Video: Ryan Held 2014 YMCA Nationals 50 Free Winner, 19.58

2014 YMCA Nationals – Men’s 50 Free – FINALS – Reported by Braden Keith

This race was another one of our “pre-meet highlights” and Ryan Held certainly did not disappoint. The senior out of the Springfield, Illinois YMCA not only swam a lifetime best of 19.58 to win the title, but he broke his own Meet Record of 19.92 from last year’s finals. (That 19.58 wouldn’t last the night – see the relay recap down the page).

That swim from Held took two-tenths off of his previous best, and he remains the only swimmer to go under 20 seconds in the history of this meet.

The runner-up was his future North Carolina State teammate Colin Ellington of the Triangle Area YMCA in 20.30. Those two both join an NC State sprint group that will return three of the top five 50 freestylers in the ACC from the just-completed season.

Brad Zdroik was 3rd in 20.32, as most of this final got much faster between the morning and evening sessions.