Marcus Papanikolaou Ties Best Time From 2021 Pennsylvania State Meet

GPAC New Year’s A/BB/C

• January 14-16, 2022
• Gloucester County Institute of Technology Pool
• Sewell, N.J.
• Short Course Yards (SCY)
• Meet Mobile: “GPAC New Year’s A/BB/C 2022”

Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club hosted the GPAC New Year’s A/BB/C meet from January 14-16, 2022. 

Speedo Summer Junior National Championship qualifier Marcus Papanikolaou won four events: 50 free (20.57), 200 IM (1:56.34), 100 fly (49.83), and 100 free (45.66). He also took 4th in the 200 free (1:46.89).

In the 50 free, Papanikolaou won the event by 1.69 seconds and tied his lifetime best that he swam at the PIAA Boys 3A High School State Championships in March, 2021. Papanikolaou is currently a sophomore at Central Bucks East High School.

His 20.57 at last year’s state meet earned him 3rd place as a freshman. The Pennsylvania Boys Class 3A high school state championship meet will take place March 4-5, 2022. Of the 2 swimmers who finished ahead of Papanikolaou in the 50 free,  only Senior Quinn Buck returns. Buck is already committed to swim for the University of South Carolina beginning in the fall. At last year’s state championships, Papanikolaou also led off his school’s 7th place finishing 400 freestyle relay with a 46.16 split. He also finished 6th in the 100 fly posting a 50.40. Only two of the five boys who placed ahead of Papanikolaou have graduated. Papanikolaou’s times from this weekend are faster than his 100 free split, and his 100 fly time from state championships. 

In the 100 fly, Papanikolaou touched first by 4.03 seconds. Papanikolaou’s time in the 200 IM was a best time by .11 seconds. 

• In the 15/over 100 free, 2nd and 3rd place finishers Derek Cheng (47.20) and Liam Ramos (49.02) recorded best times
• Thi Tran won the girls 13-14 200 free (1:56.69) by almost 2 seconds. She also went a best time by 3.47 seconds. 
• Charlie Kulp dominated the boys 13-14 200 IM (2:03.10) winning by more than 3 seconds. He dropped 4.65 seconds. Kulp also took 1st in the 200 free and 100 free.