Matt Fallon, Jack Alexy Wrap up YMCA Festival with Record Swims

Matt Fallon; Photo Courtesy: Twitter, @FullTimeSportz

Greater Somerset County YMCA teammates Matt Fallon and Jack Alexy set YMCA records on the final day of the New Jersey YMCA Festival. They augment a fourth national record set at the Wisconsin YMCA Festival by Schroeder YMCA.

At the New Jersey meet, Alexy undercut his mark in the 100 freestyle, finishing in 42.63 seconds to erase the 43.07 he swam two years ago. The 100 was Alexy’s third win of the meet (200 free, 100 back) to go with a silver medal.

Fallon turned in a stellar 200 breaststroke to make it a clean sweep of his four individual events. He won the event by nearly 11 seconds, clocking in at 1:51.39. That trounces the existing YMCA short-course record held since 2018 by NCAA champion Max McHugh of Door County, Wisc. (1:53.39).

Both Greater Somerset County and Schroeder mounted charges at the 400 free relay mark. GSCY came within .18 seconds of the mark that it had set in 2018 (Alexy was on that squad), but the team of Fallon, Trent Russano, Rob Alexy and Jack Alexy fell just shy in 3:00.55.

No matter, since Schroeder’s foursome annihilated the mark, the first YMCA relay to break the coveted three-minute mark. The squad of Leonardo Gandaria, Ben Meulemans, Ziyad Saleem and Jack Sullivan clocked in at 2:58.38. Muelemans had the fastest split at 43.92, .01 ahead of Saleem.

Those two YMCA Festivals, plus one hosted by York YMCA in Pennsylvania, are among five nationally over the last two weeks, hosted by local YMCAs for swimmers with nationals cuts. They’ve been created in 2021 in lieu of cancelled national meets.

At the New Jersey YMCA Festival, Russano added his fourth top-three finish by earning third in the 100 free. Ditto Jaeden Yburan by taking second in the 100 back behind Lakeland Hills teammate James Curreri, who won in 1:45.29. YMCA of Greater Monmouth’s Theo Rennard, the runner up in the 500 free, won the mile in 15:48.30.

On the girls’ side, GSCY’s Emily Thompson made it four wins in four races by going 1:58.14 in the 200 back, one of three girls to crack two minutes. Clare Logan (Westfield Area) went 48.91 to get the win in the 100 free, compounding her 100 back title. Second was double-winner Catherine Meisner. Emily Constable went from the runner-up in the 100 breast to the decisive winner of the 200 breast in 2:19.50. Bridget Thomas went 17:02.32 to prevail in the mile.

The Wisconsin YMCA Festival was again dominated by the host, Schroeder YMCA, though the Champaign County YMCA Heat spoiled the Schroeder sweep by taking the girls 400 free relay.

The most enticing race was the girls 100 free, which pitted four winners from the first three days of the meet against each other. Angela Coe triumphed, her third win of the meet, in 49.45, besting Champaign teammate and 50 free champ Sally Ma. Kate Morris, winner of the 200 free, was third, with 100 back champ Reed Broaders sixth.

Andi Andres got her first win among four top-three swims in the mile. Tori Brostowitz’s 2:15.63 guided her to a second win of the meet in the 200 breast. Kate Augustyn claimed the 200 back.

At the Pennsylvania YMCA Festival, Cumberland YMCA’s Daniel Diehl completed his 4-for-4 sweep by winning the 100 free in 43.85 seconds. It adds to wins in the 50 free, 100 back and 200 free. Thomas Heilman claimed the 200 fly in 1:46.25. York’s Riley Thomas won the 100 breast in 55.93, while 400 individual medley champ Sean Lyman took the mile in 15:52.83.

Upper Main Line YMCA’s Alexa Fulton broke 50 seconds to win the 100 free in 49.93 seconds, her third title of the weekend. Anya Mostek of Phoenixville Area YMCA was second in 50.14, her fourth top-four finish. Emily Way of York (50.31) was third in an entertaining race.

Grey Davis added the 200 fly title to her ledger in 2:00.22, her third win and fourth top-two finish. Phoenixville’s Kiersten Dagg (1,650 free) and Kennett Area’s Sydney McCracken (100 breast) wrapped up the meet with wins.

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Anonymous

3 years ago

Saleem won the 100