NAG Record Holder Daniel Diehl Blasts 1:45 200 Back at Fox Fall Invite

Fox Fall Invitational

• November 5th-7th, 2021
• Sterling, VA
• Full results available on meet mobile at “2021 FOX Fall Inviational [sic] Meet 2”

At last weekend’s Fox Swim Club’s Fall Invitation at the Claude Moore Rec Center in Sterling, Virginia, 13-14 NAG Record holder Daniel Diehl posted a pair of big early-season lifetime bests. Diehl is a high school sophomore who is on the older end of his grade, having turned 16 already this fall. 

Diehl, who broke the 13-14 NAG records in the 100 back and 200 free in 2020, posted a 1:45.36 in the 200 back to drop over five and a half seconds from his previous lifetime best of 1:51.03, which came from the 2019 Y Nationals in Greensboro as a 13 year old. Interestingly, Diehl only swam two 200 backs last short course season, with his best time coming in October in 2:03.64. He did, however, swim it over the long course season, where he posted a 2:04.38 at the Maryland Summer Championships at the end of July. Diehl, who is best known as a sprinter, used his speed early, splitting 23.31/26.13/27.63/28.29 en route to his new lifetime best. 

His other swim of the meet, the 200 fly, also resulted in a best time of 1:50.58, a full second drop from his lifetime best from the 2020 Maryland Swimming 14 and Under Championships. 

While SwimSwam is still months away from releasing our high school class of 2024 recruiting rankings, the Cumberland YMCA (MD) sophomore is clearly one of the top swimmers in his high school class. At the end of his freshman year, Diehl qualified for Olympic Trials Wave II in the 100 back, posting a 54.90 at the 2021 TYR 18 & Under Spring Cup in Richmond, while he also posted a Wave I qualifying time of 22.99 in the 50 free at that same meet. 

Diehl’s lifetime short course yards bests include: 

• 50 free: 19:95
• 100 free: 43.85
• 200 free: 1:35.99
• 100 back: 47.39
• 200 back: 1:45.36 (at Fox Fall invite)
• 100 fly: 48.77
• 200 fly: 1:50.58 (at Fox Fall Invite)
• 200 IM: 1:49.21
• 400 IM: 3:56.56

While Diehl is best known for his sprint prowess, he also has great versatility across strokes and distances. Last year, SwimSwam named Diehl the runner up to Thomas Heilman in our 13-14 Swimmer of the Year Swammy Award. He holds 9 All Time Top 100 SCY times in USA Swimming’s all time age group rankings along with 3 LCM Top 100 times and has continued to transfer that speed into his high school career. 

Other notable swims: 

• Eagle Swim Team’s 15 year old Caiden Bowers posted a 2:07.87 in the 200 breast, a little over a second off of his best time. Last year Bowers was the 16th fastest 14 year old in the country in the event with a 2:06.69
• 13 year old Matthew Liu, also of Eagle Swim Team, dropped 11 seconds in the 400 IM to touch in 4:23.98. That swim clocks in as the 17th fastest 400 IM in the nation this season for 13 year old boys.