GREENSBORO, N.C., - The Tri-City Tidalwaves team posted a series of top performances in the YMCA National Short Course Championships in Greensboro, N.C., April 3-7.
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The Tidalwaves’ Matthew Daniel made the top eight finalist category and swam a 1:50.73 in the men’s 200-yard butterfly prelim, blowing away the field and coming in first in his heat, then landed a spot in the A finals bringing home a fifth-place national medal.
Tidalwaves head swim coach Nancy Miller was ecstatic over her team’s performances. Here is a summary of comments about the races:
“Alton High Senior - Matthew Daniel - brought home two championship medals and four personal best times in last week’s 2018 YMCA Swim National Championships in Greensboro, N.C., April 3-7. “He swam three championship finals: two individual and one men's relay. He had qualified to swim in six individual races, but the maximum is four individual races per swimmer. He made his personal best times in all four of his individual events. Daniel was seeded “100th” going into Saturday’s Men's 200 Butterfly Preliminary Saturday morning, but raced to a first place in his heat with a time of 1:50.73 seeding him fifth for Saturday night’s A-Final Championships.
"The Tri-City Tidalwaves Men's 200 Free Relay Team, all Alton High School students - Caden Akal, Matthew Daniel, Cole Akal and Noah Clancy - posted a best time of 1:25.07, dropping 1.09 in Thursday morning's (April 5th) preliminaries. They were a seventh seed in Saturday night's Championship A-Finals. They came home with sixth-place medals, posting another best team time of 1:24.55. This was the first relay team from Alton to place in the YMCA National Championships Finals, ever."
Miller continued: “I could not have asked for better performances from Matthew Daniel, Noah Clancy, Caden Akal and Cole Akal,” Miller said. “We have gone from the days that competition of that magnitude frightens them. They all are seasoned veterans who focus on race strategies, self-care, hard training and positive attitudes to race. How gratifying to go to the big meet and to perform at your very best, and to break team records, to smash your best time, and qualify for the finals in the largest amateur competition in the United States which is the YMCA Nationals.
“I’m truly grateful for the performances by my two seniors Matthew Daniel and Cole Akal. I will truly miss their leadership and hard work and inspiration to their teammates. Cole is off to Missouri S & T for college and Matthew is yet undecided. Matthew’s 200 butterfly, which was fifth place, the sixth-place finish in the sea of finals were highlights of the meet I will never forget.
“I will also look forward to next year’s YMCA Nationals. I predict Noah Clancy and Caden Akal will make a big splash. Also, not present at the meet but having qualified in the 200 freestyle was Anna Moehn, She’ll be a big force next year at the National Meet.”
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