Rochester Swim Club’s Kai Joyner Collects Seven Wins At NCSA Age Group Championships

2023 NCSA Age Group Championships

• March 22-25, 2023
• Rosen YMCA Aquatic Center, Orlando, FL
• SCY (25 yards)
• Full Results

The 2023 NCSA Age Group Championships wrapped up a few weeks ago in Orlando, Florida. This meet is the age group version of the NCSA Spring Championships, with it featuring swimmers ages 14 and under.

Topping the combined team standings was Rockville Montgomery Swim Club, who tallied a total of 2853.5 points over the course of the competition. Rockville Montgomery also handily won the boys’ side of the meet with 1948 points, while Long Island Aquatic Club took first for the girls. 

Team Standings – Combined:

1. Rockville Montgomery – 2853.5
2. NOVA of Virginia – 2774.5
3. Long Island Aquatic Club – 2266
4. Nation’s Capital – 1569
5. Academy Bullets – 1076.5

12-year-old Kai Joyner of Rochester Swim Club collected seven individual victories to dominate the boys’ 11-12 age group. Of his ten individual races, Joyner hit personal best times in eight of them.

Joyner logged a 55.09 in the 100 backstroke to move to 35th all-time in the boys’ 11-12 age group. He also had a fantastic race in the 200 backstroke, where he clocked a 1:59.69 and move to 44th all-time. Rounding out his all-time top 100 performances was the 100 free where he jumped to 76th (50.11), and the 200 free where ranks 86th all-time (1:49.40).

Additionally, Joyner won the 200 IM (2:05.62) and 400 IM (4:27.45) in personal best times, and the 500 freestyle where he was slightly off his best (5:00.30). 

Maddie Bynum of NOVA of Virginia had an outstanding meet, winning six individual events in the girl’s 11-12 age group. Bynum, 12, dropped over a second in the 100 freestyle to log a 52.57, moving her to 88th all-time in the age group. 

Bynum recorded best times in the butterfly events, recording times of 26.07 in the 50 and 57.50 in the 100. She also took two seconds off her best time in the 200 IM (2:11.36), half a second off in the 100 back (59.67), and dropped nearly four seconds in the 200 free (1:55.09). 

Brayden Capen from the Academy Bullets secured five victories of his own in the boy’s 13-14 age group. In the 100 backstroke, the 14-year-old moved to 38th on the all-time rankings for his age group with a best time of 50.10. He was runner-up to Andrew Vanas in the 50 backstroke with a 23.60, and clocked a best time of 47.83 leading off his team’s 400 freestyle relay.

Vanas also had a strong showing with four individual victories. In addition to winning the 50 backstroke, the 14-year-old took home first in the 100 free (45.73), 50 fly (22.51), and 200 free (1:41.77), with all four being personal bests. His 100 freestyle time ranks him 27th all-time in the age group.

Lucy Velte of Ad Astra Aquatics was the top performer in the girl’s 13-14 age group with 145 points and five individual victories. Velte dropped about half a second in the 100 free (51.26) and 200 backstroke (2:01.76), as well as a few tenths in the 50 free (23.38) and 100 fly (55.79). 

Ellie Brenner of Nation’s Capital scored the most points in the girl’s 10 and under age group with 166 points overall, despite winning only one individual event. NOVA of Virginia’s Trent Abbott was the top scorer in the boy’s 10 and under age group, tallying a total of 165 points. 

Other Standout Swimmers:

• 11-year-old Jayden Tsai from Laker Swimming was runner-up in the boy’s 11-12 400 IM with a huge best time. Tsai dropped nearly 11 seconds to record a 4:29.07, making him the fastest 11-year-old in the country so far this season. 
• 13-year-old Reid O’Connell from Long Island Aquatic Club had a fantastic swim in the 200 breaststroke. He dropped over five seconds to post a 2:07.18, ranking him 3rd among 13-year-old boys this year. 
• Kennedy Masten from Machine Aquatics won five events in the girl’s 10 and under age group. Highlighting her meet was the 50 free, where she clocked a best time of 25.76, moving her 2nd in the country this season for 9-10 girls. 
• Stamford Sailfish Aquatic Club’s Brody Michaels collected five first place finishes in the boy’s 10 and under age group, while also notching best times in all eight of his events. His best time of 1:04.67 in the 100 fly moved him to 9th nationally this season for the age group.
• 10-year-old Charlotte Bruning from NOVA of Virginia won four individual events, including the 500 free. She logged a best time of 5:31.80, ranking her 3rd in the 9-10 age group this year.