Reece Whitley Breaks National High School Record in 100 Breaststroke

Penn Charter (Pennsylvania) junior Reece Whitley has broken the National Independent High School and overall High School Records in the 100 yard breaststroke. Swimming at the 2017 Eastern Championships, an elite meet for private school swimmers in the northeastern United States, Whitley finished in 52.35.

The old Independent high school record belonged to Jacob Molacek from Creighton Prep in Omaha, Nebraska, who in 2014 swam a 52.92. The overall record belonged to Chandler Bray from Avon High School in Avon, Indiana who swam a 52.65 a year ago from Sunday at the Indiana State Championship meet. Bray’s swim still stands as the National Public School Record.

Whitley opened the swim in 25.00 and finished with a 27.35 on the second half. His time would have qualified him for the A Final at last year’s NCAA Championship meet.

Whitley also swam on the 200 medley relay, splitting 23.90 in finals as his team finished 4th overall; won the 200 IM in 1:44.91; and a 44.94 to anchor Penn Charter’s prelims 400 free relay.

Whitley’s previous lifetime best in the 100 breaststroke was a 52.56 at the 2015 NCAP Invitational – a non-high school meet. He’s been as fast as 1:43.93 in the 200 IM, done at December’s Winter Junior Championships.

The meet is divided into two days – with events 1-12 swimming prelims and finals on Friday, with the rest racing on Saturday. That means Whitley will still have another crack at improving the record further in finals.

Check post-race quotes from PaPrepLive, H/T to Matthew De George for alerting us to the record.

That time for Reece Whitley is a national high school record. Downs Jacob Molacek's 52.92 by a huge margin @SwimmingWorld @swimswamnews pic.twitter.com/Zw65MQ6hhU

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) February 25, 2017