Liam Mac Colla Breaks Metro Swimming LSC Record in the 50 Free, Shatters Future College’s Benchmark
2026 January Jumpstart
- January 16–19, 2026
- Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
- Short Course Yards (25 yards), Prelims/Finals
- Meet results: https://swimswam.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/nc26005gsajanjumpstart_results.pdf
Liam Mac Colla, representing the 92nd Street Y Flying Dolphins in Manhattan, braved one of the fiercest winters in recent memory to compete in Greensboro, NC this January, and returned home with a new Metro Swimming LSC record in the 50-yard freestyle. The 17-year-old finished second in the event with a time of 20.01 seconds, eclipsing the long-standing LSC mark that Justin Plaschka set in 2014 at 20.08.
Mac Colla is part of the 2026 graduating class and has committed to Villanova University, where the Wildcats’ fastest 50 free this season stands at 20.10, recorded by Zach Sutter—also the Villanova school record. Previously, Mac Colla had pledged to Williams College (a Division III program) before changing his commitment to Villanova.
In the same race, the top spot went to senior Albert Smelzer of the Greensboro Swimming Association, who touched in 19.87. Smelzer has accepted an offer to swim for California as a top-10 recruit in the high school class of 2026.
For Mac Colla, this meet was a significant milestone even without a first-place finish. He posted personal-best times across multiple events: 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 dominated the 15-and-over age group, claiming nine wins in total. In addition to the 50 free, he captured 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 contributed to the 200 free and 200 medley relay victories.
Other notable meet highlights:
- On the girls’ side, Kaidy Stout of Greensboro Swimming Association swept the 100 breaststroke (1:02.14) and 200 breaststroke (2:11.98), as well as the 200 IM (2:05.73) and 400 IM (4:22.99).
- Ellie Mierenfeld, a James Madison commit, posted several lifetime-best times in her final pre-season tune-ups ahead of the Virginia high school state championships, including a 200 backstroke win in 1:57.32. That time would have ranked her first on James Madison’s current roster by nearly two seconds and would place second all-time in JMU history.
About Braden Keith
Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He grew his roots by creating The Swimmers’ Circle in January 2010, and now helps lead SwimSwam as a seasoned voice within the swimming community.
Read more about Braden Keith at SwimSwam.
If you’re curious about the implications of a record like this for a swimmer’s college plans or how mid-season meet results translate to NCAA prospects, drop your questions or thoughts in the comments. Do you think breaking a long-standing LSC record signals a breakthrough year for Mac Colla, or might it be a temporary spike? And how should aspiring racers balance early commitment decisions with rapid improvement like this?
