On the fifth and final day of the 2016 long course YMCA Nationals, another national record fell and multiple swimmers made repeat podium finishes as the Hickory women continued to show their distance prowess and Wilton took the top spots in the sprints.
Cheshire’s Karl Bishop continued a successful weekend. The 18 year old touched in national record time of 8:11.69 to win the 800. Ross Dant of Hickory set the record at 8:17.21 in the opening 800 of his second place 1500 on Wednesday. Tonight, Dant was Bishop’s runner up again, also under the record with an 8:14.15. Dant is only 15 and will have many more opportunities to reclaim the mark. Wilton’s Robby Giller placed third in 8:18.64.
The meet closed with another YMCA National record. Upper Main Line stopped the clock in 3:28.78 to claim the men’s 400 freestyle relay title. The team of Brendan Burns, Sam Hawke, Brian McKenrick, and Billy Beard won the event by nearly four seconds.
The Hickory women had an impressive four women in the eight person final of the 800 freestyle. Emmaline Peterson and Madison Murtagh represented the group in the top three. Peterson won the event in 8:51.13, three seconds shy of the National Record, and Murtagh took third in 9:00.75. Boise’s Abbey Erwin snagged second with an 8:45.65.
Phoenixville’s Emma Seiberlich led a tight pack into the finish of the women’s 200 butterfly. The 17 year old stopped the clock in 2:15.56. Separated by only .01 were Brooke Perrotta of Cheshire (2:15.93) and Countryside’s Shannon Jelley (2:15.94).
Corey Gambardella of Soundview dropped six seconds from his prelims swim to take the title in the men’s 200 butterfly in 2:02.63. He finished well ahead of the field. Upper Main Line’s Brendan Burns battled Wilton’s Lexo Walker into the finish as the two touched in 2:05.78 and 2:05.90.
Wilton’s Ky-lee Perry won again this weekend with a 56.64 100 freestyle. Camryn Forbes of Butler finished runner up in 57.03 and Hamilton Area’s Abbey Berloco touched in 57.41 for third. Perry’s teammate Hugo Sykes also rose to the top of the podium again this weekend in 51.62. Coffman’s Hank Siefert grabbed silver in 52.12 and Billy Beard of Upper Main Line clinched third with a 52.46.
Metuchen’s 15 year old Sarah Hardy touched first in 2:20.71 to win the women’s 200 IM title. Megan Bull of Somerset Valley (2:21.30) and New Canaan’s Lizzy Colwell (2:23.03) completed the top three.
Grant House of Countryside came up just shy of a National record in the 200 IM, as he finished in 2:05.55. Hassler Carroll of ME Lyons was second in 2:07.60, just ahead of Upper Main Line’s Brian McKenrick in 2:07.91.
The top six women finished under 30, with Edwardsville’s Bailey Grinter finishing just one tenth shy of the 2004 National Record. Grinter touched in 29.42. Fifteen year old Athena Ye of Kishwaukee was runner up in 29.70 and Greater Flint’s Alaina Skellett placed third in 29.78.
Grove City’s Austin Wilson touched in 27.20 to win the men’s 50 backstroke ahead of Chambersburg’s Averly Barley in 27.47 and South Shore’s Auston Ramsay in 27.82.
In the women’s 400 freestyle relay Hickory’s Faith Hefner, Sophia Cherkez, Anna Durak, and Madison Murtagh took home the crown in 3:54.45.
Wilton earned 747 points for the combined title, followed by Cheshire with 547.5 and Countryside with 540. The Hickory women won the women’s meet with 336 points, followed by Countryside with 294 and Wilton with 290. The Wilton men compiled 457 points to take home that title. Upper Main Line finished runner up with 394 while the Cheshire men secured third with 288.5 points.
Full results available on Meet Mobile.
Men’ 400 Freestyle Relay winners were Upper Main Line YMCA in National Record time.
Whoops! Thanks for the correction!
The Wahoo team photo you are using is last year, not the current team.
Does it even matter – Wilton hardly ever had the correct person receiving their award. Apparently, award ceremony after each event doesn’t mean much to Wilton swimmers (maybe it’s encouraged by coaching staff). They run off not to be seen again until their next event. Even having the balls to send a girl to receive a boy’s award. Not the YMCA values!
Yes, it does matter. Thank you J. Suchy for pointing that out. When stand-ins accept awards for a Wilton Wahoo swimmer it is because the coaching staff has excellent YMCA values. The swimmers who are not accepting awards are in the cool down pool preparing for their swims in the very next events. Coaches are looking out for the young athletes’ physical well-being. The swimmers forego the glory of the podium as they defer to their coaches’ expertise.
Hickory, York, Upper Main Line (just to name a few) also have multiple event swimmers at finals and were respectful enough to attend awards. Pictures are taken of winners and they don’t represent the true swimmers of the events when stand-ins are used. Shameful!
Wilton Wahoos have been that good since I was a kid!!