Annika McEnroe of Y-Spartaquatics finished the North Carolina YMCA Festival with a flourish, going 2:10.44 in the 200 breaststroke to set the YMCA record.
McEnroe’s time downs the YMCA National Record set in 2015 by Savanna Faulcomer at 2:10.79. The win, which came by a margin of nearly six seconds over the field, is McEnroe’s fourth of the meet at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, to go with three relay triumphs. It’s the same track record posted by her sister, Kirsti.
The meets are two of five nationally, hosted by local YMCAs, for swimmers with nationals cuts. They’ve been created in 2021 in lieu of cancelled national meets. The other three will take place April 8-11.
Kirsti McEnroe finished her meet by winning the 100 freestyle in 49.93, a margin of 1.73 seconds over the field. The sisters combined with Camrynn Wilson (second to Kirsti in the 100 free) and Hayden Penny (winner of the 200 backstroke after a pair of runner-up performances) to win the 400 free relay authoritatively by nearly six seconds in 3:23.52.
YSSC’s Jenna Bridges got a long-sought win after three silver medals. She left no doubt in the mile, taking gold in 16:55.63.
On the boys side, John Reese Taylor of YMCA of the Triangle Area got his fourth win of the meet, going 2:00.17 in the 200 breast. Like in the 100, Steven Insixiengmay of YMCA of Northwest North Carolina took silver. Taylor also helped YOTA’s 400 free relay to victory in 3:03.93, the club’s fourth win in five boys relays.
Dax Harris of Greensboro Community YMCA grabbed his second victory by going 16:05.87 to decisively win the mile. YOTA’s Ryan Hardy got his second win of the meet, outtouching GCY’s Ethan Womble in the 100 free by .03 with a time of 46.00. Hardy’s teammate Ross Noble booked his second win of the week in the 200 back by going 1:47.55, just .05 ahead of GCY’s Robert Tars, who settled for second in his fourth podium finish of the meet.
Ohio YMCA Festival
Amy Pan of Farmington Family YMCA made it four wins in four individual events by taking the 100 free at Miami University in Oxford Saturday. Pan clocked in at 49.97 seconds to win by more than a second against Sarah Holt of YMCA of Northwest Louisiana. Holt, who went 51.09, has four top-two finishes at the four-day meet.
After a second and a third, Lauren Clippard of Powel Crosley Jr. YMCA got a win in the 200 back by going 1:59.97 with Lancaster YMCA’s Mia Hensley second for her fourth top-three finish. The 200 breast was an inversion of the 100, with Kathy Zhao of Blue Ash in first at 2:22.28 and Claire Gass of Auglaize-Mercer County YMCA settling for second. Rachel Bostian of Frederick YMCA won the 1,650.
In a battle of freestylers on the boys side, Powel Crosley’s Luke Paxton was denied his fourth win of the meet in a scintillating race with Conner McBeth, the 50 free champ. Lawrence County YMCA’s McBeth won in 44.56, just edging Paxton, in 44.61, to the wall.
In the mile, Alex Craft of M.E. Lyons YMCA went 15:37.83 to add to his 500 free champ. In the process, he beat 200 free champ Adam Lamping (second in 15:51.51) and 400 individual medley winner Erik Menchhofer (15:56.34). Drew Collins (Birmingham YMCA) won the 200 back in 1:47.98 for his second victory of the meet, and teammate Ethan Schwab did the same in the 200 breast by going 2:01.56. Springfield Family Y claimed the 800 free relay, its third relay title.