Luc Dionne Highlights NOVA Senior Classic With Massive 200 Breaststroke Personal Best

2025 VA NOVA Senior Classic

• October 31-November 2, 2025
• Richmond, VA
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Full Meet Results

Nova of Virginia Aquatics hosted their Senior Classic meet at the end of October and 16-year-old Luc Dionne, a 2027 Virginia commit, from Nation’s Capital Swim Club had a very strong meet, continuing to drop time in the breaststroke events, moving him up the all-time rankings.

In the 200 breaststroke, he swam 1:57.23 to win the event, coming in as the only swimmer in the event under 2:00. This was a huge new personal best time, dropping more than two seconds from the 1:59.66 mark he set at last year’s Toyota U.S. Open Championships.

This swim was the fastest time in the country when it was swum (though Prakhanthi Rai from Bolles School Sharks and Yi Zheng from the Carmel Swim Club have since passed him with times of 1:56.58 and 1:56.44, respectively).

It also ranks 30th in the all-time 15-16 rankings, putting him on the list for the first time in this event at the 15-16 level. He still has the rest of the season as a 16-year-old to drop even further in the rankings.

This drop is typical for him at this point in the season. Last year, he dropped two seconds at this meet, and then another second at the U.S. Open later that month. In 2023, he followed the same trend, dropping two seconds at the beginning of November before dropping two more seconds at the beginning of December. He still sits about four seconds away from the National Age Group Record of 1:52.37 set by Reece Whitley in 2016, but he would have the 2nd fastest time on the Virginia team so far this season.

In the 100 breast, he swam 55.67 to finish 2nd, this was the only event at the meet where he did not set a new personal best time, adding three tenths from the 55.37 he swam in February.

Dionne also swam the 200 back (1st- 1:49.01), 100 fly (30th- 52.51), 200 fly (12th-1:53.55), and 200 IM (2nd- 1:48.92) at the meet.

17-year-old Kirk Morgan also had an incredibly strong meet for All Star Aquatics. Morgan dropped a lot of time in his events, setting five new personal bests, all of which were at least a second faster than his previous best.

In the 200 free, he finished 2nd in 1:39.20, a drop from his previous best of 1:41.52. Griffin Oehler won in 1:38.95 from Rockville Montgomery Swim Club.

Morgan won the 100 fly in 48.87, which was two seconds faster than the 50.82 he swam in March, and he dropped more than four seconds in the 200 fly to swim 1:47.86 for another event win, dropping from 1:52.09.

He also swam the 50 and 100 freestyles. In the 50, he dropped nearly a second, swimming 20.98 to win and take 0.92 off his previous best of 21.90 and in the 100, he swam 45.64 to finish 2nd and drop almost two seconds from his previous best of 47.46. Morgan is currently a junior in high school.

On the women’s side, Nation’s Capital’s Sadie Buckley, a 2027 Texas commit, finished in the top five in six events, winning the 200 free (1:48.84) and 200 IM (1:59.60), finishing 2nd in the 100 free (50.94) and 100 fly (54.83), 3rd in the 100 back (54.28), and 4th in the 200 breast (2:17.82). Her 100 fly and 200 breast swims were new personal best times.

Virginia Hinds, from All Star Aquatics, also had a good meet. She won the 100 free (50.49) and 200 back (1:57.76) and she finished 2nd in the 200 free (1:50.20), 1000 free (10:05.57), and 100 back (53.95). She also picked up a 3rd place in the 100 fly (55.06) and a 4th in the 50 free (23.86). Hinds will be swimming at the University of Georgia next fall.