Swimming

Carmel 14-Year-Old Yi Zheng Climbs NAG Rankings in 200 Fly (2:06.92) at Namesnik Memorial Open

July 1, 2024

2024 ERIC NAMESNIK MEMORIAL OPEN

June 28-30, 2024
Canham Natatorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Long Course Meters (50 meters)
Psych Sheets
Results on Meet Mobile: “2024 CW Eric Namesnik Memorial Open
Day 1 Recap

Carmel Swim Club 14-year-old Yi Zheng dropped exactly five seconds in the 200-meter butterfly to break into the top-100 national age group (NAG) rankings at this weekend’s Eric Namesnik Memorial Open hosted by the University of Michigan.

The meet is named in honor of Olympic medalist Eric Namesnik, a two-time Olympic silver medalist who served as a coach for Club Wolverine before dying in a car crash in 2006.

Zheng placed 3rd in the 200 fly with a time of 2:06.92, a huge improvement from his previous-best 2:11.92 in April. He now ranks 51st all-time among 13-14 boys nationally. Only rising Michigan junior Tyler Ray (2:01.44) and rising Michigan sophomore Josean Massucco (2:04.77) were faster than Zheng.

Ray was within a couple seconds of his personal-best 1:59.67 from 2022 en route to the win. He’s fresh off a breakout sophomore campaign for the Wolverines that saw him score in both the 100 fly and 200 fly at NCAAs in head coach Matt Bowe‘s first season running the show.

Zheng added lifetime bests in the 200 back (2:11.22) and 100 free (55.46). He dropped more than two seconds off his best 200 back time from last July and more than a second off his best 100 free time from April. On Friday, Zheng dropped almost four seconds in the 100 breast (1:05.73) to move into the top 30 all-time in his age group.

Rising Michigan junior Jack Wilkening posted a pair of personal bests in the 50 free (23.31) and 100 free (50.22) after placing 7th in 100 back (53.79) at Olympic Trials the week before. He shaved one hundredth of a second off his best 50 free time from May and more than a second off his best 100 free time from last July.

Michigan teammate Colin Geer also hit two big personal bests coming off his performance at Olympic Trials the week before. He went 2:16.03 in the 200 breast and 2:07.60 in the 200 back, dropping three seconds and nine seconds, respectively. Geer was top-16 in the 200 IM at Olympic Trials with a personal-best 2:00.10.

Kentucky commit (’24) Szymon Mieczkowski blasted a lifetime best in the 100 back (56.96) to eke past Purdue commit (’24) Blake Rowe (57.00). Mieczkowski crushed his previous-best 58.29 from March by more than a second.

Carmel Swim Club 13-year-old Mack Allen impressed with personal bests in the 200 IM (2:16.66) and 200 breast (2:36.01 in prelims). He dropped a couple tenths in the 200 IM and more than a second in the 200 breast.

Women’s Recap

Stephanie Balduccini had what figures to be her final tune-up before she represents Brazil at her second Olympics next month in Paris.

The 19-year-old rising Michigan sophomore triumphed in the 50 free (25.86) and 100 free (55.49) to go along with a 4th-place finish in the 400 free (4:22.37). Balduccini has been as fast as 25.24 in the 50 free at Brazilian Olympic Trials in May, 54.04 in the 200 free at the 2024 World Championships in February (where she placed 6th), and 4:15.11 in the 400 free back in 2021.

Balduccini, who underwent appendicitis surgery in May after Brazilian Olympic Trials, registered a 2:00.44 200 free on Friday.

Rising Michigan sophomore Hannah Bellard showed off her versatility by collecting three victories in the 200 fly (2:12.87), 400 free (4:15.13), and 200 IM (2:18.76). She was about three seconds off her best times in all three events.

There was a fun showdown between two 14-year-old breaststrokers in the 200 breast. Club Wolverine’s Tallulah Beg (2:36.22) beat Blazing Barracudas’ Catherine Dorsey (2:37.16) as both girls fired off huge lifetime bests. Beg dropped almost three seconds off her previous-best 2:39.08 from last August while Dorsey took a couple seconds off her previous-best 2:39.35 from last July.

Beg impressed in the 100 breast (1:12.29) on Friday, which was also just outside the top 100 all-time among 13-14s. She recently attended a USA Swimming Zone Select Camp.

The women’s 100 back featured a battle between rising Akron senior Maddy Gatrall (1:01.80) and rising Michigan sophomore Lily Cleason (1:02.39). Gatrall has been as fast as 1:01.40 last March while Cleason owns a lifetime best of 1:01.36 from Olympic Trials the weekend prior.

SwimSwam: Carmel 14-Year-Old Yi Zheng Climbs NAG Rankings in 200 Fly (2:06.92) at Namesnik Memorial Open