Thomas Heilman Rips a 4:21 in the 500 Free at SwimRVA Commonwealth Cup

2023 SwimRVA Commonwealth Cup

• November 3-5, 2023
• Collegiate School Aquatics Center, Richmond, Virginia
• Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
• Results on Meet Mobile: “2023 Commonwealth Cup”

16-year old US National Team member Thomas Heilman swam a new personal best and flexed his versatility in the first two days of the 2023 Commonwealth Cup, hosted by SwimRVA.

The Cavalier Aquatics trainee and recent University of Virginia commit posted a personal best in finals of the boys’ 500 free, finishing in 4:21.64. That lopped almost seven seconds off his previous personal best of 4:28.77 that was swum in January.

That time moves him to 38th place all-time in the US 15-16 age group rankings in the event. Heilman is best known for his butterfly racing that includes a 4th place finish in the 200 meter fly at the 2023 World Championships. There he missed a podium spot by less than two-tenths of a second.

The LSC Record remains at 4:17.45, done by would-be Olympian Townley Haas in 2013. Heilman doesn’t age up until February, so if he swims this race on a taper, he has time to chase that record.

Heilman so far has two individual wins and two relay wins at the meet, plus a 2nd-place finish in the individual 200 breaststroke.

Results:

• 200 fly – 1:41.80 (1st)
• 200 breast – 1:57.94 (2nd)
• 500 free – 4:21.64 (1st)
• 200 free relay – 1:22.27 (1st), Heilman 19.87, David King 20.07, William Browne 20.91, Maxwell Moore 21.42 – New LSC Record
• 400 medley relay – 3:18.49 (1st) David King 49.43, Maxwell Moore 57.81, Heilman 45.62, William Browne 45.63 – New LSC Record

Heilman is scheduled to swim the 200 back, 100 free, and 200 IM on Sunday.

Other Notable Results:

• The only swimmer to beat Heilman so far at the meet is 19-year-old John Taylor from YOTA in the 200 breast, where he swam 1:57.17. Taylor also won the 100 breast in 54.26 after a 53.86 in prelims. Both swims crushed his personal bests.
• High school sophomore Emerson Callis from Quest Swimming was 2nd overall int he 200 free (and the top junior-aged swimmer in the race) in a new best time of 1:50.08, about a second faster than her previous best time from last December. Her fellow 15-year-old Quest swimmer Ally Vernon was 3rd in 1:50.41, a big best time for her as well. Former Princeton Tiger Nicole Venema won the race in 1:47.14.
• Callis (4:21.73) and Vernon (4:27.72) also went 1-2 in the 400 IM in the same session. The next day, Callis tagged on a win in the 200 flu (1:58.67).
• 17-year-old Emma Redman of the FISH team in McLean, Virginia won the 100 breast in 1:02.56, which is a best time by .15 seconds.
• 17-year-old Owen Hoban from the Rappahannock Stingrays Swim Team obliterated his best time in the 400 IM, swimming 3:55.35. His previous best was a 3:59.48 from NCSAs in March. Hoban, a high school senior, has not publicly announced his college plans for next year yet.