Cheshire Women, Red Bank Men Win YMCA Nationals in Meet Decided By Final Relays

Photo Courtesy: @_seadog_swim_club89 Instagram

After swimming in a tight race all week, it turned out that every single swim truly mattered in deciding the 2018 YMCA Long Course National Championships. Red Bank swam away with the Combined team title, totaling 871 points to Cheshire’s 519.

In the women’s final team rankings Cheshire edged Red Bank by a mere four points, 444 to 440. ME Lyons was third with 323.

Red Bank emerged on top of the men’s standings, with 431 points, holding off Somerset Hills with 423.5 points. Greenwich secured third with 256, just ahead of Somerset Valley with 246.

Two national records also fell on the final night.

Women

Cheshire created some momentum from the get-go. Mia Leko won the 200 fly in 2:15.15. Despite the strongest last 50 meters in the field, Blue Ash’s Megan Glass was runner up (2:16.95). Countryside’s Shannon Jelley rounded out the top three in a 2:18.01.

Wilton’s Catherine Buroker won the 800 freestyle in 8:50.42 followed by Powel Crosley’s Lucy Callard (8:57.47). Abigail Doss of Greater Susquehanna touched third (9:01.20).

Lancaster and Fairfield’s Olivia Schmelzer topped the 100 freestyle with a 56.78. Cheshire continued to fight for every available point as Sophie Murphy secured runner up honors with her 57.84. ME Lyons’ Grace Hastings touched third (58.55).

Doss topped off a week full of finals performances with a winning 2:19.91 in the 200 IM. Cheshire’s Elizabeth Boyer posted a 2:21.05 for more key team points. Kate Overbey of ME Lyons earned bronze (2:22.09).

Bath Area’s Olivia Harper came up just shy of completing the backstroke sweep. Red Bank’s Marie Schobel got to the wall first in the 50, stopping the clock in 29.09, tying the YMCA National Record set by Bailey Grinter last year. Harper settled for second in 29.39 and Emma Shuppert of Blue Ash was third (29.56).

In a National Championship deciding relay, Cheshire led off Alexandra Tyler while Red bank swam Marie Schobel. The two were just two tenths apart at the end of the 100. Red Bank’s Megan Judge and Natalie Heim swam second and third putting the team up a half second ahead of Cheshire’s Mia Leko and Elizabeth Boyer. The Sea Dog’s 15 year old Murphy followed up her individual 100 freestyle with a heroic 57.19 anchor to Mary Mahoney’s 58.78. Cheshire won the relay 3:53.53 to 3:54.59, securing the team title.

Men

Upper Main Line’s Brendan Burns added to his pile of short course national records with a 2:00.41 to win the 200 fly and set a new National Mark. Greenbay’s Kaiser Neverman was runner up (2:04.74) just ahead of Luka Scheidl of Somerset Hills in 2:04.85.

Fifteen year old Jack Alexy of Somerset Hills helped his team’s point total with a winning 51.41 in the 100 freestyle. Red Bank’s Max Walther minimized the damage with a second place 52.07. Jennersville’s Michael Fazio placed third (52.72). Henry Schutte (the 50 freestyle runner up from Rapid Area) won the B final in 51.90.

Matt Fallon of Somerset Valley followed up his 400 IM National Record with a winning, but record shy, 2:06.47 200 IM. Scheidl, in his second event of the night, placed third (2:06.85). Regional YMCA of Western Connecticut’s Billy Regan finished nearly three seconds ahead of fourth with his 2:07.74.

Fallon also won the 800 freestyle in 8:20.92 ahead of Fanwood Scotch Plains’ Josh Cohen (8:26.01) and Chambersburg Memorial’s Jacob Greenwood (8:26.02).

In the 50 back it was all Justin Fleagle of Auglaize Mercer Counties in 26.18. Lakeland Hills’ Leighton Mayers edged Chambersburg Memorial’s Avery Barley 26.81 to 26.85 for second.

Somerset Hills did all they could for the team point total in the final relay as Scheidl, Alexy, Trent Russano, and Jonathan Hu combined for the victory in 3:30.90, three seconds ahead of Greenwich in second (3:33.27). Red Bank finished fourth.

Full results here.

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