2023 USMS Spring Nats Day 4: Jenny Thompson Breaks Another 50-54 Record with 23.75 50 FR

2023 USMS SPRING NATIONALS

• April 27 – May 1, 2023
• William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center, Irvine, CA
• SCY (25 yards)
• Meet Website
• Psych Sheets + Results
  • Live results also available 0n MeetMobile – “2023 USMS Spring Nationals”

The final day of the 2023 US Masters Swimming Spring Nationals is in the books. The meet, which brings together many of the top masters swimmers from around the country, was hosted in the storied William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine, CA, this year. Over the course of the four-day meet, we saw a whopping 57 Masters National Records go down, which, coincidentally matches the 57 records that were broken at last year’s meet in San Antonio.

The championships closed out with a bang, seeing 12 records fall. Two of those records came at the hands of one of the US’ swimming legends, Jenny Thompson. One of the most decorated Olympians of all-time with a whopping 12 Olympic medals, Thompson, now 50, put her speed on full display. After cracking Masters National Records in the women’s 50-54 50 fly and 100 free on the second day of the meet, Thompson kicked things off on the final day with a blistering 23.75 50 free. Not only did she win the women’s 50-54 event, she established a new record for the age group with the performance. Of note, North Carolina Masters 51-year-old Erika Braun came in second in the age group with a 24.39. Braun was 0.20 off her seed time with the swim.

Thompson, who competes for Palmetto Masters, then went on to win the women’s 50-54 100 back later in the session, roaring to a 58.87. Once again, she cracked the record for women’s 50-54, bringing her total record haul for the weekend up to four.

Another prolific record-breaker at these championships, Santa Barbara Masters’ Gabrielle Rose, hit one more record time on the final day of the meet. Rose, who is a dual citizen of the US and Brazil and was an Olympian for both countries, broke four women’s 45-49 records on day two and two more records on day three. On the final day of the meet, Rose managed to win the women’s 45-49 50 breast in 28.54, which broke the record she herself had just set two days previously in the event. Rose initially broke the women’s 45-49 50 breast record on Friday when she took her 100 breast out in 28.92 on the first 50. With her performance yesterday, she took another 0.38 seconds off the record mark.

Rose, now 45, was a member of Brazil’s 1996 Olympic team before switching it up and competing as part of Team USA at the 2000 Olympics. In total she broke seven women’s 45-49 records over the course of the weekend.

27-year-old Ally Howe (New York Athletic Club) cracked another pair of women’s 25-29 records on Sunday as well. Howe, who was a 19-time NCAA All-American for Stanford, as well as an eight-time NCAA champion, including one individual NCAA title, kicked things off with a 25.25 in the 50 back leading off NYAC’s women’s 25+ 200 medley relay. Howe’s swim marks a new Masters National Record for women’s 25-29 in the 50 back. The relay, which also featured Paulina Kaminski (30.27) on breast, Nicole Larson (25.52) on fly, and Elizabeth McDonald (23.23) on free, went on to win the 25+ division with a final time of 1:44.32.

Howe then went on from her 50 back record on the relay to win the women’s 25-29 100 back in 52.69. She was out just as fast in the 100 (if we take the flip turn into account), splitting a sizzling 25.70 on the first 50. She then came home in 26.99 on the second 50, securing the win and cracking another record with the swim. Notably, the 100 back was Howe’s best event in college. She was the second woman ever to break 50 seconds in the yards 100 back, and held the NCAA and American records in the event for a time with her career best of 49.69.

Another New York Athletic Club swimmer, Zachary Fong, broke a record on the final day of the meet. Fong, 25, won the men’s 25-29 200 fly in 1:44.67, breaking the record for the age group with the performance. Fong swam for the University of Virginia, where he was a two-time NCAA All-American in the 200 fly, and is still the UVA program record holder in the event currently (1:40.18).

After breaking the women’s 25-29 record in the 500 free on Saturday, Colorado Masters Swimming 26-year-old Jenna Campbell was back in action on Sunday, winning the women’s 25-29 200 free in 1:47.88. The performance marks a new record for the 25-29 age group in the event.

Puget Sound Masters 71-year-old Rick Colella broke the Masters National Record for men’s 70-74 in the 200 fly on Sunday, winning the event in 2:17.30. Colella was an Olympian for the US at both the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the 200 breast at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

Tamalpais Aquatic Masters 71-year-old Laura Val took down the women’s 70-74 record in the 200 free yesterday, swimming to a 2:12.26. Novaquatics Masters 50-year-old Peter Moore swam a 24.43 leading off a 200 medley relay on Sunday. That performance marks a new record for the men’s 50-54 age group in the 50 back.

Another incredible record-breaking swim came from 101-year-old Maurine Kornfeld, who won the women’s 100-104 50 free in 1:27.45 yesterday. The performance marks a new record for the age group. Kornfeld went on to win the women’s 100-104 100 back as well, swimming a 3:30.70. Here is a video of her finishing the race

101-year-old Maurine Kornfeld finished Spring Nationals with the 100 backstroke with a time of 3:33.16. Way to go, Mighty Mo! You are such an inspiration for all swimmers. 👏⁰⁰#mastersswimming #usmsnationals #swimmeet #swimmer #livinglegend pic.twitter.com/QFUPXinOWf

— Masters Swimming (@MastersSwimming) April 30, 2023

41-year-old Anthony Ervin, one of the US’ top men’s sprint freestylers of all-time, was in action on Sunday, swimming a 21.40 in the men’s 40-44 50 free. Ervin actually came in second, finishing behind fellow Golden Road Aquatics 41-year-old Mario Marshall, who won the race in 21.18. Here is a video of Ervin’s race:

Three-time Olympian Anthony Ervin blistering 21.40 in the 50 freestyle! ⁰⁰#mastersswimming #usmsnationals #olympian #olympicswimmer pic.twitter.com/MNzxJLNW7H

— Masters Swimming (@MastersSwimming) April 30, 2023