Harnish, House, and Katz Take Down Y-Nat Records on Day 3

2017 YMCA SHORT COURSE NATIONALS

• Monday April 3 – Friday, April 7, 2017
• Greensboro Aquatic Center
• Greensboro, NC
• Mon: 5:30PM Timed Finals / Tues: 8:45AM Prelims, 5:30PM Finals / Wed-Fri: 8:45 AM Prelims, 5:15PM Finals
• Meet site
• Results

Countryside Ralph Stolle YMCA’s Grant House secured a big win in the 200 free, going 1:34.52 to shave .07 off of his best time and taking a sizable chunk out of the old record of 1:35.66. The old record was set by Zachary Molloy in 2014. He was out in 45.92, and came back in 48.60, and his time now ranks 16th all-time in the 17-18 age group, mere hundredths ahead of his future Arizona State teammate Cameron Craig.

On the women’s side, it was last night’s 200 back winner Courtney Harnish of York, who was locked in a tight race with Westport/Weston’s Sarah Grinalds for the 200 free title. Grinalds was out in 50.39 to Harnish’s 50.87, but Harnish fought hard the second half to earn the win at 1:45.14, while Grinalds touched 2nd at 1:45.51. Harnish broke Meghan Small’s Y-Nat record of 1:45.38, and Grinalds took over a second off of her previous best time as she now ranks 28th all-time in the 15-16 age group.

Also moving up in the 15-16 age group was last night’s 100 fly winner Brendan Burns of Upper Main Line YMCA. Burns, who is only 15 and still has lots of time in the age group, went 47.59 in the 100 back to take nearly a full second off of his previous best of 48.51 that was done just under a month ago. He finished 2nd in the 100 back, his time now ranking #9 in the 15-16 age group.

Winning that 100 back, in Y-Nat record fashion, was 200 back winner Austin Katz from Sarasota, going 47.06 to break Daniel Hein’s old record by three hundredths. Though Katz is better in the 200, his 100 time now ranks at a tie for 35th in the 17-18 age group.

Heather Sigmon and Camryn Forbes were both under 54 seconds in the women’s 100 back, but it was Sigmon, who swims for Greensboro, who earned the win at 53.82. Forbes, of Butler, was 2nd in 53.94.

Eau Claire’s Paul DeLakis got the win in the men’s 400 IM, the only sub-3:50 swimmer. He took the national title with a 3:49.02. On the women’s side, W. North Carolina’s Mary O Soule went 4:15.86 to win.

To finish the session, the Fanwood Scotch Plains women and Birmingham men took victories in the 200 medley relay. One of the most notable splits in the relays came on the men’s side for Door County, as Maxwell McHugh split a 23.61 swimming breaststroke.

TEAM SCORES (through day 3)

WOMEN

1. York 166
2. Boise 138
3. Fanwood Scotch Plains 125
4. Greater Spartanburg 116
5. Bath Area 115
6. Cheshire 114
7. Butler 84
8. Red Bank Branch 82
9. Triangle Area 80
10. Lakeland Hills 79

MEN

1. Sarasota 290
2. Upper Main Line 171
3. Wilton 139
4. Birmingham 135
5. Somerset Valley 108
6. Countryside Ralph Stolle 103.5
7. Somerset Hills 97
8. Lakeland Hills 90
9. Boise 72
10. Red Bank 71