2023 NCSA Spring Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2023 NCSA SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 14-18, 2023
• Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center, Orlando, FL
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2023 NCSA Spring Swimming Championships”
• Live Stream
• Day 4 Girls’ Prelim Heat Sheet
• Day 4 Boys’ Prelim Heat Sheet
• Day 4 Prelims Timeline

The fourth day of action from the 2023 NCSA Spring Championships will kick off with preliminary heats in the 500 free, 100 fly and 200 breast for both boys and girls, along with the early heats of the 400 free relay.

Among the notable names racing this morning include Nathan Szobota, who recently became the fastest 15-year-old in U.S. history in the 1000 free, as he’ll now tackle the boys’ 500 free alongside top seed Matthew Marsteiner, while top recruit and defending champion Scotty Buff highlights the boys’ 100 fly.

On the girls’ side, LIAC’s Cavan Gormsen headlines the 500 free and Elmbrook teammates Campbell Stoll (100 fly) and Lucy Thomas (200 breast) hold the top seeds in the other two individual events.

Both Thomas and Inspire Swim Team’s Nate Germonprez have a chance to complete the breaststroke sweep today, having both won the 50 and 100 breast through the first three days of competition. Germonprez, who also won the 200 free last night in addition to the 50 breast, holds the top seed in the 200 breast in 1:54.87.

GIRLS’ 500 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCSA Meet Record: 4:38.69, Becca Mann – 2013

1. Cavan Gormsen (LIAC), 4:42.69
2. Madison Smith (RMSC), 4:47.79
3. Lainey Mullins (SSC), 4:49.62
4. Lilla Bognar (TG), 4:49.79
5. Andrea Dworak (RMSC), 4:50.96
6. Lilly Gault Abdella (TG), 4:51.22
7. Allison Bischoff (NOVA), 4:51.52
8. Amanda Barnard (NOVA), 4:52.21

Long Island Aquatic Club’s Cavan Gormsen cruised to the top seed of the morning in the girls’ 500 free, posting a time of 4:42.69 to sit more than five seconds clear of the field.

The 18-year-old Virginia commit owns a personal best time of 4:37.90, set last year, and is coming off of hitting a season-best of 4:38.49 in February. That puts the 10-year-old meet record of 4:38.69 at risk in tonight’s final.

Rockville Montgomery’s Madison Smith qualified second for the final in 4:47.79, slightly quicker than she was in last year’s prelims (4:48.12) before she won the final in what remains her lifetime best of 4:44.62.

Another UVA commit, Suburban Seahawks’ Lainey Mullins, placed third last year and qualified in the same spot this morning, clocking 4:49.62 to out-touch Lilla Bognar (4:49.79) in the penultimate heat.

Bognar’s Team Greenville teammate, 15-year-old Lilly Gault Abdella, dropped two and a half seconds from her best time to qualify sixth for the final in 4:51.22, having set her previous best of 4:53.86 just last month.

BOYS’ 500 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• NCSA Meet Record: 4:16.43, Matthew Hirschberger – 2015

1. Nathan Szobota (NOVA), 4:20.09
2. Elliot Weisel (RCKT), 4:20.33
3. Sean Green (LIAC), 4:21.38
4. Matthew Marsteiner (WAVE), 4:21.51
5. Jacob Hamlin (HIGH), 4:24.55
6. Ryan Erisman (LAKR), 4:25.84
7. Brady Begin (RMSC), 4:28.30
8. Ryan Hufford (NOVA), 4:28.36

The top four qualifiers in the boys’ 500 free all set new personal best times, with Nathan Szobota, Elliot Weisel, Sean Green and Matthew Marsteiner battling head-to-head in the 15th and final heat.

Leading the way was NOVA of Virginia’s Szobota, as the 15-year-old touched in 4:20.09 to edge out Weisel (4:20.33), downing his personal best of 4:22.48 set at Winter Juniors – East in December.

Szobota now ranks fourth all-time among 15-year-olds in U.S. history, trailing only Trey Freeman (4:18.82), Norvin Clontz (4:19.43) and Maximus Williamson (4:19.82).

Weisel’s time demolishes his previous best of 4:24.69, while another 15-year-old LIAC’s Sean Green, touched third in 4:21.38, which ranks him sixth all-time among 15-year-old boys. Green had previously been 4:23.28 at the NCAP Invite in December.

Green got his hand on the wall just ahead of Marsteiner, who clocked 4:21.51 to surpass the 4:21.88 mark he established last month at the NCHSAA 4A State Championships.

GIRLS’ 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• NCSA Meet Record: 52.00, Janet Hu – 2014

1. Levenia Sim (TNT), 52.97
2. Campbell Stoll (EBSC), 53.13
3. Caroline Larsen (FOXJ), 53.39
4. Emma Kern (AQJT), 53.54
5. Aspen Gersper (SAS), 53.58
6. Tess Howley (LIAC), 53.61
7. Hailey Tierney (LAKE), 53.89
8. Sarah Eliason (RMSC), 54.10

Levenia Sim clipped Campbell Stoll at the wall to win Heat 33 and qualify first into tonight’s final of the girls’ 100 fly, clocking a time of 52.97, with Stoll less than two-tenths back in 53.13.

Sim, 16, is coming off of setting a personal best of 52.25 in late February at the Southeastern SC Championships.

A Texas commit, Stoll set her current PB of 51.85 in November at the Wisconsin High School State Championships.

In the first circle-seeded heat, Team Foxjets’ Caroline Larsen came within .05 of her best time to touch first in 53.39 over teammate Emma Kern (53.54), qualifying them third and fourth overall into the final, while Aspen Gersper (53.58) and Tess Howley (53.61) went 1-2 in the penultimate heat.

