2026 January Jumpstart
- January 16-19, 2026
- Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
- Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
- Meet Results
Liam Mac Colla of the 92nd Street Y Flying Dolphins in Manhattan escaped one of the city’s worst winters in recent memory to race in Greensboro, North Carolina in January, and he returned home with a new LSC Record.
Mac Colla, 17, finished 2nd in the 50 yard freestyle, which breaks the Metro Swimming LSC Record in the event. The previous record was held by Justin Plaschka since 2014, when he went 20.08.
Mac Colla is a class of 2026 commit to Villanova University, where the team’s fastest time in the 50 free this season was a 20.10 at Big Easts from Zach Sutter – which is also the current school record.
Mac Colla originally committed to D3 Williams College before swapping his pledge to Villanova.
Mac Colla finished 2nd in that race behind fellow senior Albert Smelzer of the host Greensboro Swimming Association, who touched in 19.87. Smelzer is committed to Cal as the #7 recruit in the high school class of 2026.
The meet was a big one for Mac Colla. While he didn’t return with any wins, he swam lifetime bests in the 50 free (20.01), 100 free (44.47), 500 free (4:47.75), 50 back (23.77), 100 back (51.53), 50 breast (27.51), 50 fly (22.52), 100 fly (50.35), and 100 IM (53.12).
Smelzer, meanwhile, took the lion’s share of the wins in the 15 & over age group. Besides the 50 free, he also won the 100 free (44.10), 200 free (1:40.62), 50 back (22.46), 100 back (49.53), 50 fly (21.29), 100 fly (48.55), and both the 200 free and 200 medley relays. That makes a total of 9 wins throughout the weekend.
Other Meet Highlights:
- On the girls’ side of the meet, Kaidy Stout of the Greensboro Swimming Association swept the 100 breaststroke (1:02.14) and 200 breaststroke (2:11.98); and the 200 IM (2:05.73) and 400 IM (4:22.99).
- James Madison commit Ellie Mierenfeld swam several best times in her final tuneup before the Virginia high school championship season, including the 200 back. There she went 1:57.32 to win, dropping almost two seconds off her previous best time. That swim would have ranked her first on James Madison’s roster this season by almost two seconds. It would also rank her 2nd all-time in JMU history.
