The sisters McEnroe, Annika and Kirsti, have dominated the first three days at the North Carolina YMCA Festival. Each McEnroe has won three individual events, and they’ve combined to lead Y-Spartaquatics Swim Club to wins in all four relays contested in the first three days of the four-day meet.
The meet at Greensboro Aquatic Center is one of five nationally, hosted by local YMCAs, for swimmers with nationals cuts. They’ve been created in 2021 in lieu of cancelled national meets.
Annika McEnroe, an 18-year-old University of California commit, won the 200 individual medley in in 2:00.08 on Wednesday. She clocked in at 4:13.11 to win the 400 IM on Thursday. Friday was her widest victory, a 1:57.73 in the 200 butterfly to win by nearly four seconds.
Kirsti McEnroe, 16, won Wednesday’s 500 free in 4:53.42, edging YSSC teammate Jenna Bridges by .13 seconds in a scintillating race. She dominated the 200 free in 1:48.06, winning by nearly five seconds on Thursday, then claimed the 100 backstroke on Friday with a time of 55.57.
YSSC was dominant at the North Carolina YMCA Festival. The McEnroe sisters combined on the winning 200 medley and 400 medley relays, with Kirsti on the 200 free and 800 free. Hayden Penny was second to Annika McEnroe in both IMs and third in the 200 fly. Bridges added silvers in the 100 fly and 200 fly to her runner-up finish in the 500.
The 500 free was one of the races of the meet, with Katie Parmenter of YMCA Seahorse Swim Team and Reece Alexander of YMCA of Northwest North Carolina all cracking five minutes.
Makenzy Mills of Upper Palmetto Stingrays won the 100 fly on Friday. She was third in the 200 IM and 100 back. Alexander was also second in the 200 free and third in the 100 fly.
The dominance of YSSC on the girls side was mirrored by the YMCA of the Triangle Area on the boys side. It’s why YOTA has 1060.5 points in the combined standings and YSSC has 1003; the nearest competitor is at 571.
John Reese Taylor has led the way for YOTA, which has won three of four relays. Taylor won the 200 IM in 1:51.76, outdueling teammate Ross Noble by three tenths. He also claimed the 400 IM, again at Noble’s expense by .61 seconds, in 3:58.22. Taylor then topped the 100 breast field Friday in 55.08.
Noble won the race of the meet so far, going 1:50.29 in the 200 fly to edge out Ethan McCosh of Seahorse (1:50.41) and Robin Domingo of YSSC (1:50.59).
Dax Harris of Greensboro Community YMCA dominated the 500 free in 4:28.55, then claimed the 200 free in 1:39.84. Ryan Hardy, winner of the 100 back, and 50 free champ Robert Tars each paired an event win with another top-three finish.