2022 YMCA LC Nationals Day 1: Diehl Swims 50.05 100 FR, Somerset YMCA Dominates

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

Team Scores:

Combined:

1. Greater Mommouth YMCA — 213
2. Greater Somerset County YMCA — 171
3. Greater Spartanburg YMCA — 152
4. Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA — 151
5. Lakeland Hills Family YMCA — 148

Men:

1. Greater Mommouth YMCA — 111
2. Western Branch YMCA — 97
3. Greater Spartanburg YMCA — 92
4. Lakeland Hills Family YMCA — 80
5. ME Lyons Anderson YMCA — 73

Women:

1. Greater Somerset County YMCA — 134
2. Greater Mommouth YMCA — 103
3. York And York County YMCA — 97
4. Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA — 83
5. Lakeland Hills Family YMCA — 68

On night one of the 2022 YMCA Long Course Nationals, Anna Moesch of the Greater Somerset County YMCA drew the attention of the swimming world with her 54.33 100 free and 24.46 anchor leg on the 200 medley relay. You can read more about those swims here. Moesch wasn’t the only standout in the womens’ 100 free though, as 17-year-old Texas commit Alexa Fulton of the Upper Main Line YMCA finished second in a time of 55.74. This was her first swim under 56 seconds, and also qualified her for US Nationals later this summer.

Another other big star of tonight was Daniel Diehl, who put up a 50.05 to win the mens’ 100 free by over half a second. He was just a few tenths off his best time of 49.71, which he set in March 2022 to become the #5 ranked swimmer of all-time in the 15-16 age group.

Emily Thompson, Moesch’s club teammate, won the 200 fly in a new best time of 2:15.87. Her previous personal best was a 2:16.31, set at Speedo Junior Nationals last summer. Thompson is set to represent Team USA at Junior Pan Pacs this August in the 200 IM.

The Greater Somerset YMCA actually won four out the five contested girls’ events today, as Meghan Sharma won the 50 breast in 33.14 and Charlotte Holliday (30.29), Sharma (33.25), Thompson (27.88), and Moesch (24.46) won the 200 medley relay in a time of 1:55.88. The GCSY team was trailing by 0.1 seconds behind the Lakeland Hills Family YMCA at the 150-meter mark, but Moesch’s freestyle split pulled her team ahead to win by over two seconds.

Another impressive swim from that 200 medley relay was Clare Logan‘s backstroke leadoff leg for the Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA. She clocked a time of 28.68, which broke Marie Scobel’s YMCA National record of 29.09 from 2018. Logan is now the 11th fastest swimmer of all time in the 15-16 girls’ age group.

The mens’ 200 fly was an extremely tight race, with Justin Dostal and Robin Domingo finishing just 0.02 seconds apart with times of 2:04.66 and 2:04.68 respectively. Domingo flipped in first at the 100-meter mark with a 59.09 split compared to Dostal’s 59.64, but Dostal came home in 1:05.02 to close the gap while Domingo’s last 50 was slightly slower at 1:05.59.

Jack Grandy was the only swimmer under 29 seconds in the mens’ 50 breast, winning in a time of 28.98. He’s had stark improvements in this race, as prior to this meet, his best time had been a 30.40.

Katelyn Fitzgerald and Kevin Cary won the womens’ and mens’ 800 free races with times of 9:08.20 and 8:23.53 respectively, with both swimmers setting best times.

The final race of the night was the mens’ 200 medley relay, where Tommy Janton (25.86), Alek Elder (29.52), Alexander Karhalis (24.83), and Liam Simmons (23.55) put up a 1:43.76 for the Western Branch YMCA, winning the event by nearly two seconds.