14-Year-Old Nicholas Liberty Shines at PV Senior Champs

2024 PV SC Junior & Senior Championships

• March 7-10, 2024
• College Park, MD
• 25 yards (SCY)
• Men’s Results Senior Champs
• Women’s Results Senior Champs
• Men’s Results Junior Champs
• Women’s Results Junior Champs

Nicholas Liberty broke a 19-year-old Potomac Valley Swimming age group record in the 1650 free at the Potomac Valley Senior Championships last weekend. Liberty’s time of 15:34.17 lowered the previous record by four seconds and lowered his personal best time by over 12 seconds.

In addition to setting a new record and best time, the performance catapulted him into the all-time top 30 for 13-14 boys in the event; Liberty now sits 28th on the national age group rankings in the 1650. He also secured a Speedo Summer Championships cut, punching a ticket to compete at Junior Nationals this summer.

Liberty’s performance is the second-fastest time in the mile this season. Luka Mijatovic holds the number one spot this season with a time of 14:45.79 from the Speedo Sectionals Championship back in December, where he set a new National Age Group record in the event.

Liberty also raced the 1000 free at Senior Champs, posting another personal best time and taking 5th overall with a time of 9:24.62. His time bumped him up to 78th on the all-time age group top times ranking and is the third fastest time this season in the 13-14 age group.

He took to the pool again to compete in the 200 breast, this time at the Junior Championship meet taking place simultaneously, only to narrowly miss out on making it into finals. Placing 28th in prelims with a 2:21.29, slightly off his personal best, there was less than .3 seconds between Liberty and the C final: 24th-place swam a time of 2:21.02.

A member of Rockville Montgomery Swim Club, Liberty has seen notable improvements in his distance races over the last year or two. He currently trains at Olympian and American record holder Jack Conger’s old site.

Other Notable Performances

• 18-year-old Evan Mackesy of RMSC posted personal best times in all of his races and took home two victories, racking up 98 points over the course of the meet. Heading to Purdue University in the fall, Mackesy won the 1000 free in a time of 9:10.38 as well as the 100 fly in a time of 48.87. His other races and subsequent best times included the 200 free (1:38.97), 50 free (21.11), 100 back (49.81) and 100 free (46.67).
• Kyle Wang, a Northwestern commit at All Star Aquatics, secured one win and two personal best times over the weekend. He won the 200 fly in a time of 1:48.20, just over a second off his best that he swam earlier this year at Winter Juniors. Earlier in the meet, Wang hundredths off his times to set new personal bests in the 100 fly (49.50) and 50 free (21.12). He placed 4th and 7th respectively.
• All Star Aquatics’ Seth Burger threw down a series of top performances in his races. He posted personal best times in all six of his events over the weekend and snagged two victories in his Junior Champs swims. Burger won the 400 IM in a time of 4:18.73 and the 200 back in a time of 1:56.55. He also secured personal bests in the 100 back (54.82), 200 IM (1:59.87), 100 breast (1:01.94) and 200 breast (2:15.13).
• A sophomore on Nation’s Capital Swim Club, Anastasia Orlic secured personal bests in six out of her seven races. She won the 1000 in a time of 10:16.38, shaving nearly 12 seconds off her best. Orlic was also runner-up in the 1650 with a time of 17:05.42, lowering her best time by an astonishing 26.8, and took 3rd in the 500 free with a new personal best of 5:01.44. Her other events included the 200 free (1:53.94 – PB), 400 IM (4:33.88 – PB), 200 fly (2:07.54 – PB) and the 200 IM (2:10.05).
• Emma Redman turned in a tremendous performance for FISH; the University of Virginia commit won three of her races and posted three personal bests, racking up 111 points throughout the meet. Her victories included the 400 IM (4:15.20 – PB), the 200 breast (2:12.91) and the 100 back (54.05 – PB), in which she dropped a full second and landed a Speedo Summer Juniors cut. Redman was also the runner-up in the 100 fly (55.00), 200 back (1:58.67 – PB) and 200 fly (2:01.24).
• 16-year-old Maddie Richardson from Riptide Aquatics also had a great weekend, posting four personal bests at Senior Champs and two at Junior Champs. She won the 100 free at Senior Champs in a time of 52.01, setting a new best time. Her other personal bests included the 200 breast (2:23.85), 100 back (58.39) and 200 back (2:05.71). At Junior Champs, Richardson secured a victory in the 100 fly, posting a new personal best with a time of 58.80, and was runner-up in the 200 free in a best time of 1:54.48.