Nathan Szobota Swims 4 New Best Times at NOVA Senior Classic

Virginia NOVA Senior Classic

• June 2-4, 2023
• NOVA Aquatic Center, Richmond, Virginia
• Long Course Meters (50m), timed finals
• Full Meet Results

Nathan Szobota was already on a lot of college teams’ radars headed into the opening of the class of 2025 recruiting cycle on Thursday; but last weekend in Richmond, he served up a few big reminders in the long course pool.

Szobota, who swims for the host Nova of Virginia club, won three events and swam four best times in timed finals racing earlier this month.

Best Times:

• 100 free – 54.77 (Previous PB: 55.22)
• 200 free – 1:53.90 (Win – Previous PB: 1:54.62)
• 200 back – 2:05.29 (Win – Previous PB: 2:07.18)
• 200 fly – 2:11.35 (Previous PB: 2:11.98)

Szobota doesn’t yet have International Team Trials cuts in any of his best events (his specialty is the distance freestyles), but will be among the favorites in many events at the Junior National Championships at the end of the summer. He is also showing off newfound versatility as he enters his junior year of high school.

In addition to Szobota’s swims, the meet featured an early-June tuneup from US National Teamer AJ Pouch, who trains in state at Virginia Tech. He swam 1:04.88 in the 100 breast and 2:17.01 in the 200 breast in his second long course meet since the NCAA Championships.

He was faster in both races at the Bermuda National Championships in May.

Other Notable Results from the meet:

• 14-year-old Josh Farnsworth swam best times in all six events he swam at the meet including, notably, a 2:12.36 in the 200 fly.
• Lexi Stephens from Poseidon Swimming, just a week before announcing her commitment from Alabama and commitment to Tennessee, swam a new best time and Juniors Cut in the 200 backstroke in 2:14.06. Her short course results have been stronger than her long course results to this point of her career, but that 2.6-second drop in the 200 back is showing signs of catching up in the Olympic pool.
• Elle Scott from Nova of Virginia, who like Stephens is a high school state champion, swam six best times at the meet. That includes a 2:32.04 in her best event, the 200 breast, to sneak under the cut for the upcoming International Team Trials at the end of the month. A rising junior, she is about to begin her recruiting cycle.
• NOVA’s Kate Hotem swam four best times as well, though she missed a personal best in her best event, the 200 back, where she swam 2:15.38 for 2nd place behind Stephens. She’s another rising junior about to begin looking for her collegiate home.
• Carmen Weiler Sastre, another Virginia Tech swimmer, won the 100 back in 1:03.49 and the 50 free in 26.48. She is on a slightly-different timeline than most of the swimmers in this meet and will represent Spain at the World Championships after becoming the first Spanish woman under 1:00 in the 100 back earlier this year.