Katie Ledecky Makes Post-Worlds Return to Pool at DST’s First State Cup

Katie Ledecky was the headliner of the Delaware Swim Team’s First State Cup meet this past weekend (confusingly enough, this is the 3rd First State Cup). This high-level, invite only meet includes some of the best teams from the Northeastern United States, with this year’s lineup being the hosts the Delaware Swim Team, the Jersey Wahoos, NCAP, Rockville-Montgomery Swim Club, Asphalt Green, and Central Bucks.

• Full meet results.
• High Point results.
• Records broken at meet.

This is NCAP’s first year at the meet, though Ledecky’s coach and Georgetown Prep head site coach Bruce Gemmell is no stranger to the area – he was DST’s head coach until this past summer.

In her first race action since crushing World Records at this summer’s World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, Ledecky blew away 5 Meet Records as an individual, and a 6th on a relay. As she heads into her junior year of high school, where the recruiting NCAA cycle is going to really start to roll (barring any plans to go pro), Ledecky put up some great yards swims to reassure coaches that yes, she will be just as big of a stud for our college team as she is for Team USA.

Ledecky’s results:

• 100 fly – 56.46 (Record)
• 100 free – 49.32 (Record)
• 200 free – 1:44.81 (Record)
• 500 free – 4:42.56 (Record)
• (50 free – relay split) – 23.51
• (50 free – relay split) – 22.94
• (100 IM – relay split) – 58.06
• 100 breast -1:06.20
• 100 back – 56.80 (under the old Record, as were the top four, but her teammate Kristina Li wound up with it in a 55.40)

That time in the 100 free is a new Personal Best for her, and should eliminate any potential conversations among college distance coaches about how valuable a distance swimmer can really be in the NCAA schedule. Remember, this is just her season-opener, and she’s already showing off her new-found speed from this summer in yards swimming.

Ledecky was her typical incredible self at this meet, but she wasn’t the only one, as a slew of Meet Records went down.

Her NCAP teammate, 16-year old Carsten Vissering, whacked five seconds off of the Meet Record with a 1:52.89 in the 200 yard IM. He was also a 55.6 in the 100 breast, and a 1:59.7 in the 200 breast, which are also Meet Records (the latter by 9 seconds).

Another NCAP’er, Grant Goddard, was a 50.76 in the 100 fly – which breaks the Meet Record held by Indiana All-American Tanner Kurz.

We would be remiss, of course, not to mention some of the impressive performances done by the meet’s gracious hosts, the Delaware Swim Team. 16-year old Brandon Goldstein and 16-year old Arthur Wang were two of six boys under the 200 IM Meet Record in 1:55 and 1:57, respectively; Goldstein also swam a 4:04.85 for 3rd in the 400 IM – another multi-swimmer Record breaking event, with NCAP’s Greg Song taking the win in 4:02.97.

Top 5 Girls’ High Point Winners:

1. Katie Ledecky – NCAP (117)
2. Molly Brickman – Asphalt Green (105)
3. Kristina Li – NCAP (103)
4. Alessia McGowan – Asphalt Green (91)
5. Molly Kowal – Jersey Wahoos (86)

Top 5 Boys’ High Point Winners:

1. Grant Goddard – NCAP (117.67)
2. Greg Song – NCAP (111)
3. Carsten Vissering – NCAP (105)
4. Gavin Springer – NCAP (100.67)
5. Brandon Goldstein – NCAP (99)

Final Team Standings:

1. NCAP – 1570.83
2. Jersey Wahoos – 966.5
3. Delaware Swim Team – 956
4. Asphalt Green – 785.16
5. Rockville Montgomery Swim Club – 610
6. Central Bucks – 590.5