Missed the Action? Here’s What You Need to Catch Up On from the 2025 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – West Night 4
The 2025 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – West may have wrapped up, but the excitement is far from over. While the spotlight often shines on the headline-grabbing performances, there were countless standout swims that flew under the radar. Let’s dive into some of these hidden gems that deserve a second look—though this is by no means an exhaustive list. But here’s where it gets interesting: these swimmers didn’t just compete; they shattered expectations and redefined their limits.
Evan Gluck (https://swimswam.com/tag/evan-gluck/) emerged as a force to be reckoned with, following up his impressive personal bests in the 1000 and 500 freestyle by cracking the 15-minute barrier in the mile. His 14:55.27 earned him 4th place and marked a staggering 14-second drop for the UNC commit. Gluck’s new bests of 4:23.5/8:56/14:55 are a testament to his rapid progression, especially considering he entered the meet with times of 4:28.0/9:05/15:09. He wasn’t alone in his achievement—three other swimmers also broke the 15-minute mark, with Whitaker Steward (https://swimswam.com/tag/whitaker-steward/) just a hair ahead in 3rd. Meanwhile, Ellis Crisci (https://swimswam.com/tag/ellis-crisci/), the 1000 free champ and 500 free ‘A’ finalist, secured 2nd place with a 19-second drop, clocking 14:53.10.
Rowyn Wilby showcased her tenacity in the girls’ 200 backstroke, shaving off half a second in the morning prelims to qualify 5th in 1:56.82. But she wasn’t done—she sliced another 1.5 seconds in the final, finishing 4th in 1:55.38. Entering the meet as the #13 seed, Wilby’s two-second improvement catapulted her into the top 100 among 15-16-year-old girls, proving that every second counts.
Benjamin Jaggers (https://swimswam.com/tag/benjamin-jaggers/) delivered a masterclass in perseverance, dropping three seconds from his 200 backstroke entry time to secure a spot in the boys’ ‘B’ final with a 1:45.88. He didn’t stop there—he claimed victory in 1:44.65, adding to his overall win in the 100 back (46.18). Jaggers, part of the record-breaking relay team on Night 1, had already set a personal best of 1:44.79 in March, but his performance here solidified his status as a rising star.
Avery Daigle (https://swimswam.com/tag/avery-daigle/) dominated the girls’ 100 freestyle ‘B’ final, clocking 48.92—a 0.88-second improvement from her heats. Her 50 free runner-up time of 49.65 was impressive, but her 100 free performance vaulted her to 64th all-time in the 15-16 age group, with a full year of eligibility remaining. Remarkably, her time would have placed her 5th in the ‘A’ final, leaving fans wondering what could have been.
Cade Vieler (https://swimswam.com/tag/cade-vieler/) of Livermore Aqua Club stole the show in the boys’ 100 free, slashing his time from 45.53 to 43.75 to take 2nd in the ‘B’ final. His 1.78-second drop was one of the meet’s most dramatic improvements. Meanwhile, Brody Englestad dropped from 44.75 to 43.48, securing 7th in the ‘A’ final for the West Fargo Flyers.
Max Laine (https://swimswam.com/tag/max-laine/), another member of the record-breaking Waterloo Swimming relay team, stunned in the boys’ 200 breaststroke. After dipping below 2:00 for the first time in the prelims (1:58.73), he unleashed a jaw-dropping 1:56.70 to win the ‘B’ final—the 3rd-fastest time of the day. His performance was so strong that he would have placed 3rd in the ‘A’ final, just 0.16 seconds behind Tyler Bardak (https://swimswam.com/tag/tyler-bardak/), who also dropped 1.6 seconds.
Aidan Villars (https://swimswam.com/tag/aidan-villars/) entered the boys’ 200 fly with a 1:49.01 but left with a 1:46.27, placing 3rd in the ‘B’ final. Yet, the real story was Charlie Cancelmo (https://swimswam.com/tag/charlie-cancelmo/) of Seattle Metropolitan Aquatic Club. The 16-year-old dropped from 1:45.03 to 1:42.51 in the prelims, then shaved off even more time in the final, touching 2nd in 1:42.23. His performance now ranks him 5th all-time in the 15-16 age group, and he’s 0.16 seconds faster than current World Short Course champ Ilya Kharun (https://swimswam.com/bio/ilya-kharun/) was at the same age. Cancelmo now joins the ranks of swimming legends like Thomas Heilman (https://swimswam.com/bio/thomas-heilman/), Luca Urlando (https://swimswam.com/bio/luca-urlando/), Aiden Hayes (https://swimswam.com/bio/aiden-hayes/), and Michael Phelps (https://swimswam.com/bio/michael-phelps/)—a rarefied group indeed.
But here’s the controversial part: With swimmers like Cancelmo and Laine making such massive strides, are we witnessing the rise of a new generation of swimming phenoms? Or is this just a fleeting moment of brilliance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below—this is a debate worth diving into!
