The girls of York YMCA were the stars of day 3 at the Short Course YMCA National Championships in Greensboro. York swept the girls individual events, setting new national records in all three.
16-year-old Meghan Small broke two of those records herself. Swimming a rough double, Small picked up two huge wins and absolutely crushed national records in both events.
First came the 100 back, where Small was 52.19, taking more than a full second off the previous mark, a 53.27 set by Emily Slabe last season. Also going under the old record was Middle Tyger’s Katrina Konopka, who was 52.70, and Middle Tyger’s Ali Galyer was third in 53.71.
Not long after, Small returned to pace the 400 IM, taking that brutal double in stride. Small was 4:03.96, a big-time swim from the 16-year-old and the best time in YMCA history by nearly 6 seconds. The previous record was from 2011, and was set by former York star and current Georgia standout Hali Flickinger at 4:09.30. Flickinger was the NCAA runner-up just a few weeks ago at an NCAA meet in which Small’s time would have placed 6th overall.
Middle Tyger once again took second, with Savanna Faulconer going 4:08.59 and also breaking the old record.
Not to be outdone by her teammate Small, 15-year-old Courtney Harnish pulled off a national record of her own, going 1:45.62 to win the 200 free late in the evening. Harnish’s time took six tenths off the 1:46.20 originally set by future NCAA champ Margo Geer back in 2010.
Sarasota’s Sophie Cattermole was second in 1:47.43.
The final national record of the night came in the 400 medley relay, where Middle Tyger finally broke through for a win. With Small swimming breaststroke on York’s relay, Middle Tyger ran away on the back leg, with Ali Galyer going 52.66 on the leadoff. Faulconer was 1:01.95 to keep her team in the lead through the breaststroke, and Jessi Snover went 54.38 on fly. Trailing by almost two seconds at that point, anchor Konopka was unstoppable, going 47.82 to run down York for the win in 3:37.81, breaking the Middle Tyger YMCA’s own national record from a year ago.
York was second in 3:39.42. Small was a quick 59.96 on breaststroke, the field’s best split, and Harnish also offered up a field-best 52.11 on fly.
On the boys’ side, Somerset Valley took home a pair of wins. Brad Zdroik had a hand in both.
The 18-year-old first blasted a 1:36.58 to pick up the win in the 200 free, besting Sarasota’s duo of Austin Katz (1:38.00) and Daniel Erlenmeyer (1:38.40).
Then Zdroik led off the 400 medley relay in 48.91, the best backstroke leg of the field. (Katz was just .01 back for Sarasota). He handed off to teammates Winston Chu (57.08 breast), Joseph Delbuono (48.88 fly) and Samuel Hendrix (45.22 free) as Somerset Valley went 3:20.09 for the event win.
Lakeland Hills was second overall in 3:20.36, actually leading through the breast and fly legs before falling off on free.
Katz had a pair of runner-up finishes individually for Sarasota, the current team leaders. He was also second in the 100 back, where Kishwaukee’s Daniel Hein went 47.79 to take the win. Katz was 48.28 for second.
The 400 IM went to Greater Miami Valley’s Mark Andrew in 3:47.94, just beating out Eau Claire’s Paul DeLakis (3:48.91).
Team Scores
Girls
- Middle Tyger – 246
- York – 213
- Sarasota – 147
- YMCA of the Triangle – 113.5
- Northwest North Carolina – 98
Boys
- Sarasota – 243
- Westport/Weston – 111
- YMCA of the Triangle – 104
- Somerset Valley – 99
- Countryside – 98
You can watch her 200 back win from day 2 in 1.51.74 (3rd fastest US 15/16 performer ever).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYU1K26MdAI
Wow! Meghan Small confirms her huge talent this week. What a meet so far!
She’s so versatile. She has no weak stroke. So her IM is great. 4.03.96 in the 400 IM! Just after swimming a 100 back!
She’s now the 3rd fastest US 15/16 performer ever in that event behind only Dagny Knutson (4.00.62 in 2008) and Katie Hoff (4.03.46 in 2005) and ahead of Elizabeth Beisel (4.04.59 in 2008).
And Liquid, I think that Miss Small has much more ambition than only a final at the next olympic trials. I think that she targets simply a qualification for Rio. She was 4th last summer at US nationals in the 200 IM in 2.11.83. At the rate she… Read more »
Bobo – who would down vote you on this!?!?!?!
I think the down vote is because he has biesel ahead of her with a slower time than she just swam.
Mike, read better. Meghan Small is now ahead of Elizabeth Beisel in the 15/16 ranks. 4.03.96 is faster than 4.04.59.
And Badparent, I have no problem with the downvotes. Again, I don’t post a comment to win a popularity contest. And if I have enemies, that’s a good sign. That’s the ransom of the glory. 🙂 If you have enemies, usually it means that you’ve made something good. 🙂
SMASH. York Y is crushing it. Wow.
Small is unbelievably versatile. 59.9 breast split on the relay. She could end up being the top NC2A recruit next year, and will likely be an Olympic Trials finalist in at least one event, assuming she keeps up the rate of improvement starting last summer.
Michael Brooks has to be one of the finest coaches in the country. He took ten kids to Trials in 2012. He has 100 swimmers in his program. That is an insane percentage. And good swimmers just keep coming out of York. Good on ya coach.