2022 LCM YMCA Nationals Day 3 Prelims: Daniel Diehl Goes 25.55 50 Back PB

2022 YMCA LONG COURSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 19 to 23, 2022
• LCM (50m)
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Session Timeline
• Psych Sheets
• Livestream
• Meet Central
• Live Results

Cumberland Y 16-year-old Daniel Diehl shaved nearly half a second off his personal best in the 50 backstroke with a top-seeded time of 25.55 during Thursday morning’s prelims session at Y Nationals.

Diehl’s previous best was a 26.00 from International Team Trials in April. His new mark makes him the fifth-fastest performer all-time in the boys 15-16 age group. It’s also more than a second faster than any other 16-year-old boy nationally this season. Diehl is already the 15-16 NAG record holder in the 100 back (53.59), and on Wednesday night, he became the No. 3 all-time performer in the 200 back for the boys 15-16 age group with a winning time of 1:57.67.

Western Branch Y 18-year-old Tommy Janton wasn’t far behind Diehl in with a personal-best 25.79 in the 50 back prelims. Janton, who will begin his college career at Notre Dame next month, also led off Western Branch’s top-seeded 400 medley relay team with a 56.46 backstroke split. 

Greater Somerset Y 16-year-old Anna Moesch cruised to the top qualifying spot heading into Thursday night’s 400 IM finals. With a 5:00.05, she was five seconds slower than her personal best but still five seconds ahead of the field. On Wednesday night, Moesch shattered her personal best in the 200 freestyle with a 1:59.59 after being stuck in the 2:03-point range for a year. 

Sixteen-year-old Greater Somerset teammate Emily Thompson also impressed during the morning session with a 1:01.22 in the 100 butterfly. The time marked a new personal best by .63 seconds and ranks as the 10th-fastest this season among 16-year-old girls nationally. Lakeland Hills 18-year-old Lily Hann took the second seed in the 100 fly with a 1:01.94, but the Indiana commit has been 1:01.23 before, so tonight’s final could be a tight race. 

Together, Moesch and Thompson also helped Greater Somerset’s 400 medley relay team secure the top seed in prelims by a comfortable margin. Thompson clocked a 1:03.29 butterfly leg while Moesch split 57.50 on her freestyle anchor. 

Fanwood-Scotch Plains Y 16-year-old Clare Logan reached the wall first in the 50 back prelims with a 29.14. Her personal best is a 28.68 from the first leg of the 200 medley relay on Tuesday, which ranks second this season among 16-year-old girls nationally. Lakeland Hill 17-year-old Ela Habjan also put up a personal best by more than a second with a 29.50 to take the second seed behind Logan. 

Greater Monmouth Y 18-year-old Kevin Truscio claimed the top seed in the 400 IM with a 4:36.94. It marked a personal best by nearly a second for the University of Cincinnati commit. The boys 100 fly prelims turned out to be the closest race of the morning as Western Branch 17-year-old Alexander Karahalis posted a personal-best 56.29 to edge ME Lyons 17-year-old Justin Dostal by just .07 seconds.