The fifth day of the 2015 NCSA Summer Swimming Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana did not disappoint, as there were numerous strong performances even on the final day of competition.
The men’s 1500 meter freestyle swam in the afternoon, with the top five finishers all going under the Olympic Trials time standard of 15:49.99. Logan Houck, representing the Sandpipers Of Nevada, dominated the race, winning with a time of 15:25.60. Teammate Nicholas McDowell finished second, swimming to an impressive 15:38.42. Blake Maczka from City of Richardson Swim Team took third place with a time of 15:43.84, while Trey Hubbuch from Lakeside Swim Team and Jacob Wielinski of Great Wolf Swim Team made their cuts with times of 15:48.88 and 15:48.98, respectively.
The women’s 50 meter backstroke was the first event of the last session of the meet, with Hannah Whiteley from the Mason Manta Rays stealing victory with a time of 29.23. Close behind was Carly Quast with a time of 29.30 to earn second place, while Asia Seidt finished third with a time of 29.41.
On the men’s side, Sam Cuthbert of Nova of Virginia Aquatics raced to gold with a time of 26.40. Ryan Baker took second place in a time of 26.77, while Cuthbert’s teammate Wade O’Brien secured third, finishing in a time of 26.98.
The top two women in the 200 meter individual medley swam under the Olympic Trials time standard, with Margaret Aroesty from Long Island Aquatic Club winning with a time of 2:15.81 and Asia Seidt of Lakeside Swim Team placing second with a time of 2:17.58. Isabella Goldsmith out-touched the rest of the heat, taking third place in a time of 2:19.06.
The men’s 200 meter individual medley was won by Charles Swanson from Nova of Virginia Aquatics with a time of 2:03.87, under the Olympic Trials cut of 2:05.09. Jacob Montague of Grosse Point Gators earned second place, finishing with a time of 2:05.28, a hundredth under the 2015 Summer Nationals time standard. Third place went to Cooper Hodge, who touched the wall at 2:05.70.
In the women’s 50 meter freestyle, the race was tight, but Ashley Volpenhein from the Mason Manta Rays held on strong to her first place seed by three hundredths of a second, winning with a time of 25.75. Casey Fanz from Poseidon Swimming Inc finished second with a time of 25.78. Both top two swimmers swam under the Olympic Trials time standard of 26.19. Avery Braunecker moved into third place, touching the wall with a time of 26.29.
The last individual event of the meet, the men’s 50 meter freestyle, was won by Kyle Decoursey from Zionsville Swim Club with a time of 23:31. Tabahn Afrik kept his second place seed with a time of 23.41, while Brody Heck placed third with a time of 23.52.
The 400 meter medley relays concluded the evening, with the team of Rachel Wittmer (1:05.50), Olivia Anderson (1:08.44), Kaia Grobe (1:01.49), and Carly Quast (58.19) of Aquajets Swim Team finishing first with a time of 4:13.62. Second place went to the Academy Bullets with a time of 4:17.04, edging out third, which went to the Long Island Aquatic Club and their time of 4:17.71.
The last event of the meet was the exciting men’s 400 meter medley relay. Winning by only one hundredth of a second with a time of 3:48.40 was the team of Sam Cuthbert (57.09), Charles Swanson (1:04.05), Frederick Schubert (54.93), and Aaron Schultz (52.28) representing Nova of Virginia Aquatics, Inc. With a strong last leg that was nearly enough to win, Nation’s Capital Swim Club finished second place with a time of 3:48.41. The Nova of Virginia Aquatics B relay earned third place, touching the wall with a time of 3:53.87.
The final scores of the meet have Nova of Virginia Aquatics taking the title with 1669 points, with Lakeside Swim Team in second with 1610 points and Nation’s Capital Swim Club placing third overall with 1350 points.
2015 NCSA Summer Junior Nationals: Day 5 – Results