Ziyad Saleem Swims 46.98 in 100 Backstroke at Schroeder C+ Meet

41st Annual Schroeder C+ Meet

• February 5-7, 2021
• Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center, Brown Deer, WI
• Short Course Yards
• Results

The Schroeder (WI) YMCA hosted its annual A+ meet, annually one of the fastest mid-season club meets in the country this weekend. Organizers got creative as they changed the name of their annual February meet from the A+ to the C+ meet. 

The girls side of the meet saw top swims by Maggie Wanezek and Alana Berlin while the boys side was highlighted by Ziyad Saleem.

Saleem swam under 47 seconds for the first time in the 100 backstroke in 46.98 which is a new unofficial Wisconsin Swimming record. This time would have put him 4th all-time at Iowa. Saleem also notched a best time in the 200 free in 1:41.61 in prelims before scratching the final.

His 100 back, even at still just 17 years old, ranks him 56th all-time among American 17-18s in the event.

Saleem, who originally committed to Iowa before the program was eliminated, has not made a new college decision. Since Iowa cut their program, Saleem has bettered his time in the 100 back three times dropping from 48.68 to 46.98. In the 200 back across that same time period, he’s dropped from 1:46.36 to 1:42.93. These times make Saleem easily the best American high school senior to have not yet announced his college decision.

Maggie Wanezek of the Elmbrook Swim Club swept the backstroke events as she touched first in 53.18 and 1:56.75. Her 100 is her third fastest time in that event, behind her 52.47 from the Wisconsin State meet in November while the 200 is her second fastest time, just off her 1:56.18 from November.

13-year old Alana Berlin of the Schroeder YMCA finished first in four events in the 13-14 age group, setting best times in three of the four. Berlin’s top swim of the meet was her 100 back as she dropped from 54.18 to 54.02; her 200 back from 2:01.79 to 2:00.94 and her 100 fly from 55.55 to 55.28. Her 50 free of 23.69 was just off her best of 23.67.

The 15 & over 100 breaststroke saw a battle between two 15-year olds: Lucy Thomas and Tori Brostowitz. Both swimmers hit the midway point under 29 seconds, with Thomas at 28.66 and Brostowitz at 28.88. Thomas continued her pace with a 31.93 second 50 to hit first in a best time and senior nationals cut of 1:00.59. Brostowitz finished second at 1:01.41. 

The boys side of the meet was a bit more interesting as high school swimmers were coming off taper and had just swum at the Wisconsin high school state meet. 

The 200 free was a dual between Will Hayon and Ozan Kalafat. Kalafat took the early lead with a 48.24 first 100 to Hayon’s 48.87. After nearly identical third 50 splits, Hayon out-split Kalafat by nearly a second on the last 50 (24.36 to 25.25) to finish in 1:38.43 to Kalafat’s 1:38.72. This was Hayon’s best time by over 3 seconds while Kalafat dropped over a second and a half and qualify both for winter nationals. Kalafat also notched best times in the 100 breaststroke (56.65) and the 500 free (4:29.56)

Hayon, who swam the individual 50 and 100 free at the WI state meet, continued to show his versatility in a tight race in the 200 fly. Hayon, Jack Lustig, and Isaac Fleig. Hayon had the lead at the halfway mark in 52.23 to Lustig’s 52.32 and Fleig’s 53.02. Fleig gained some ground with the fastest third 50 (28.30) but Lustig touched first in 1:48.93, Hayon in second in 1:49.41, and Fleig in third in 1:50.26. These were best times for each swimmer.

Other swims of note:

• Campbell Stoll (Elmbrook Swim Club) dropped under 2:00 for the first time in both the 200 IM (1:59.14) and 200 butterfly (1:58.13)
• Abby Wanezek, who is headed to Wisconsin in the fall, set a new best time in the 200 back of 1:57.58 and matched her best time in the 100 fly in 54.10.
• Thomas finished second in the 50 free in 23.28, just off her best of 23.09
• 13-year old Sam Wolf swam a 4:18.80 in the boys 13-14 400 IM. This ranks him 16th in the country this season among 13-year old boys