Ross Dant Cracks 9:00 to Win 1000 on Day 1 of 2018 YMCA Nationals

2018 YMCA SHORT COURSE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 3rd-7th, 2018
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Meet Central
• Meet Results
• Psych Sheet

Day 1 of the 2018 YMCA SC Nationals saw winners crowned in the boys’ and girls’ 1000 free, and 200 medley relay preliminaries were also held.

Ross Dant of Hickory Foundation YMCA won big in the boys’ 1000 free, slicing off three tenths from his 2017 winning time and previous best to go 8:57.37. Finishing in 2nd was Sarasota YMCA‘s Arik Katz (9:04.41), a best time by over four seconds. Katz, 16, is the younger brother of recent NCAA champion Austin Katz.

On the girls’ side, it was Leah Braswell of York and York County YMCA for the win in 9:45.33. Braswell finished 2nd last year behind her teammate Courtney Harnish, now a freshman at Georgia, but got the win to herself this time around. Braswell’s time is a three-second improvement from her previous best. Sarasota YMCA‘s Emma Weyant was 9:47.85 for 2nd.

In the girls’ 200 medley relay prelims, Cheshire YMCA leads the way with their 1:42.88, narrowly ahead of Lakeland Hills (1:42.92) and Boise (1:43.28). Cheshire got a lightning anchor leg from Sophie Murphy, just 14, who was 22.88 on the end. Lakeland Hills’ Victoria Eisenhauer had a field-best 27.90 split as they’ll go into finals as the 2nd seed.

For the boys, Upper Main Line hit the top prelims time (1:31.45) ahead of Red Bank (1:31.92) and Somerset Hills (1:32.33). For Upper Main Line, Brendan Burns put down an impressive 21.74 lead-off leg, and Jack Alexy was 22.25 leading off Somerset Hills’ relay. Rapid Area was 12th in prelims with a 1:33.51, though they had a 19.74 anchor leg from Henry Schutte.

SCORES

BOYS

1. Sarasota 52
2. Hickory 20
3. Boise 19
4. Somerset Valley 15
5. Fanwood Scotch Plains 12

GIRLS

1. Sarasota 35
2. York 20
3. Wilton 19
4. Powel Crosley Jr 16
5. Greater Susquehanna Valley 14