The second day of the 2025 Eric Namesnik Memorial Open occurred yesterday at Canham Natatorium located on the University of Michigan campus. On Day 2, Michigan’s Stephanie Balduccini clinched victory in the women’s 50 free with a time of 25.50. That performance is just shy of Balduccini’s personal record of 25.24 in the event. She holds the South American Record in the 100 free (53.87), which she is scheduled to compete in on the last day of the event.
It was a Wolverine surge in the women’s 50 free, with Balduccini’s teammates Christey Liang (26.05), Lexi Greenhawt (26.06), and Leila Fack (26.16) following closely to the wall.
Michigan senior Jack Wilkening secured a commanding victory in the men’s 100 back with a time of 54.80. That time is just a second away from the 53.87 Wilkening achieved to place 6th in the event at US Nationals a few weeks prior. His personal record in the event is 53.37, achieved last spring. 16-year-old Trae Lewis achieved a significant swim for 2nd place in the 100 back, clocking in at 56.97, marking his first swim under 57 seconds in this event.
Canadian Olympian Lorne Wigginton clinched the men’s 200 breast in 2:17.25, overtaking teammate Ryan Healy (2:17.82) in the last lap of the event. Wigginton came just a second shy of his personal record of 2:16.38, whereas Healy’s performance signifies a new personal best for him.
Similar to the women’s 100 breast on Friday night, an exciting race took place in the women’s 200 breast on Saturday night between 15-year-olds Catherine Dorsey (Blazing Barracudas) and Tallulah Beg (Club Wolverine). Dorsey gained a clear lead at the start of the race, recording 1:14.70 on the first 100 compared to Beg’s 1:16.47. Having lost a bit more ground on the 3rd 50, Beg started to surge on the final 50. Dorsey successfully fended off the challenge, completing in 2:36.18 compared to Beg’s 2:36.52. Beg recorded a 39.54 in the last 50, while Dorsey had a time of 41.19.
Lily Cleason from Michigan achieved a significant victory in the women’s 100 back, finishing with a time of 1:02.62. She burst out quickly, clocking 30.12 on the first 50, then finished in 32.50. Cleason boasts a personal record of 1:01.36 from the Olympic Trials last year.
The women’s 400 free featured an exciting competition among Club Wolverine’s 16-year-old Adrienne Schadler, Akron’s Elle Couture, and Michigan’s Madison Smith. Smith took the early lead, clocking in at 1:01.31 for the first 100, while Schadler followed closely behind, turning at 1:01.66. Couture adopted a more cautious strategy for the race and finished in 1:03.62. The situation remained largely unchanged through the 200, with Smith (2:08.43) maintaining a narrow advantage over Schadler (2:08.53), while Couture trailed by more than 2 seconds (2:10.89). Couture made her surge on the 3rd 100, outpacing both Smith and Schadler by nearly 2 seconds, positioning her alongside them. Smith turned first at the 300, recording 3:16.90, while Schadler had 3:17.34 and Couture clocked in at 3:17.70. Couture took the lead at the 350, while the three were closely packed within 0.19 seconds of one another. In the last sprint to the wall, Schadler reached out first, finishing with a time of 4:22.68, while Couture touched in 2nd at 4:22.70, and Smith came in 3rd with 4:22.85.
Eduardo Moraes from Michigan decisively secured victory in the men’s 400 free. Teammate Ryan Hume started strong but by the 150, Moraes passed him and never looked back. Moraes finished with a time of 3:54.94, which is approximately 6 seconds slower than the 3:48.83 he achieved at the Brazilian national meet in April. He swam a consistently paced race last night, posting 1:56.86 for the first 200, then finishing with 1:58.08 on the second half.
The women’s 200 fly was also a close competition, with the top four swimmers all finishing in 2:18. Blazing Barracudas’ 18-year-old Beatrice Stewart triumphed in the race with a time of 2:18.47, recording the quickest split in the competition on the last 50 (36.10). Finishing in 2nd place was another 18-year-old, OC Vanlinthout (Club Wolverine), with a time of 2:18.49. FMC Aquatic’s Lindsay Forebaugh, aged 16, finished 3rd with a time of 2:18.79, while 15-year-old Sarah Leiger from Club Wolverine secured 4th place with a 2:18.82.
The men’s 200 butterfly was equally tight. OLY Swimming’s Will Blakeley ultimately claimed victory in the race with a time of 2:07.71, while Blazing Barracudas’ Quinn MacPhail finished 2nd at 2:07.85, and Birmingham Blue Dolphins’ Ethan Xu clocked in at 2:07.93.
Evan Scotto Divetta of Grand Valley State claimed victory in the men’s 50 free with a time of 23.02 in a close finish. He edged out Oakland’s Omar Elsayd, who clocked in at 23.04.
