2025 YMCA Short Course Nationals
- March 31 – April 5, 2025
- Greensboro Aquatic Center, NC
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results: “2025 YMCA Short Course Nationals” on Meet Mobile
The 2025 YMCA Nationals Kicked Off last night, and three men’s 800 free relay teams clipped the meet record in a thrilling race.
Cavalier Aquatics got their hand on the wall first in 6:32.87. Thomas Heilman gave the team clear water, leading off in a 1:33.94. This is about 1.7 seconds off his 1:32.26 lifetime best. Up next was Will Browne (1:36.51), followed by Will Charlton (1:40.04) and Brayden King (1:42.38).
It was not an easy win for the Charlottesville-based team. They were nearly run down by both Spartanburg and Somerset, who came in 2nd and 3rd in 6:33.14 and 6:33.20, respectively. Somerset’s Kenneth Barnicle really turned the heat on the anchor leg with a 1:33.79 split. All three teams beat Sarasota’s 6:34.89 meet record from 2017.
The Cavalier men also claimed the 200 medley relay top seed, clocking in at 1:29.30. Chase Easton led off in a 24.19 before handing off to Jack Hathaway, who sprinted to a 25.29 breaststroke. Heilman and Browne secured Piedmont’s victory with respective butterfly and freestyle splits of 20.23 and 19.68. Heilman’s fastest ever 50 fly split stands at 19.87 from 2023 Winter Juniors – East.
Spartanburg kept it close with a runner-up time of 1:29.60. They boasted the field’s fastest breaststroker in Maddex Ternes (24.56). Barnicle of Somerset had the fastest lead-off with a 21.92.
Unlike the men’s relays, the women’s relays were not close at all. Schroeder dominated both events, starting off with a nearly three-second top seed in the 200 medley relay. Their line-up consisted of a 25.07 lead-off from Maggie Dickins, a 29.34 breaststroke from Amy Hu, a blistering 22.49 butterfly by Alana Berlin, and Ari Zhao bringing it home in 22.99. This is Berlin’s second 22.4 50 fly split this year.
Schroder had the fastest splits on the latter two legs, which means that Berlin outsplit every single freestyler by at least half a second swimming butterfly. The fastest breaststroke went to York’s Molly Yacoviello (28.24) and Claire Roussakis of Upper Maine Line turned in the fastest 50 back (24.92).
Schroeder also ran away with the 800 free relay by 11 seconds. Berlin led the team off in a new best time of 1:47.55, followed by Dickins (1:48.35), Anne Dickinson (1:49.85), and Zhao (1:50.22) for a final time of 7:15.97.
The only individual event of the night, the 1000, went to Cavalier’s Meghan Ayres on the women’s side. The 15-year-old established a new personal best by five seconds, winning in 9:52.92. On the men’s side, Spartanburg’s Lincoln Council leveraged a strong back half to take the victory
Team Scores After Day 1:
Men:
- Cavalier Aquatics – 75.5
- Spartanburg – 54
- Somerset – 45
Women:
- Upper Main Line – 59
- Schroeder – 57
- Cavalier Aquatics – 51
There’s only ONEEEEEE BOB BOWMAN!
Actually, I think Claire Roussakis from UMLY had fastest back split, 24.92, on the women’s side in the prelim 200 medley.
Why is Cavalier Aquatic at YMCA nationals?
If you’re referring to whether they’re a YMCA team – they are since their 2020 merger with the Piedmont Family YMCA team.
Thank you!