Saturday, August 27, 2022
U.S. Captures World Junior Record in 4x100 Free Relay at Junior Pan Pacs
The third night of the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships was highlighted by a new World Junior Record, captured by the U.S. team in 3:15.79
The record was just 0.01 seconds faster than the previous record, set by the U.S. team of Jake Magahey, Luca Urlando, Adam Chaney and Carson Foster at the 2019 FINA World Junior Championships. This time around, the U.S. sent out Thomas Heilman (Crozet, Virginia/Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA), Henry McFadden (Haddonfield, New Jersey/Jersey Wahoos), Daniel Diehl (Cumberland, Maryland/YMCA of Cumberland) and Kaii Winkler (Miami, Florida/Eagle Aquatics).
“I think we just wanted to go in and race the rest of the field and do the best we could do," Heilman, who led off the relay, said. "I just wanted to get out and give us the best start and give us some clean water.”
The team went on to win in commanding fashion, finishing nearly 2.5 seconds ahead of the competition. Diehl had the fastest split of the entire field, going 48.66, while Winkler joined him in the sub-:49 club with a 48.95 split. McFadden and Heilman posted 49.04 and 49.14 splits, respectively.
“It was awesome," Winkler said. "Having everyone there supporting me, I felt like I had such an adrenaline rush. I knew before that we were so close to that record, and I just to bring it home and I’m glad we could get it done.”
The swim was the first World Junior Record of the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
The U.S. women also brought home the title in the event, seeing the combination of Kayla Wilson (Virginia Beach, Florida/Tide Swimming), Anna Moesch (Green Brook, New Jersey/Greater Somerset County YMCA) Erin Gemmell (Potomac, Maryland/Nation’s Capital Swim Club) and Alex Shackell (Carmel, Indiana/Carmel Swim Club) win in a new meet-record time of 3:37.99.
The relay swim wasn't the only win on the day for either Gemmell or Shackell, who captured gold in the 400m freestyle and 100m butterfly, respectively.
Gemmell's freestyle win marks the third-consecutive day where she was won the opening event of the session, following Wednesday's 200m freestyle win and yesterday's 100m event. Today's gold had an extra meaning behind it, as she won in 4:05.07 to break the previous meet record which was held by Leah Smith, who is in attendance at this year's meet as a captain for Team USA and even presented Gemmell her medal.
“I first met Leah at the Olympic Training Center before International Team Trials," Gemmell said. "When I got seventh there, she was the first one to meet me and give me a hug. There’s a great picture of it that I have. She has been so helpful—and helpful may not even be a strong enough word—over these past few months for me after trying to come back from getting seventh to where I am now.”
The U.S.' Jillian Cox (Cedar Park, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics) took bronze in 4:06.84.
The record was just 0.01 seconds faster than the previous record, set by the U.S. team of Jake Magahey, Luca Urlando, Adam Chaney and Carson Foster at the 2019 FINA World Junior Championships. This time around, the U.S. sent out Thomas Heilman (Crozet, Virginia/Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA), Henry McFadden (Haddonfield, New Jersey/Jersey Wahoos), Daniel Diehl (Cumberland, Maryland/YMCA of Cumberland) and Kaii Winkler (Miami, Florida/Eagle Aquatics).
“I think we just wanted to go in and race the rest of the field and do the best we could do," Heilman, who led off the relay, said. "I just wanted to get out and give us the best start and give us some clean water.”
The team went on to win in commanding fashion, finishing nearly 2.5 seconds ahead of the competition. Diehl had the fastest split of the entire field, going 48.66, while Winkler joined him in the sub-:49 club with a 48.95 split. McFadden and Heilman posted 49.04 and 49.14 splits, respectively.
“It was awesome," Winkler said. "Having everyone there supporting me, I felt like I had such an adrenaline rush. I knew before that we were so close to that record, and I just to bring it home and I’m glad we could get it done.”
The swim was the first World Junior Record of the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
The U.S. women also brought home the title in the event, seeing the combination of Kayla Wilson (Virginia Beach, Florida/Tide Swimming), Anna Moesch (Green Brook, New Jersey/Greater Somerset County YMCA) Erin Gemmell (Potomac, Maryland/Nation’s Capital Swim Club) and Alex Shackell (Carmel, Indiana/Carmel Swim Club) win in a new meet-record time of 3:37.99.
