Braden Keith contributed to this report.
Just like Destin Lasco did not too far away in New Jersey, the boys of North Allegheny High School in suburban Pittsburgh jumped right from the USA Swimming Winter Junior Championships – East back into their high school season and came away with National Record-breaking swims.
The team of Mason Gonzalez, Andrew Zhang, Rick Mihm, and Jack Wright combined for a 1:20.46 in the 200 free relay. That broke the National Public High School Record that was set by North Allegheny in March at 1:20.95. That relay from March included Wright, Gonzlaez, Mihm, and Eben Krigger, who has since graduated and now swims at Penn State.
The overall and Independent School records still belong to Bolles at 1:19.27 – a relay that included 4 future Olympians, plus 2 future Olympic gold medalists (Ryan Murphy, Joseph Schooling).
The group was an even-faster 1:19.83 a week ago in Knoxville, with each of the 4 swimmers posting better times at that meet.
Comparative Splits:
| NEW RECORD | OLD RECORD | WINTER JRS TIME | |
| North Allegheny | North Allegheny | North Allegheny | |
| Mason Gonzalez (20.37) | Jack Wright (20.64) | Mason Gonzalez (20.34) | |
| Andrew Zhang (20.33) | Rick Mihm (19.92) | Rick Mihm (19.68) | |
| Rick Mihm (19.94) | Maxwell Gonzalez (20.40) | Andrew Zhang (20.20) | |
| Jack Wright (19.82) | Eben Krigger (19.99) | Jack Wright (19.61) | |
| Total | 1:20.46 | 1:20.95 | 1:19.83 |
Why does every overall HS record seem to belong to Bolles. Shows just how insane that group was
Their relays had the future 2016 olympic Back and Fly champ, as well as the 4th place 100 freestyler at Rio. That is why they have all of those relay records. Just imagine if Dressel went to school with them.
But this is exactly why a public school record is more impressive in my opinion (for relays). It’s usually from a group of kids that grew up in the same town and makes it a little more meaningful
R u saying none of the NCAA relay records r meaningful? Besides, if the private high school is not a boarding school, then most if not all of those kids should grow up in one area also.
Would love to know the reaction time on those exchanges. Upon first glance, some of the exchanges looked a little too fast. Once I went back and paused the video at every exchange, I could see the swimmer in the water had a hand on the wall as the swimmer off the block had at least a foot (Maybe a toe) still on the block.
Would have to see a 1:18 and a 2:54 at states