2022 NCSA Spring Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

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
• Live Stream
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2022 NCSA Spring Swimming Championships”
• Thursday finals heat sheet

The third night of the NCSA Spring Championships kick off this evening in Orlando at 5:30 PM EST. On tap tonight is the 200 free, 400 IM, 100 back and 200 free relay.

Several stars will look to shine tonight, as Claire Tuggle and Camille Spink are slated to battle in the 200 free, while Carly Novelline comes in as the top seed in the 100 back. After breaking the meet record in the 50 back last night in the 100 back, Greater Toledo’s Scotty Buff comes in as the top seed in the 100 back. In the 400 IM, Team Greeneville’s Lilla Bognar comes in as the top seed in the women’s race, while RMSC’s Toby Barnett will swim in the middle of the pool in the boys race.

Girls 200 free

• Meet Record: Simone Manuel (First Colony- 2014) 1:43.00

Top 8 finishers:

1. Camille Spink (NCAP): 1:45.43
2. Claire Tuggle (SMSC): 1:45.46
3. Tess Howley (LIAC): 1:46.80
4. Zoe Skirboll (RXA): 1:47.21
5. Marie Landreneau (COLA): 1:47.50
6. Ellery Ottem (MAKO): 1:47.74
7. Lucy Thomas (EBSC): 1:48.41
8. Tyler Driscoll (FAST):1:48.81

In a thrilling final, NCAP’s Camille Spink held off a hard charging Claire Tuggle to take the title by just .03. Spink was out quick and held a sizable lead at the 150 point, but Tuggle began to close into the 175 turn and the two swam nearly stroke for stroke the final 10 meters of the race before Spink took the win at the touch. Both swimmers were off of their lifetime bests, with Spink coming in with a 1:44.29 and Tuggle’s lifetime best of 1:44.96 coming four years ago at this meet as a 13 year old.

Tess Howley, who broke the meet record in the 200 fly last night, finished third in1:46.80, off of her lifetime best of 1:45.56.

Boys 200 free

• Meet Record: Jack Conger (Rockville Montgomery- 2013): 1:34.27

Top 8 finishers:

1. Juancarlos Castrillon (LIAC): 1:36.67
2. Ozan Kalafat (MWWM): 1:36.72
3. Samuel Powe (MCC)/James Ewing (AAC): 1:36.75
4. —-
5. Spencer Aurnou-Rhees (NAAC): 1:36.94
6. Noah Dyer (MACH): 1:38.20
7. Elliot Weisel (ROCO): 1:38.65
8. Alexander Cimera (HEAT): 1:40.42

Mirroring the girls 200 free, the boys 200 free was also an extremely tight race, with the top four swimmers all finishing .08. Long Island’s Juancarlos Castrillon ended up taking the win out of lane 7, dropping nearly 2 full seconds from his prelim swim.

Mid Wisconsin’s Ozan Kalafat was out quick, flipping with the lead at the halfway point with a 46.54 opening 100, but he was unable to hold of Castrillon who closed in a 24.56.

McCallie GPS’ Sam Powe, a Georgia commit, and Arlington’s James Ewing Tied for third in 1:36.75, a new lifetime best for both swimmers.

Girls 400 IM

• Meet Record: Becca Mann (Clearwater- 2013): 4:07.51

Top 8 finishers:

1. Lila Bognar (TG): 4:05.50 (MR)
2. Zoe Dixon (NOVA): 4:06.77
3. Jordan Durocher (NCAP): 4:11.88
4. Campbell Chase (COR): 4:12.09
5. Reese Titlmann (EBSC): 4:14.72
6. Lucy Malys (OLY): 4:15.09
7. Elizabeth Tilt (GOLD): 4:18.73
8. —-

Team Greenville’s Lila Bognar smashed Becca Mann’s 2013 meet record by two seconds, touching first in 4:05.50 to take the win. Bognar was out quick, turning at 1:56 at the halfway point, but clearly had enough in the tank to finish the grueling 400 IM in record fashion.

Bognar was pushed throughout the race by Nova of Virginia’s Zoe Dixon, who also swam under the former meet record in 4:06.77. Dixon actually held the lead at the 300 mark thanks to a blistering 1:10 breaststroke split, but was unable to hold off Bognar over the final 100.

Notably, Suburban Seahawks’ Ashley Kolessar was DQ’d in the A final, one of three swimmers DQ’d this evening.

Boys 400 IM

• Meet Record: Andrew Seliskar (Nation’s Capital- 2015): 3:43.55

Top 8 finishers:

1. Stephen Hitchcock (BAY): 3:47.29
2. Toby Barnett (RMSC): 3:47.35
3. Giovanni Linscheer (COR): 3:49.59
4. Lance Johnson (WEST): 3:49.71
5. Nils Bognar (TG): 3:50.06
6. Levi Sandidge (COR): 3:52.51
7. Adriano Arioti (RMSC): 3:54.30
8. Parker Reynolds (SMSC): 3:56.01

In another thrilling final, Baylor Swim Club’s Stephen Hitchcock completed a comeback victory in the boys 400 IM, closing in 52.42, including a 25.55 final 50, to overtake RMSC’s Toby Barnett at the end. Both swimmers posted new lifetime bests by over two seconds, with Hitchock winning 3:47.29 to 3:47.35.

