Duke Commit Foley, VT Commit Atkinson Down Records on Day 1 of 2020 Easterns

2020 EASTERNS INTERSCHOLASTIC SWIMMING AND DIVING

• Friday, February 14 – Saturday, February 15
• Kunkel Aquatic Center – Lacaster, PA
• Defending Champions: Andover boys, Penn Charter girls
• Championship Central
• Meet Info
• Live Results

TOP 5 TEAMS THROUGH DAY 1 – BOYS

1. Andover 305
2. Mercersburg Academy 275
3. Haverford School 235
4. Brunswick 228.5
5. Episcopal Academy 228

TOP 5 TEAMS THROUGH DAY 1 – GIRLS

1. Penn Charter 316
2. Greenwich Academy 315.5
3. Episcopal Academy 311
4. Notre Dame 224
5. Mercersburg Academy 210.5

The 2020 Easterns Interscholastic Swimming and Diving Championships kicked off on Friday. The defending champion Andover boys have the lead, but Mercersburg, the 2019 5th place team, is just 30 points back. The girls’ meet is very close through day 1, with less than a single point separating defending champion Penn Charter and Greenwich. Episcopal is only a few points behind in 3rd.

Pennington’s David Curtiss turned heads as he broke the National Independent High School Record in the 50 free, posting a 19.42. The NC State commit erased the former mark set by Olympic Champion Ryan Murphy in 2012, and is just over a tenth shy of the overall National High School Record set by sprint legend Caeleb Dressel in 2013. His time would’ve landed 6th at the 2019 ACC meet, and he’s only a high school junior. Curtiss also posted a 19.43 split to anchor the 200 free relay and a 24.83 breast split on the 200 medley relay.

The Penn Charter women saw a record go down in the 200 IM, as Sally Foley took down the Meet Record with a 1:58.11. Foley, a Duke commit, made a huge drop, lowering her time by over 3 seconds throughout the day to break 2:00 for the first time. Her swim is fast enough to have placed 7th at 2019 ACCs.

In yet another bright sign for an ACC team, Germantown senior Emma Atkinson set a new Meet Record in the 200 free. She dropped nearly a second, breaking 1:46 for the first time in 1:45.77. Atkinson, a 2-time NCSA Champion, has committed to Virginia Tech. Her time tonight would have placed 8th at least season’s ACC Championships.

There was also a record set on the boys’ side, as Exeter’s Andrew Benson, a Wisconsin commit, swam to a 47.65 for new Meet Record in the 100 fly. That’s fast enough to have scored in the B final at the 2019 Big Ten Championships. That was his first time under 48. Andover’s Max Hunger, a Princeton commit, was less than 3 tenths away from the Meet Record in the 200 free with his lifetime best prelims time of 1:36.82. That’s fast enough to have qualified for the 2019 Ivy League Championships final. He went on to win the final in 1:37.29.

In the boys’ 200 medley relay, Episcopal dominated with a 1:30.53. Cole Whitsett brought them from slightly behind with his 21.39 fly split. Sam Wesley then anchored in 20.10 to extend their lead to nearly a full second at the finish. Jack Christian had led them off with a 23.39 back split, while Ben Wesley swam the breast leg in 25.65.

Additional Event Winners – Day 1

• Girls 200 Medley Relay: Penn Charter, 1:44.36
• Boys 200 IM: Sam Wesley, Episcopal, 1:48.46
• Girls 50 Free: Kelly Feuzeu Mekoue, Episcopal, 23.71
• Girls 100 Fly: Gabriella Lopez-Ona, Penn Charter, 54.90
• Girls 200 Free Relay: Penn Charter, 1:35.73
• Boys 200 Free Relay: Brunswick, 1:22.28