Braswell YMCA Record Helps York Pull Within 2 Points of Team Lead

2017 YMCA LONG COURSE NATIONALS

• Monday, July 31st – Friday, August 4th
• Greensboro, North Carolina
• LCM (50m)
• Full Competition Schedule
• Meet Info
• Psych Sheets
• Live results (also on Meet Mobile)

Three YMCA Long Course National Records were broken in finals on Wednesday, the 3rd day of the 2017 championships as uber-competitive team battles shaped up in both the boys’ and girls’ meets.

The first record came in the women’s 50 breaststroke, where 17-year old Michiana YMCA swimmer Madison Blakesley swam a 32.54 to sneak under Olivia Ontjes‘ 2014 record of 32.62. Blakesley’s time was more than a full-second drop from her swim at last year’s championship, where a 33.67 was good for 3rd place. A true sprinter, Blakesley was only 62nd in the 200 breaststroke earlier this week.

The next record came with huge team implications, as York and York County YMCA’s Leah Braswell won the women’s 400 IM by 8 seconds in 4:49.32. That smashed the old record of 4:51.03 done by Savanna Faulconer in 2013.

That win was part of a 75-point day for the York County women, which helped them close a 23-point gap after Tuesday to just a 1 point deficit to the Cheshire YMCA after Wednesday. The top 5 teams are separated by only 37 points.

The men’s pool have a similarly-competitive team battle building. The Lakeland Hills Family YMCA has just a 2 point lead over the Powel Crosley Jr YMCA team, and the top 5 are separated by only 38 points. Neither team won an event on the day, but Lakeland Hills made up a ton of ground when their 200 medley relay finished 2nd in 1:46.39 behind only Somerset Hills’ 1:46.01 winning time. Power Crosley had the 3rd-fastest time of the finals session overall, but a morning stumble left them in the B final, which effectively cost them 14 points.

Of note in that men’s medley, 14-year old Somerset Hills swimmer Jack Alexy split 26.88 on the backstroke. He was the youngest swimmer (on any leg) of the entire field in that race, and still was the only sub-27 backstroker.

Other Day 3 Winners:

• The Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA swam 1:57.21 in the women’s 200 medley relay to break the National Record set last year by Butler, Pennsylvania. A 25.56 anchor from Darlene Fung led a come-from-behind victory over Red Bank Branch.
• Camryn Forbes from Butler YMCA won the women’s 100 backstroke in 1:02.66, coming back on runner-up Bailey Grinter after trailing at the turn.Forbes was half-a-second short of her own National Record set last year in 1:02.14.
• Brendan Burns from Upper Main Line won the men’s 100 backstroke in 56.91 – almost a second ahead of the field.
• Max McHugh from Door County YMCA won the men’s 50 breaststroke in 28.18. He swam a 27.83 in prelims that broke the YMCA National Record in the event.
• Matt Fallon, a 14-year old from Somerset Valley YMCA, won the men’s 400 IM in 4:32.52. That’s the fastest time in the country by a 13-14 (YMCA or otherwise) this season.
• 15-year old Paige Hetrick of the Bradford Family YMCA won the 200 free in 2:03.48 – almost two-seconds better than Blue Ash YMCA’s Megan Glass, who finished 2nd.
• Hank Siefert from the Coffman Family YMCA won the men’s 200 free in 1:52.49.

Team Standings After Day 3:

Women’s Scores:

1. Cheshire YMCA – 184
2. York and York County YMCA – 183
3. Fanwood Scotch Plains YMCA – 155
4. Red Bank Branch – 154
5. Butler YMCA – 147

Men’s Scores:

1. Lakeland Hills Family YMCA – 172
2. Powel Crosley Jr YMCA – 170
3. Somerset Valley YMCA – 157
4. Somerset Hills YMCA – 148
5. Upper Main Line YMCA – 134