City of Richardson’s Giovanni Linscheer took third in 3:49.59, a second off of his lifetime best and also came back to overtake Waukesha’s Lance Johnson on the final 50. Johnson touched fourth in 3:49.71, his first time under 3:50 and a 5.5 second drop on the day.

Girls 100 Back

• Meet Record: Rachel Bootsma (Aquajets- 2011): 50.76

Top 8 finishers:

1. Maggie Wanezek (EBSC): 51.13
2. Levenia Sim (TNT): 51.45
3. Carly Novelline (WILD): 51.61
4. Campbell Stoll (EBSC): 52.68
5. Emma Kern (AQJT): 52.89
6. Tess Howley (LIAC): 53.20
7. Carly Meeting (NAAC): 53.57
8. Camille Spink (NCAP): 53.65

Elmbrook’s Maggie Wanezek took home the title in the girls 100 back, touching in 51.13 just ahead of last night’s 50 back champion Levenia Sim, who finished second in 51.45. That swim now makes Wanezek the third fastest 15-16 girl in history, behind only 2020 Olympians Claire Curzan and Regan Smith.

Touching just behind them was NASA Wildcat senior and Virginia commit Carly Novelline, who finished third in 51.61. That marks an almost second and a half drop for the 18 year old on the day, who came in with a lifetime best of 53.02.

Liac’s Tess Howley and NCAP’s Camille Spink competed in their second A final of the evening after swimming the 200 free earlier. Howley finished 6th in 53.20, while Spink finished 8th in 53.65.

Boys 100 Back

• Meet Record: Anthony Grimm (MAKO- 2019): 45.60

Top 8 finishers:

1. Scotty Buff (GTAC): 45.89
2. Hudson Willaims (NAAC): 46.98
3. Joshua Zuchowski (FAST): 47.00
4. Sam Powe (MCC): 47.08
5. Nathaniel Germonprez (ISWM): 47.21
6. Landon Gentry (NCAP): 47.37
7. Charlie Crosby (HURR): 47.41
8. Collin McKenzie (AAC): 48.21

After breaking the meet record in the 50 back last night, Greater Toledo’s Scotty Buff returned to win the 100 back tonight in 45.89. That marks the first time under the 46 second barrier for the Florida commit, who entered the meet with a lifetime best of 46.82. The swim is also just off of Anthony Grimm’s meet record of 45.60 from 2019. Grimm is now a member of the University of Texas team set to compete at NCAAs in Atlanta next week.

Coming in second was New Albany’s Hudson Williams, who touched in 46.98, just a tenth off of his lifetime best. He was followed by Stanford commit Josh Zuchowski of Flood Aquatics, who finished in 47.00.

McCallie’s Sam Powe, who was also in the A final of the 200 free, finished 4th in 47.08. That swim is a few tenths off of the Georgia commit’s lifetime best.

Girls 200 free relay

• Meet Record: Aquajets (2015): 1:30.60

Top 8 finishers:

1. Elmbrook A: 1:29.43 (MR)
2. Nation’s Capital A: 1:32.08
3. Chattahoochee Gold A: 1:32.25
4. New Albany A: 1:32.43
5. NASA Wildcat A: 1:32.46
6. Rockville Montgomery A: 1:32.80
7. Academy Bullets A/Oakland Live Y’ers A: 1:33.26
8. —-

The Elmbrook Swim Club girls demolished the 7 year old meet record previously held by the Minnesota-based Aquajets with a blistering 1:29.43. They swam a very even relay, with Lucy Thomas leading off in 22.33, followed by Margaret Wanezek’s 22.09, then Campbell Stoll’s 22.48 and finally Abigail Wanezek’s 22.53 anchor leg.

The swim is also just off of the 15-18 NAG record of 1:29.04, held by Chelsea Piers. That relay included the newly-minted American Record holder Kate Douglass as the anchor.

Coming in second nearly three second back was NCAP, which was led by Camille Spink‘s 22.51 lead off split.

Also of note was Carly Novelline of NASA Wildcat’s fifth place relay, who anchored in a blazing 21.83, the fastest in the field.

Boys 200 free relay

• Meet Record: Nation’s Capital (2015): 1:19.55

Top 8 finishers:

1. New Albany A: 1:20.77
2. Arlington Aquatic Club A: 1:21.07
3. Nation’s Capital A: 1:21.74
4. Hinsdale A: 1:21.75
5. Rockville Montgomery A: 1:22.06
6. Eagle Swim Team A; 1:22.32
7. FMC Aquatic A: 1:22.38
8. Team Greenville A: 1:22.58

The New Albany boys took home the 200 free relay title in 1:20.77, three tenths ahead of Arlington Aquatic Club. They were virtually even at the 150 mark, but a 19.63 anchor leg from Hudson Williams sealed the win for New Albany.

Arlington was led by a 19.80 anchor leg from James Ewing, though he was unable to overcome Williams’ field-leading split. NCAP also received a sub-20 split, with Landon Gentry splitting 19.98 in the second leg.