14-Year-Old Clem Camacho Posts Huge Drop in 400 IM to Claim Nation-Leading Time

2022 NC Star LC Age Group Championships

• July 13-17
• Greensboro Aquatic Center
  • Greensboro, NC
• LCM
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 NCS LC AG CHAMPS” 

Clem Camacho claimed the top 400-meter IM time among 14-year-old boys this season thanks to an impressive 16-second improvement last weekend at the 2022 NC Star LC Age Group Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

The TAC Titans swimmer clocked a 4:35.37 to win the 400 IM final and obliterate his previous best of 4:52.05 from last August, which was his first time swimming the event according to USA Swimming. Camacho took nearly seven seconds off his breaststroke leg, five seconds off his backstroke leg, and three seconds off his butterfly leg. 

Camacho’s 400 IM Splits Comparison

Another one of Camacho’s six personal bests from the meet came in the 200 IM, where he blazed a 2:08.72 to become the second-fastest performer among 14-year-old boys this season. He also swept the 100 breast and 200 breast, the latter in a personal-best 2:27.46 that ranks No. 10 for his age this season. 

On the girls side, Yari Brock of North Carolina Aquatic Club posted a nation-leading time this season with a 4:33.70 in the 400 freestyle that sits atop the 12-year-old girl rankings. She totaled six first-place finishes and eight personal bests, including wins in the 100 free (59.31) and 200 free (2:09.51) that now rank No. 2 this season for her age. Brock’s 2:27.24 in the 200 IM ranks fourth, and her 27.57 in the 50 free is fifth this season among 12-year-old girls. She also triumphed in the 400 IM with a 5:15.27 that made her the seventh-fastest performer this season for her age. 

The third nation-leading mark from the meet came courtesy of Northwest North Carolina YMCA Riptyde’s Skylar Zulegar, who went 35.81 in the 50 breast to pace all 11-year-old girls this season. 

Avery Klamfoth of SwimMAC Carolina showed off her versatility with seven first-place finishes, including a pair of personal bests. She had already earned a Junior Nationals cut in the 200 back, and she lowered her personal best in the event down to a 2:17.83 to become the 10th-fastest 14-year-old girl this season. Klamfoth placed first in the 100 fly with a personal-best 1:02.93 to move up to No. 11 for her age group this season. She also reached the wall first in the 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 breast, and 200 breast. 

Reina Liu of Greensboro YMCA tallied eight personal bests and four individual victories. She became the fourth-fastest 12-year-old girl in the 100 back this season with a 1:07.61 while also moving up to No. 5 in the 50 back (31.88), No. 11 in the 100 fly (1:06.94), and No. 11 in the 200 fly (2:30.86) with wins in each event.

Eliza Wallace of Mecklenburg Swim Association picked up her first Junior Nationals cut with a 1:13.24 in the 100 breast that snuck under the standard. The time made her the 10th-fastest performer this season among 14-year-old girls. 

Back on the boys side, Sam Marsteiner of New Wave Swim Team set seven personal bests and won four individual events along the way. Only one 14-year-old boy this season has been faster than Marsteiner’s 2:05.79 in the 200 fly and 2:08.69 in the 200 back. He also ranks as the No. 5 performer for his age this season in the 100 fly (56.94) and 100 back (59.82) after winning both events. Marsteiner’s runner-up finish in the 100 free (53.05) moved him up No. 6 among 14-year-old boys this season. 

Jonny Palamar of TAC Titans matched Klamfoth with seven individual wins, six of them in personal-best times. The 12-year-old now ranks as the No. 13 performer this season in the 400 free (4:32.90), No. 12 in the 200 free (2:08.81), No. 11 in the 100 fly (1:03.75), No. 10 in the 100 back (1:06.22), No. 6 in the 200 back (2:20.44), and No. 5 in the 200 fly (2:24.00). 

David Sammons of SwimMAC Carolina placed third in the 200 fly with a 2:13.16, his performance ranking as the fifth-fastest this season among 13-year-old boys. Fellow 13-year-old Seth Morgan of Rocky Mount Family YMCA also swam a top-10 time for his age this season in the 100 breast (1:09.35). Morgan’s 2:34.85 in the 200 breast ranks him as the 20th-fastest performer so far this season among 13-year-old boys.