Who Broke it First? CATS Aquatics Boys Also Break 15-18 200 Medley National Age Group Record

Shortly after posting about the success of the Somerset Valley YMCA boys at the YMCA Long Course National Championships, we learned that they may not have broken the National Age Group Record, after all.

Alex SnarskiKyle AerneConnor Black, and Bogdan Balteanu of the CATS Aquatics team in suburban Chicago swam a 1:43.24 in the men’s 200 long course meter medley relay at the NCSA Junior National Championships.

That event is time-stamped at 6:17 PM Eastern time, which almost surely makes it before the Somerset YMCA did their swim. We don’t know for sure if USA Swimming time-stamps records, but either way, the boys from the CATS will end the day as the National Age Group Record holders.

They broke the 1:45.08 done by TIDE Aquatics a few weeks ago, better than the 1:44.60 that was done by KING as 15-16’s last weekend, and were also better than the Somerset YMCA’s 1:44.00 from YMCA Long Course Nationals.

With all four swimmers being either 17 or 18, it also breaks the 17-18 record of 1:44.93 held by Doug Kling, Tyler Mayfield, Keith Dennison, and Alex Federov in 1989 while at Las Vegas Gold. Those names might not jump off the page to the modern generation, but their coaches will: David Marsh and Bob Bowman.

The splits:
Snarski (17) – 27.06
Aerne (18) – 29.04
Black (18) – 23.61
Balteanu (18) – 23.53

Black, who is a Stanford commit and the National Public High School Record holder in the 100 yard fly, was the really incredible split on that relay. Though it was on a rolling start, that’s already a time capable of competing with the best in the country in this race.

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vlad
11 years ago

Thank you Braden…
Just emailed Mel.

Vlad
11 years ago

Braden, do you need a picture for the article?

Tom
11 years ago

Your a stud vlad. Congrats to you and your boys. Voloblades and dragsox.

Vlad
Reply to  Tom
11 years ago

Thank you Tom!
Only with DragSox help!!!

osd
11 years ago

Congrats Vlad – your boys did great

Vlad
Reply to  osd
11 years ago

Thank you!

Kyle Aerne
11 years ago

We are not NASA Wildcats, we are CATS Aquatics based out of Libertyville, IL, no affiliation at all with NASA Wildcats.

Wonkabar23
11 years ago

Those guys swim for CATS not NASA. So either the names are wrong or the team.

Vlad
11 years ago

Those 4 boys swim for CATS Aquatic Team

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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