By Yanyan Li on SwimSwam
NJ EEX Holiday Classic XXXVIII
Dec. 19 to 21, 2025 SCY (25 yards) Sonny Werblin Recreation Center (Rutgers) Full results under “EEX Holiday Classic XXXVIII” on MeetMobileRutgers may not have fielded a men’s swim team since 1990, but men’s swimming records continue to get broken in the Scarlet Knights’ pool.
At New Jersey’s 38th Holiday Classic meet, which took place a week before Friday in Piscataway, Streamline Aquatics Club’s Zack Kusch won the 200-yard breaststroke in a time of 1:58.52. A class of 2030 Northwestern commit, he also took down the Holiday Classic meet record and the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center pool record, which was formerly held by Slavik Fattakhov. Fattakhov, a then-senior at the Division II University of Bridgeport, clocked a 1:59.41 to set the Rutgers pool record in 2013.
Kusch set a best time by nearly three seconds in the 200 breast, besting his old mark of 2:01.47 from Winter Juniors in 2024. He also won the 100 breast in personal best fashion (54.12) by nearly a second, while finishing second in the 100 free (45.13).
Beating Kusch in the 100 free was Scarlet Aquatics’ Ryker Levi, who won the event in a best time of 45.13. He also won the 100 fly in a time of 47.67, beating his previous personal best mark of 49.64 set at YMCA Nationals in April by near four seconds. Levi, a current sophomore at Northern Highlands Regional High School, has risen to become the second-fastest 100 flyer in the high school class of 2028.
Levi also anchored Scarlet Aquatics’ winning 400 free relay with a 44.62 100 free split.
Yale 2030 commit Burak Iloglu took home wins in the 500 free (4:31.81) and 1000 free (9:17.07), while his Scarlet teammate and 2030 Army commit Brandon Anand swept the 200 (1:51.47) and 400 IM (3:56.16) events. Iloglu went a best time in the 1000 free, while Anand clocked one in the 200 IM.
The 15+ high point winner on the boys’ side belonged to Somerset County YMCA’s Christopher Wasko, who notched first-place finishes in the 50 free (20.60) and 100 back (50.44), in addition to third in the 100 free (45.89), eighth in the 200 free (1:43.44) and eighth in the (52.54). He set best times in every event he raced.
On the girls’ side, Scarlet Aqautics’ Josie Marino was a standout performer, completing a distance sweep and winning the high point for the open girls’ division. The Ohio University class of 2030 commit won the 500 free (4:55.40), 1000 free (10:07.76) and 1650 free (16:40.19). In addition, she scored an eight-place finish in the 200 fly (2:08.82) and a fifth-place finish in the 200 IM (2:09.15).
Marino’s standout swim was the 1650 free, where she won by over 22 seconds and improved 13.08 seconds from her previous best time of 17:13.04 from YMCA Nationals in April.
Also performing well was Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA’s Jane Kavanagh, who won the 200 free (1:49.84) and 200 back (1:58.98) in personal best fashion, while also placing second in the 100 back (55.57). The junior out of Westfield High School is not committed to a college yet, but is on NJ.com’s New Jersey Girls’ Swimmer of the Year watchlist for 2025-26.
A pair of Power Conference 2030 commits in Florida State’s Samantha Villacis and Iris Kim also won events. Villacis, representing the Peddie Aquatic Association, swept the butterfly events, clocking a 54.94 to win the 100 fly and a 2:00.48 to win the 200 fly. Meanwhile, Scarlet Aquatics’ Kim was the winner of the 200 IM (2:02.20) in PB fashion, while she took second behind Kavanagh in the 200 back (1:59.40).
14-year-old Alexa Davies of the Lakeland Hills Family YMCA impressed in the 13-14 division of the 100 breast, winning in a time of 1:02.67 that was faster than the winning time in the open division (1:03.41). Another 14-year-old in Scarlet Aquatics’ Emma Pereira won the open division of the 400 IM, clocking a time of 4:28.03.
Scarlet Aquatics dominated both segments of the Holiday Classic, racking up 4259 combined to rank first amongst all the clubs — over 1,200 points clear of the Somerset YMCA, the second-ranked team. Scarlet was also the winner of the separate boys’ and girls’ competitions by a clear margin.
Other Boys’ Open Winners:
200 free: Max Ciechanowski, Jersey Aquatic Center — 1:40.22 1650 free: Daniel Choi, Scarlet Aquatics — 15:50.79 200 fly: Nathaniel Kern, Scarlet Aquatics — 1:48.70 200 back: Luke Luo, Peddie Aquatic Association — 1:51.41 200 free relay: Greater Somerset County YMCA — 1:23.43 400 free relay: Scarlet Aquatics — 3:02.96 800 free relay: Scarlet Aquatics — 6:53.00 2oo medley relay: Greater Somerset YMCA — 1:30.18 400 medley relay: Scarlet Aquatics — 3:22.93Other Girls’ Open Winners:
50 free: Lola Early, Peddie Aquatic Association — 23.54 100 free: Katherine Kennedy, YMCA of the Jersey Shore — 51.59 100 back: Hannah Bateman, Peddie Aquatic Association — 55.51 100 breast: Stephanie Kim, Scarlet Aquatics — 1:03.41 200 breast: Stephanie Kim, Scarlet Aquatics — 2:15.43 200 free relay — YMCA of the Jersey Shore — 1:35.62 400 free relay: Peddie Aquatic Association — 3:29.59 800 free relay: Scarlet Aquatics — 7:50.41 200 medley relay: Lakeland Hills YMCA — 1:43.57 400 medley relay: YMCA of the Jersey Shore — 3:48.25Read the full story on SwimSwam: Northwestern Commit Zack Kusch Breaks Rutgers Pool Record At 2025 Holiday Classic
Hence then, the article about northwestern commit zack kusch breaks rutgers pool record at 2025 holiday classic was published today ( ) and is available on swimswam ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Northwestern Commit Zack Kusch Breaks Rutgers Pool Record At 2025 Holiday Classic )
Also on site :