The relay swim wasn't the only win on the day for either Gemmell or Shackell, who captured gold in the 400m freestyle and 100m butterfly, respectively.
Gemmell's freestyle win marks the third-consecutive day where she was won the opening event of the session, following Wednesday's 200m freestyle win and yesterday's 100m event. Today's gold had an extra meaning behind it, as she won in 4:05.07 to break the previous meet record which was held by Leah Smith, who is in attendance at this year's meet as a captain for Team USA and even presented Gemmell her medal.
“I first met Leah at the Olympic Training Center before International Team Trials," Gemmell said. "When I got seventh there, she was the first one to meet me and give me a hug. There’s a great picture of it that I have. She has been so helpful—and helpful may not even be a strong enough word—over these past few months for me after trying to come back from getting seventh to where I am now.”
The U.S.' Jillian Cox (Cedar Park, Texas/Longhorn Aquatics) took bronze in 4:06.84.
For Shackell, her 100m butterfly title came in 58.58, just 0.09 seconds ahead of silver medalist Airi Mitsui (JPN) and 0.13 ahead of Bailey Hartman (Danville, California/Crow Canyon Sharks).
“It was really relieving," Shackell said of her first-place finish. "I’d say that is my best event and I had a streak going, so I wanted to end it off well for the season.
“It [the meet so far] has been a lot of fun. I like the quote, ‘it’s not about the times you go, it’s about the times you have,’ so it has been pretty much the best week of my life.”
The only additional gold won on the session went to Thomas Heilman (Crozet, Virginia/Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA), who added to his impressive meet with a 100m butterfly title in 51.98, setting a new meet record and becoming the only swimmer in the heat to go under :52. With his two medals on the day, Heilman heads into the last day of competition with two golds and three silvers on his resume so far.
A slew of silver and bronze medals also came in for the American contingent on day three, including a 2-3 finish in the men's 400m freestyle by Rex Maurer (Pasadena, California/Rose Bowl Aquatics) and Alec Enyeart (Kansas City, Missouri/Tsunami Swim Team of K.C.) in 3:49.86 and 3:51.07, respectively. Josh Zuchowski (Jupiter, Florida/Flood Aquatics Swim Team) also got in on the action with a 1:58.16 for silver in the men's 200m backstroke, followed shortly behind by Keaton Jones (Gilbert, Arizona/Swim Neptune) for bronze in 1:58.98. Kennedy Noble (Avondale, Arizona/Phoenix Swim Club) also added to her tally with a bronze medal in the women's 200m backstroke after a 2:11.32 performance.
Competition concludes tomorrow with prelims at 3 p.m. ET and finals at 11 p.m. ET.
“It was really relieving," Shackell said of her first-place finish. "I’d say that is my best event and I had a streak going, so I wanted to end it off well for the season.
“It [the meet so far] has been a lot of fun. I like the quote, ‘it’s not about the times you go, it’s about the times you have,’ so it has been pretty much the best week of my life.”
The only additional gold won on the session went to Thomas Heilman (Crozet, Virginia/Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA), who added to his impressive meet with a 100m butterfly title in 51.98, setting a new meet record and becoming the only swimmer in the heat to go under :52. With his two medals on the day, Heilman heads into the last day of competition with two golds and three silvers on his resume so far.
A slew of silver and bronze medals also came in for the American contingent on day three, including a 2-3 finish in the men's 400m freestyle by Rex Maurer (Pasadena, California/Rose Bowl Aquatics) and Alec Enyeart (Kansas City, Missouri/Tsunami Swim Team of K.C.) in 3:49.86 and 3:51.07, respectively. Josh Zuchowski (Jupiter, Florida/Flood Aquatics Swim Team) also got in on the action with a 1:58.16 for silver in the men's 200m backstroke, followed shortly behind by Keaton Jones (Gilbert, Arizona/Swim Neptune) for bronze in 1:58.98. Kennedy Noble (Avondale, Arizona/Phoenix Swim Club) also added to her tally with a bronze medal in the women's 200m backstroke after a 2:11.32 performance.
Competition concludes tomorrow with prelims at 3 p.m. ET and finals at 11 p.m. ET.