Harnish, Konopka, Small break more national records as Middle Tyger & Sarasota win YNats team titles

The individual stars of the meet all week, Courtney Harnish, Katrina Konopka and Meghan Small closed out Short Course YMCA Nationals with an individual national record apiece.

Harnish struck first, opening Friday night’s finals with a national record win in the 200 fly.

The 15-year-old York YMCA sensation was 1:54.37 to crush the old record, set by Flint Michigan grad and current Georgia Bulldog Courtney Weaver last year. Harnish won the race by 1.6 seconds over runner-up Remedy Rule, and rule also got under the old record in the swim. Rule was 1:55.92, the old record 1:56.51.

Konopka led the Middle Tyger girls to a team national title, winning the 100 free in a quick 48.50. That took three tenths off the national record set by future NCAA champ Margo Geer.

Finally, Small took home the 200 IM for York, breaking yet another national record. Her 1:54.25 chopped almost two full seconds off her own record set last season. It also topped the field by over 5 seconds.

The girls 1650 free went to 17-year-old Casey Jernberg out of Schroeder YMCA in Wisconsin. Jernberg was 16:12.89, beating York’s newest breakout young swimmer Leah Braswell. Braswell, just 14 years old, went 16:23.56 for second.

The York girls capped off the meet with a national title in the 400 free relay. Harnish led off in 50.25, and Small anchored in a blazing 48.11 as the York relay went 3:20.40. Also on the winning relay: Cami Cook (50.81) and Emily Ilgenfritz (51.23).

On the boys side, Sarasota iced its national team title by winning the 1650 free. That win came courtesy of Drew Clark, who was 15:07.83, taking just over two seconds off the national record. The previous owner was Nicholas Caldwell, another former Sarasota standout who is now starring in the NCAA with the Wisconsin Badgers.

Kishwaukee’s Daniel Hein picked up another win, taking the 200 fly in 1:46.33. Hein won the 100 back a few days ago, and topped this race by a full second over Cheshire’s David May (1:47.42).

Friday night saw another great sprint battle between New Jersey rivals Sebastian Lutz and Brad Zdroik. After the two tangled in the 50 free last night, they clashed again in the 100 free on the meet’s closing night, and for the second-straight day, Somerset Hills’ Lutz topped Somerset Valley’s Zdroik. Lutz was 43.65, just three tenths off a national record, and Zdroik was 44.52 for second.

Westport/Weston’s Bryce Keblish was the other individual winner of the night, going 1:47.33 to take the 200 IM in a touchout of Eau Claire’s Paul DeLakis (1:47.55).

Countryside Y of Ohio won the boys 400 free relay to end the night. Grant House dropped a huge 43.82 on the anchor leg to run down the leades and vault his team to the win in 3:00.96.

Other Countryside relay winners were Matt Slabe (46.19 leadoff), Kevin George (46.01) and Jack German (44.94).

Full results

Team Scores

Girls

  1. Middle Tyger – 470
  2. York – 425.5
  3. Sarasota – 383
  4. YMCA of the Triangle – 232.5
  5. Northwest North Carolina – 201

Boys

  1. Sarasota – 501
  2. Westport/Weston – 239
  3. Somerset Valley – 237.5
  4. Countryside – 235
  5. YMCA of the Triangle – 223

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8 years ago

YEP,

i believe that they train exclusively in short course meters. i believe the extra 10% or so each lap really adds up in terms of easing the transition from short course to long course

Yep
8 years ago

Gotta give it up to York Y. They get the job done SCY and LCM. Many teams can do yds but not mtrs. They do both. Testament to their amazing Coach Michael Brooks! Good job, Michael!

8 years ago

Ridiculous from the York Y girls again…

SMASH.

bobo gigi
8 years ago

Wow! The girls outshined totally the boys at this meet!

Performances of the 3 golden girls:

– 17-year-old Katrina Konopka.
Second place in the 100 fly in 53.13
Second place in the 100 back in 52.70
First place in the 50 free in 22.19
First place in the 100 free in 48.50
47.82 anchor leg in the 4X100 medley relay

– 15-year-old Courtney Harnish
First place in the 1000 free in 9.33.93
First place in the 200 free in 1.45.62
First place in the 500 free in 4.40.11
First place in the 200 fly in 1.54.37. Now number 3 all-time US girls 15/16 performers! Mary T. Meagher’s antique 1.52.99 NAG record… Read more »

Danjohnrob
Reply to  bobo gigi
8 years ago

I agree about getting Harnish and Bayer to race! Let’s set-up a play-date for those girls! 😉

What lucky NCAA team is going to get Meghan next year? She can swim any stroke on your medley relay, swim 200IM on day 1, 400 IM or 100 back on day 2, and 200 back on day 3 and final as a freshman in all 3 individual events, and she swims amazing freestyle splits in relays too! Does she walk on water before breakfast too?!

samuel huntington
8 years ago

1:54.25?!?!?!? that’s stunning! with Missy leaving and Liz graduating in a year, she will automatically be the favorite to win at NCAAs freshman year!

W3T
Reply to  samuel huntington
8 years ago

I think Pelton is a Junior right now.

Danjohnrob
8 years ago

Meghan Small’s time would have been 3rd at the NCAA DI Champ’s behind only Missy and Liz Pelton! Enough said.

Danjohnrob
Reply to  Danjohnrob
8 years ago

(In the 200 IM)

W3T
Reply to  Danjohnrob
8 years ago

Her 200 back time (1:54) would have been 4th at NCAAs.

W3T
Reply to  W3T
8 years ago

1:51, rather.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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