Lilla Bognar Hits 1:54.2 200 Back To Highlight Opening Session of NCSA Champs

2022 NCSA JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 15-19, 2022
• Rosen Aquatic and Fitness Center, Orlando, Florida
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 NCSA Spring Swimming Championships”

Note: Full session result PDFs will be uploaded at the meet central page shortly after the conclusion of each session.

The 2022 NCSA Spring Championships got underway this morning from Orlando, with preliminary heats in the women’s and men’s 200 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 100 freestyle and 200 medley relays.

Women’s Highlights

Team Greenville’s Lilla Bognar kicked things off with a big swim in the women’s 200 back, putting up the top time of the session in 1:54.22.

The swim for Bognar marks a sizeable best time, having previously been 1:55.65, and makes her the 19th-fastest 15-year-old in history. In the 15-16 age group, she now ranks 40th all-time.

Two more swimmers joined Bognar under the 1:55 barrier in the event, with Elmbrook Swim Club’s Maggie Wanezek (1:54.46) and Nova of Virginia’s Zoe Dixon (1:54.93) qualifying second and third. TNT Swimming’s Levenia Sim, who, like Bognar, is just 15, was fourth-fastest in 1:55.28, marking her fastest swim since moving up into the 15-16 age group (she was 1:54.98 at 14).

Another standout swim on the women’s side of the competition came in the 50 breast, where Elmbrook’s Lucy Thomas blasted a scorching time of 27.42 which appears to be the fastest we’ve ever seen from a 16-year-old. Thomas was actually faster at this meet last year, however, clocking 27.12 to rank sixth all-time. (The SCY 50 breast is an event not commonly raced at championship meets.)

15-year-old Caroline Larsen of the Foxjets Swim Team was also sub-28 in 27.89 to qualify second for the final.

In the 100 free, nine swimmers broke 50 seconds in the prelims, led by NCAP’s Camille Spink in a time of 49.02. Spink, 17, set a best time last month at 48.13.

Spink was followed by Nasa Wildcat Aquatics’ Carly Novelline (49.22), Chattahoochee Gold Swim Club’s Elizabeth Tilt (49.31) and Elmbrook’s Thomas (49.52) in second, third and fourth, with Tilt notably lowering her best down from 49.89 and Thomas matching her PB set in February.

17-year-old Claire Tuggle was the 10th-fastest swimmer this morning in 50.01, the fourth-fastest time of her career and quickest since going 49.69 at this meet in 2021.

Machine Aquatics leads through the early timed final heats of the 200 medley relay, clocking 1:44.11 to lead New Albany (1:44.31). The three fastest heats will swim with finals.

Men’s Highlights

FAST’s Josh Zuchowski paced the field in the 200 back to get the men’s meet underway, clocking 1:43.39 to lead Greater Toledo’s Scott Buff (1:43.92).

The time for Zuchowski, a Stanford commit, was the third-fastest of his career and his fastest since going 1:41.68 at this meet last year.

Buff set a new lifetime best, coming off of setting a four-second PB at the MAKO Senior Invitational less than two weeks ago at 1:44.05. In third, Stingrays Swim Team’s 16-year-old Kyle Peck was just off his best time set in early March (1:44.48) in 1:44.57.

In the 100 free, in a field full of 17 and 18-year-olds, it was New Albany Aquatic Club’s 16-year-old Hudson Williams leading the way in a time of 43.98, just off his personal best of 43.80 set at Winter Juniors – East in December.

Williams was followed by Buff, who followed up that 200 back swim by dropping nearly a full second in the 100 free in 44.24 to qualify second for the final.

The 50 breast was paced by Inspire Swim Team’s Kael Mlinek, 18, who clocked in at 24.62 to lead Csp Tideriders’ Kledi Kadiu (24.84). Mlinek improves on his previous best of 24.67 set last year.

Greater Toledo Aquatic Club put up the top time in the early heats of the 200 medley relay in 1:32.11, with Buff putting up a quick 21.05 butterfly leg.