win the 200 free in 1:38.11, and 15 year-old Rich Nguyen won the 100 breast inn 57.82, just off of his best time, which also came at last months’ Florida high school state championships.

On the women’s side, Wisconsin commit Blair Stoneburg won the 200 free by over two seconds, with a time of 1:46.28. The 16 year-old Stonburg, who swims for TCA, has a lifetime best of 1:44.63.

The 100 breast victory went to 16 year-old Kaitlyn Holmes, who won with a 1:02.51. Holmes, who normally swims for Chelsea Piers in Connecticut, is competing unattached this week. Holmes lowered her personal best by 0.40s in that event, and also swam a new best time by four seconds in the 400 IM, where she finished 3rd with a 4:22.53.

ECAC’s Anna Auld won that 400 IM by over four seconds with a time of 4:16.36. That’ a lifetime best by nearly four seconds for the high school senior, who’s a member of the USA Swimming National Junior Team for open water swimming and will be a Florida Gator next year.

Tennessee commit Sara Stotler earned was within a few tenths of her best time with her 53.61 win in the 100 fly. Stotler, representing Planet Swim Aquatics, won by nearly two seconds.