Thomas Heilman Clocks Lifetime Best 100 Free on Day 3 of VA Senior Champs

by Robert Gibbs 5

July 17th, 2022 Club, News, Previews & Recaps

VIRGINIA LONG COURSE SENIOR CHAMPS

  • July 14-17, 2022
  • Liberty Natatorium, Lynchburg, VA
  • LCM
  • Meet Central
  • Results on Meet Mobile as “2022 VA LC Senior Champs”

Multiple NAG record-holder Thomas Heilman has been racking up the wins this week, but for the most part had not been clocking a ton of best times recently. That changed in the 400 free relay on Saturday, when he led off the Cavalier Aquatics / Piedmont Family YMCA team with a 50.58. That took over half a second off of his previous best of 51.12, set at last December’s U.S. Open.

That swim helped Cavalier to a 3:29.38 in the relay, and it also appears to make #25 all-time in the 15-16 age group/ Additionally, he’s now also one of the fastest US 15 year-olds ever, appearing behind only Kaii Winkler (50.24) and Andrew Benson (50.47) according to the USA Swimming database.

Individually, Heilman won his fourth individual event of the meet with a 2:00.13 in the 200 fly. Heilman set his best time in the event three months ago at the US International Trials with a 1:58.01.

The NOVA of Virginia boys went 1-2 in the 100 back. Ryan Hufford lowered his personal best by nearly a second and a half, improving from 58.82 to a winning time of 57.39. Teammate Thomas Farney shaved about a tenth of a second off of his best to take 2nd in 57.86, tying with Cavalier’s Teddy Cross.

Yet another NOVA swimmer, Nathan Szobota, hit a new personal best in his first swim as a 15 year-old, clocking a 4:01.73 in prelims before winning tonight with a time of 4:02.56.

On the women’s side NOVA’s Zoe Dixon got the individual events going with a 2:13.95 in the 200 fly. Dixon, a Florida commit, won by nearly three seconds; she also swam the 100 back, finishing 6th in 1:03.52.

After winning the 200 free last night, Tide’s Kayla Wilson earned another win with a 1:02.13 victory in the 100 back. That’s a best time for Wilson, whose previous best of 1:02.64 came at this meet last year. The runner up tonight was the Gators’ Ali Pfaff (1:02.37). Like Wilson, her previous best (1:02.83) came at this meet last year; Pfaff is committed to Duke for the fall of 2023.

Wilson’s TIDE teammate Sophia Knapp picked up a win as well, taking the 400 free by nearly six seconds with a time of 4:19.88. Knapp and Wilson teamed up to help the TIDE women to a 3:49.51 win in the 400 free relay, with Wilson leading the way with a 54.59 split on the second leg.

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BigBoiJohnson
3 years ago

51.12 was not his previous best before this 50.58. He swam a 50.99 and then a 50.94 on Thursday.

Swimken
3 years ago

Check out Baylor Stanton from GA. Last weekend at the 14&U championships he swam 52.52 in the 100 free, knocking Caeleb Dressel out of the 16th all time spot. This kid is a beast!

TheMainMane
3 years ago

THAT BOI ONLY 15. DANG MANE!

Michael Andrew Wilson
3 years ago

For the most part ***not*** been clocking a lot of best times so far.

Big difference lol.

About Robert Gibbs

Robert didn't grow up swimming competitively, but as life takes random turns, he found himself coaching high school swimming, and absolutely loved it. He started following competitive swimming around the same time SwimSwam was launched, and as a commenter, Robert developed an uncanny knack for pointing out Braden's typos. One …

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