Josh Chen Breaks Iowa State Record in 100 Breaststroke

Des Moines YMCA Salute to Veterans Invitational

• November 7-8, 2020
• Wellmark YMCA, Des Moines, Iowa
• 25 yards (Short Course Yards), age group divided
• Full meet results (PDF)

14-year old Joshua Chen of the Ames Cyclone Aquatics Club broke an Iowa Swimming LSC Record over the weekend swimming at a meet hosted by the Des Moines YMCA.

Chen won the boys’ 13-14 100 yard breaststroke in 57.18, which broke the old LSC Record set by Forrest Frazier in 2016. Frazier’s old record was 58.46, meaning that Chen knocked almost 1.3 seconds off the old mark.

Frazier is currently swimming as a freshman for the defending NCAA Champion Cal Bears.

Chen later added a best time of 2:04.61, which was just-off Frazier’s Iowa Record of 2:04.44.

Chen entered the meet with best times of 58.50 and 2:05.64 set 3 weeks ago. Chen has been one of the stars of the post-quarantine return to racing period – he has improved his 200 breast time by almost 3 seconds and his 100 breast time by more than two since sanctioned meets were allowed to resume.

Other Standout Performances:

• 16-year old Lance Swanepoel of the host Des Moines team swam 5 lifetime bests in 5 swims at the meet, each of which were also new Meet Records. He won the 50 free (21.41), 100 free (46.28), 50 fly (22.92), 100 fly (49.36), and 200 fly (1:49.93). A current high school sophomore, his times in the 100 fly were a tenth faster than he swam at last year’s Iowa Boys’ High School State Championship meet as a freshman where he was the state runner-up.
• Swanepoel’s teammate and another swimmer for Des Moines Asher Havenhill, who is also a sophomore but is only 15, also had a big meet with 4 best times in 4 races. That included a sweep of the backstroke races in new Meet Records in 23.95, 50.49, and 1:49.04 in the 3 races, respectively. That time in the 200 back ranks him 3rd in the event among 15 & unders this season.
• Another member of that training group, 16-year old Joe Hancock, swam best times of 9:25.12 in the 1000 free and 15:39.46 in the 1650 free.