2023 VIRGINIA SWIMMING SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
- March 2-5, 2023
- Collegiate School Aquatic Center, Richmond, VA
- SCY (25 yards)
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- Results on Meet Mobile: “2023 VSI SC Senior Champs”
16-year-old Thomas Heilman further expanded his repertoire on Friday at the Virginia Swimming Senior Championships in Richmond, winning a pair of races not generally considered his primary events.
Heilman trains with Cavalier Aquatics in Charlottesville, Virginia, and historically has ended his short course season at the YMCA National Championships in late March or early April. This year, however, the USA Swimming Junior National Team camp overlaps with those YMCA Nationals, making these LSC Championships likely his short course championship for the season.
On Friday, he skipped the race that he’s best known for, the 100 fly, but instead swam the 100 breaststroke (54.26) and 400 IM (3:43.63). Those swims are best times by 1.05 seconds and 5.68 seconds, respectively.
That 100 breaststroke time climbs him to 36th in the all-time rankings in the 15-16 age group, and the 400 IM time now ranks him 3rd all-time in the 15-16 age group.
Those times are also both new LSC Records in the age group: the previous record in the 100 breaststroke was set by Patrick Lacore in 2017 at 54.54, and the previous record in the 400 IM was Heilman’s previous personal best.
He’s not the only Charlottesville swimmer thriving since former Auburn head coach Gary Taylor took over that club program. His CA teammate Max Moore finished 2nd in the 100 breaststroke in 55.67. That’s an improvement of almost seven-tenths off his previous best time. Moore is an uncommitted high school junior.
Cavalier boys won 3 of the 4 individual events on Friday. David King topped the field in the 200 free in 1:36.63, running-down a fast start from Brendan Whitfield, one of the state’s top sprinters, in the last 50 yards.
That was King’s 2nd win of the week so far: the 17-year-old Virginia commit also won the mile in 15:02.76. That whacked 33.85 seconds off his previous personal best in the event. He now ranks 4th in the US this year in the event among 17-and-unders.
King won a pair of high school state titles (100 back and 500 free) earlier this month in Class 5, while Whitfield won the 100 free in Class 4.
In Heimlan’s absence, another star of this meet Kyle Peck from the Rappahannock Stingrays won the 100 fly in 47.09. That’s a half-second improvement on his lifetime best and is his 6th lifetime best in the 2023 calendar year already. Peck, another high school junior, is committed to Texas.
Poseidon’s Joshua Fisher won the 100 fly in 47.85, knocking about seven-tenths off his best time. He’s heading to Kentucky next fall with a time that’s just .08 shy of the Wildcats’ best this season.
In the girls’ events, the top performer of the day was NOVA 15-year-old Elle Scott. She won the 100 breaststroke in 1:00.48 that followed a personal best of 1:00.19 in prelims. That’s way under her VISAA-title-winning time of 1:01.76 from just two weeks ago.
In the very next girtls’ race of the meet, just a few minutes later, Scott won the 100 fly in 53.41. That was a best time by about eight-tenths of a second.
The runner-up in the 100 breaststroke was Ava Muzzy, the Virginia Class 3 State Champion a few weeks ago. While she was 2nd in that race, she came back later in the session to win the 400 IM in 4:15.78.
Other Day 1 & 2 Winners
- Wyllo Hanson of the Coast Guard Blue Dolphins won the girls’ 200 free in 1:47.14. That shaved .01 seconds off her lifetime best from a VHSL Class 4 state title won two weeks ago.
- NOVA’s Katie Russell won the girls’ mile in 16:32.55. That took two seconds off her personal best from last year’s NCSA Junior Nationals meet. Amanda Barnard was 2nd in 16:41.35, and Allison Bischoff was 3rd in 16:54.32, dropping 21 seconds form her previous personal best. NOVA swimmers took the top 8 spots in that race on Thursday evening. That has helped buoy them to a big lead in the team standings.
Team Scores (After Day 2)
Top 5 Boys:
- Nova of Virginia – 230
- Cavalier Aquatics – 145
- Stingrays Swim Team – 90.5
- Tide Swimming – 53
- Lynchburg YMCA – 52.5
Top 5 Girls:
- Nova of Virginia – 384
- Quest Swimming – 144
- Poseidon Swimming – 94.5
- Coast Guard Blue Dolphins – 87
- Virginia Gators – 82.5
Top 5 Combined:
- Nova of Virginia – 614
- Cavalier Aquatics – 205
- Quest Swimming – 144
- Posiedon Swimming – 125.5
- (TIE) Coast Guard Blue Dolphins/Tide Swimming – 119
So, who won the men’s 100y fly?
In Heimlan’s absence, another star of this meet Kyle Peck from the Rappahannock Stingrays won the 100 fly in 47.09. That’s a half-second improvement on his lifetime best and is his 6th lifetime best in the 2023 calendar year already. Peck, another high school junior, is committed to Texas.
Ok once again at 16,
50 free: 19.63
100 free: 42.96
200 free: 1:34.10
100 breast: 54.26
100 fly: 44.67
200 fly: 1:40.86
200 IM: 1:41.71
400 IM: 3:43.63
This resume of his is just getting more and more wilder.
How about his LCM?
Not quite the same tier but very impressive (and these are all from when he was 15):
50 free: 22.89
100 free: 49.06
200 free: 1:50.34
100 fly: 51.98
200 fly: 1:56.52
200 IM: 2:04.63
400 IM: 4:32.45
At 15 last summer
100 free – 49.06
100 fly – 51.98
200 fly – 1:56.5
And a 1:47.9 200 free split on the 800 free relay
NZs Lewis Clareburt was faster at 15, let alone 16. .
You’re on drugs
Never knew that Clareburt swam SCY don’t know what you’re trying to compare here.
2 swimmers beat him at premier today
Both being a year older, in their primary events, and only a little more than a second faster than someone swimming maybe his 9th best event.
Ok mom
The title was the 400 IM – and several high school boys beat him on the same day
Not even Phelps won everything he swam give it a break
I watched him swim in prelims he rapped it up quick and stopped trying
MP, anyone?
Lol
MP already broke WRs and became World Champion at younger age
MP is the Goat, but we can’t judge Heilman on the basis that he doesn’t have any world records. The records today are way more optimized and difficult than they were in 2001, partly in thanks to people like Michael.
Maybe just because it’s the season but all I can think about is where is this kid going to school.
Clemson
Arizona State.
SMU obviously
3:43 not 4:43
I went 4:56 in the 400im in like 1989, now I feel like I should get a SwimSwam article too.