Matt Fallon Breaks Another Record, Negative-Splits 400 IM at YNats

• 2018 YMCA LONG COURSE NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
• Monday, July 30th-Friday, August 3rd, 2018
• Eppley Recreatin Center, University of Maryland
• 50m (LCM)
• Psych Sheet
• Meet Site
• Results

15-year old Matt Fallon from the Somerset Valley YMCA broke his 2nd National Record of the meet so far on Wednesday evening at the 2018 YMCA Long Course National Championships. After taking out the 200 breast mark on Tuesday, Fallon swam a 4:25.27 in the 400 IM on day 3 of the meet.

That took down Mark Andrew’s 2015 record of 4:26.57 in the event. It was also Fallon’s best time by more than 7 seconds.

What was most remarkable about the swim, though, is the way Fallon split the race. He actually negative split it, which is very rare in a long course 400 IM (splitting by 200: 2:13.13/2:12.14). For comparison of how remarkable that is, at Junior Nationals, the A finalists were each at least 4 seconds slower on the back-half of their races than the front.

For further emphasis, see the time progression between Fallon’s new record and Andrew’s old record below. Fallon split 1:10.85 on the breaststroke, whereas Andrew in his swim split a 1:17.30.

At USA Swimming’s Junior Nationals, his time of 4:25.27 would’ve tied for 6th in prelims.

While Fallon’s 200 breast record was the only record-setting performance in the first two days of the meet, ‘the field’ caught up on Wednesday with two other YMCA National Records.

In the 50 breaststroke, 16-year old Jessica McMurray from the York YMCA in Pennsylvania snuck under the old National Record. That old record was set last year, by Michiana’s Madison Blakesley, in 32.54. Blakesley is heading to the University of Arizona in the fall.

Then, at the end of the session, the girls from the Red Bank YMCA in New Jersey swam a 1:57.19 in the 200 medley relay, which was another narrow record-breaking performance. The old mark of 1:57.21 was set last year by the Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA, also in New Jersey. Fanwood was 16th this year, but with three 14-year olds on their roster, are poised to climb back up the ladder.

Red Bank’s record-setting splits:

• Marie Schobel – 29.32
• Emma Shaughnessy – 33.06
• Ginger Hansen – 28.11
• Megan Judge – 26.70

Schobel had the fastest backstroke split of anybody in the field. Other top splits include a 31.99 breaststroke from the aforementioned McMurray, and a 26.42 50 free anchor from her teammate Madison Nalls.

An out-of-pool note: air quality has been a problem at this meet, as it has been at almost every major indoor meet lately. 3 swimmers have required medical treatment to deal with breathing problems, including being given emergency oxygen.

Other Day 3 Winners:

• Olivia Harper won the girls’ 100 backstroke in 1:02.21, which left her .07 seconds slower than the National Record. Schobel, from Red Bank, took 2nd in 1:02.70, and Blue Ash’s Emma Shuppert finished 3rd in 1:02.82.
• 15-year old Somerset Hills YMCA swimmer Jack Alexy led the 100 back finals with a 56.65.
• Red Bank’s Richie Trentalange won the boys’ 50 breaststroke in 29.10. His teammate Sean Cook finished 3rd in 29.80.
• Hannah Cech from Lakota, Ohio won the girls’ 400 IM in 4:56.69. She was in 4th place coming into the freestyle, but clawed her way back to the top of the heap. Elizabeth Boyer from Cheshire was 2nd. The swim for Cech was a lifetime best by almost 10 seconds. She dropped 54 to place 7th in the 1500 free on Monday (17:25.39).
• Abby Doss from Susquehanna, Pennsylvania came-from-behind over Megan Glass to win the girls’ 200 free in 2:02.32. She was three-tenths down going into the final 50 before making up a half-second coming home. Glass took 2nd in 2:02.55.
• Josh Cohen won the boys’ 200 free in 1:52.60. Jack Alexy, earlier winner of the 100 back, was out fast in 53.67, but faded to 2nd in 1:53.44.
• One (boys) race later, Alexy led off Somerset’s 200 medley relay (there was a split error) as they rolled to a comfortable win in 1:45.79.
• While plenty of splits looked incorrect in the 200 medley relay, 16-year-old David Curtiss clocked an incredible 21.96 anchoring Hamilton’s relay in the B final. Curtiss hit a 19.75 flat start 50 in yards this spring, so considering he had a relay start, the swim sounds like it *could* be plausible. SwimSwam is trying to confirm the veracity of the split, though, so stay tuned.

Team Scores After Day 3

Top 5 Men’s Teams

1. Red Bank Branch YMCA – 243
2. Somerset Hills YMCA – 225.5
3. Greenwich YMCA – 129
4. Powel Crosley Jr  YMCA – 121
5. Somerset Valley YMCA – 119

Top 5 Women’s Teams

1. Red Bank Branch YMCA – 242
2. Cheshire YMCA – 225
3. ME Lyons Anderson YMCA – 161
4. Blue Ash YMCA – 151
5. York YMCA – 118

Top 5 Combined Teams

1. Red Bank Branch YMCA – 485
2. Cheshire YMCA – 283
3. York YMCA – 236
4. Somerset Hills YMCA – 232.5
5. Somerset Valley YMCA – 205