2024 Futures – Richmond Day 2: Daniel Diehl claims double victories in the 100 free, 200 back

2024 Futures – Richmond

• July 25 to 28, 2024
• LCM (50m)
• Swim RVA, Richmond, VA
• Meet Central
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results (on Meet Mobile as “USA Swimming Futures – Richmond – 2024”)
• Day 1 Recap

Day 2 of the Futures Championship in Richmond, VA, contested the men’s and women’s 100 free, 400 IM, and 100 back, as well as the first relay of the meet — the 800 free relay.

Last night’s runner up in the 200 free, Sidney Arcella, was triumphant in the 100 free tonight as the sole swimmer to break 57. With the fastest back-half split of the championship final (29.28), Arcella swam a 56.99 to out-touch Anna Shnowske‘s 57.11. Shnowske snuck under her PB of 57.12, while Arcella was just off her career-best 56.41, which from stands from the TYR Spring Cup – Fort Lauderdale back in May.

On the men’s side, Daniel Diehl won the 100 free to add on to his 200 free victory from night 1. His 50.21 was a second off his PB of 49.23 that he set at last year’s US Team Trials. Following right behind Diehl was UVA commit Noah Powers (50.54) and UNC commit Sean Setzer (50.77), who rounded out the podium. For Powers, this swim established a huge personal best, as he came into the meet with a 52.18.

The women’s 200 fly champ, Emerson Callis, secured another victory tonight, this time in the 400 IM with a 4:51.14. 14-year-old Carly Afanasewicz took 2nd with a 4:53.77, a new PB by 2 seconds.

The men’s 400 IM saw 3 night 1 victors claim the podium. Hudson DeGroote, the 1500 champ, swam a 4:23.26 for the win, while Gabe Nunziata, the winner of the 100 breast, used the fastest breast split of the field (1:13.58) to power his way to 2nd in 4:25.16. 200 fly victor Justin Nowicki placed 3rd with a 4:27.49. Of the top 3, only Nunizata established a new PB, as he entered the meet with a 4:31.15, set at last year’s Richmond Futures. DeGroote owns a best of 4:21.00, and Nowicki’s PB is 4:26.98.

Aubrey Hull, an incoming freshman at Vanderbilt University, swam a 1:01.26 in the 100 back to hold off Jersey Aquatic Club’s Sarah Rodrigues (1:01.64) for the win. For Hull, this was the 2nd fastest time of her career, only slower than a 1:01.03 that she swam back in May. Rodrigues’ swim was a new PB, dipping under her previous best of 1:01.78 set just last month.

Diehl claimed yet another victory tonight, marking his 3rd win of the meet. He swam a 54.71 in the 100 back to easily win gold ahead of South Carolina Swim Club’s John Troy (56.09) and Nations Capital Swim Club’s JT Schmid (56.30). Diehl’s PB remains a 53.07 from the 2022 US Open.

NCAP won the first relay of the meet, swimming the 4×200 in 8:23.83. The quartet was led off with Maren Conze‘s 2:03.96, and followed by Allison Witdoeckt, Natalie Garre, and Alexia Sawwa, who split 2:06.60/2:07.17/2:06.10, respectively. NCAP held off a charging Metro Area Lifetime, as anchor Sidney Arcella came home in a quick 2:02.79 to ultimately help LIFE come within half a second of NCAP (8:24.32).

The men’s 800 free relay was just as exciting, as Marlins of Raleigh swam to victory in a 7:36.35, less than a second ahead of Mecklenburg Swim Association’s 7:36.99.