Penn Charter senior Reece Whitley broke 2 team records and won 2 league titles as his high school career winds down. Whitley, best-known as a National Age Group Record-breaking breaststroker, has made huge strides this year in other strokes, especially the butterfly and IM races.
To that end, Whitley didn’t swim the 100 breaststroke at his final Inter-Academic League Championship, a precursor to next month’s Easterns. Instead, he swam, and broke records, in both the 100 fly and 200 free on Thursday. First, in the 200 free, he won in a 1:38.29 that broke the Penn Charter school record and the Malvern Prep pool record. Then, in the 100 fly, he swam 49.21, which broke his own team record in the event.
Whitley, a Cal commit, has best times are 1:36.99 in the 200 free and 48.23 in the 100 fly. Last year at Easterns he swam and broke Meet Records in the 200 IM (1:44.91) and 100 breaststroke (51.84).
Other highlights:
- Haverford’s Alex Boratto, who recently set a short course meters National High School Record in the 100 back, won the 100 yard back in 49.78. That broke a Malvern Prep Pool Record as well.
- Full Meet Results were not available as of posting. More will be posted when we receive those.
He’d be even faster if he didn’t negative split that 100 fly. This kid needs about 50 meters to get up to speed. If Whitley gets a little speed from weightlifting in college, it could get interesting. Too bad Andrews won’t be swimming in college. I would love to see these guys go head to head a few times at NCAA.
From what I understand, the Penn Charter facility isn’t exactly world class. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to training at Cal.
The way his frame has filled out the past couple of years, I’m not sure how much more he needs to lift before he becomes too big for the 200 breast. Lifting more might get him a little speed, but I think it’s clear from looking at his stroke that the power is already mostly there. Further increases in strength will result in diminishing gains in speed. I think most of his speed increases will come from figuring out faster tempos.
Either way, I am looking forward to seeing how his career progresses the next few years.
Such an incredible, Andrew can’t swim in the NCAA, it would have been amazing.
Yeah–I swam masters at that facility for awhile. Pretty basic, 6 lane, 25 meter pool (I think it was meters). Probably 1970’s era design…
PCAC is a yard pool not meters.
I believe Whitley’s times in the 100 and 200 breast from Winter Nationals would be the top times for a NCAA swimmer this year. I can’t wait to see him racing collegiately!