The time for Gerpser is a new best time, undercutting her previous mark of 53.99 established at this meet last year.

BOYS’ 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• NCSA Meet Record: 45.40, Scotty Buff – 2022

1. Scotty Buff (GTAC), 46.15
2. Chase Swearingen (NAAC), 47.15
3. Diego Balbi (SAS), 47.65
4. Adriano Arioti (RMSC), 47.75
5. Simon Bermudez (AAC), 47.97
6. Jack Madoch (VAST), 47.99
7. Joshua Fisher (PSDN), 48.05
8. Rian Graham (MACH), 48.14

Defending champion and NCSA meet record holder Scotty Buff qualified a full second ahead of the pack in the heats of the boys’ 100 fly, touching in 46.15.

Buff, 18, set the meet record last year in 45.40, and will have a great shot at lowering that mark in the final given that he’s broken 45 seconds twice over the last four months, with his PB of 44.87 from December ranking him second all-time in the 17-18 age group.

Buff will be eyeing his third individual win of the meet after placing first in the 50 fly and 100 back earlier.

New Albany Aquatic Club’s Chase Swearingen advanced second overall in 47.15, three-tenths shy of his personal best of 46.85 set last month at the Ohio HS State Championships.

Swearingen finished sixth in this event at the 2022 NCSAs.

Saint Andrew’s Aquatics’ Diego Balbi (47.65) and Rockville Montgomery’s Adriano Arioti (47.75) were close behind in third and fourth, while the lone ‘A’ finalist to set a new best time was Arlington Aquatic Club’s Simon Bermudez, who broke 48 seconds for the first time in 47.97.

GIRLS’ 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCSA Meet Record: 2:08.30, Kaelyn Gridley – 2022

1. Elle Scott (NOVA), 2:11.01
2. Lucy Thomas (EBSC), 2:11.10
3. Campbell Stoll (EBSC), 2:11.26
4. Grace Rabb (AQJT), 2:12.67
5. Catherine Hughes (AAC), 2:13.16
6. Bridget McGann (ACAD), 2:13.66
7. Elizabeth Nawrocki (ACAD), 2:14.38
8. Caroline Kramer (HSC), 2:14.78

NOVA of Virginia’s Elle Scott recorded the second-fastest swim of her career to claim the top seed in the girls’ 200 breast, putting up a time of 2:11.01 to edge out Elmbrook’s Campbell Stoll (2:11.26) in the penultimate heat.

Scott, 15, set a new PB of 2:10.04 just last month at the VSI SC Senior Championships.

Stoll, coming off of making the 100 fly final earlier in the session, lowers her best time for the first time in two years, dipping under the 2:12.76 mark she set at the 2021 NCSAs.

Lucy Thomas, the top seed coming in and the winner of the 50 and 100 breast earlier in the meet, cruised to victory in the last heat in a time of 2:11.26 to qualify third, having set a best time of 2:09.16 at this meet last year.

Fourth-place qualifier Grace Rabb broke 2:13 for the first time in 2:12.67, cracking the top 100 all-time in the girls’ 15-16 age group.

BOYS’ 200 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• NCSA Meet Record: 1:52.21, Andrew Seliskar – 2014

1. Charlie Egeland (AQJT), 1:57.07
2. Toby Barnett (RMSC), 1:57.61
3. Abram Mueller (BAC), 1:58.04
4. Nate Germonprez (ISWM), 1:58.07
5. Jed Garner (RMSC), 1:58.83
6. Lance Johnson (EBSC), 1:59.58
7. Lleyton Arnold (NCAP), 2:00.28
8. Carson Ricker (USSC), 2:00.77

Aquajets’ Charlie Egeland dropped a best time of 1:57.07 from the first circle-seeded heat to claim the top seed for tonight’s final in the boys’ 200 breaststroke, knocking more than a second off his previous best of 1:58.17 set at Winter Juniors – West in December.

Egeland, a 17-year-old Yale commit, is coming off of setting a big best time of 1:46.24 last night in the 200 fly, winning the consolation final.

Rockville Montgomery’s Toby Barnett topped the penultimate heat in 1:57.61, having set a PB of 1:55.93 at the RMSC Holiday Invitational in December.

Abram Mueller (1:58.04) out-touched top seed Nate Germonprez (1:58.07) in the last heat after making up seven-tenths over the last 50 with a 30.97 closing split.

Mueller, 17, is coming off setting his lifetime best just three weeks ago at the Wisconsin LSC Senior Championships in 1:57.27.

GIRLS’ 400 FREESTYLE RELAY – TIMED FINAL

• NCSA Meet Record: 3:17.35, Elmbrook Swim Club – 2022

Top Three Seeded Heats Swimming With Finals

1. Windermere Lakers, 3:25.61
2. Saint Andrew’s Aquatics, 3:28.70
3. Long Island Aquatic Club ‘B’, 3:29.16

The Windermere Lakers put up the fastest time of the early heats of the girls’ 400 free relay by over three seconds in 3:25.61, getting a pair of 50-point legs from Maddie Reynolds (50.97) on the lead-off and Rylee Erisman (50.24) on the anchor.

Aspen Gersper dropped a 49.26 anchor leg for Saint Andrew’s Aquatics to give them the second-fastest time so far in 3:28.70. Gersper placed third in the 100 free earlier in the meet in a time of 48.94.

BOYS’ 400 FREESTYLE RELAY – TIMED FINAL

• NCSA Meet Record: 2:56.34, New Albany Aquatic Club – 2022

Top Three Seeded Heats Swimming With Finals

1. Nasa Wildcat Aquatics, 3:05.18

Results are no longer showing on Meet Mobile, but Nasa Wildcat Aquatics posted the top time of the early boys’ 400 free relay heats in 3:05.18.