2018 YMCA SC National Championships Preview (PSYCH SHEETS)

2018 YMCA Short Course National Championships

• April 3rd-7th, 2018
• Greensboro Aquatic Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
• Meet Central
• Meet Results
• Psych Sheet

The 2018 YMCA Short Course National Championship meet kicks off on Tuesday in Greensboro, North Carolina. This year’s meet will have the theme of State Pride, where athletes will dress up as something related to their state for the show-stopping Parade of Athletes.

The girls from the York YMCA are the defending meet champions, though after the graduation of a number of stars, including Georgia freshman Courtney Harnish, they’ll have to battle to repeat. The team will return another star, though, in 17-year old Florida commit Leah Braswell. She’s the top seed in the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyles. Also representing York is 13-year old Meaghan Harnish, one of the youngest competitors at the meet for a team in York that is renowned for putting young swimmers into finals at this meet. She’s the younger sister of the aforementioned Courtney.

On the boys’ side, the Sarasota Family YMCA had a resurgence in 2018 to win the boys’ team title by 248 points. They too lost a budding collegiate star – Austin Katz, who won the NCAA title in the 200 back as a freshman 2 weeks ago while representing the University of Texas. Keanen Dols, who was 2nd behind Katz in the 200 back at this meet last year, has also moved on (to Penn), and so the boys’ scoring should tighten up considerably this year. They still have a strong distance crew, led by Arik Katz and Brendan Firlie, who are both seeded in the top 5 of the 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyles.

Among the other recognizable names at the meet:

• Max McHugh from the Door County YMCA in Wisconsin. The 2018 Wisconsin Division II High School State Champion in the 50 free and 100 breaststroke, he’ll be chasing his own Meet Records in the 100 breast (53.00) and 200 breast (1:55.38), with little competition expected for him in those races on winning. He’s already been faster than both of those times, but not at this meet.
• Henry Schutte from the Rapids Area YMCA in Michigan, a class of 2019 Virginia commit who has already split 19.2 on a medley relay anchor, will headline the sprint freestyles. He’s the top seed in the 100 free, and is the 2nd seed in the 50 behind Pennsylvania 15-year old David Curtiss, who has already swum sub-20 on a flat start in the 50 free (19.97).
• Brendan Burns from the Upper Main Line Y in Pennsylvania is the top seed in the 100 fly (46.97), 200 fly (1:42.94), 100 back (46.93), and 200 back (1:44.01). Seed times indicate he’s a heavy favorite in all 4 of those events (his only 4 individual swims), with the best push likely coming from Alex Margherio in the 100 fly.
• Paige Hetrick from the Bradford YMCA in Pennsylvania made 4 A-Finals in 4 swims last year. This year, she enters as the top seed in the 200 back (1:56.50), and with top 3 seeds in the 100 back, 100 fly, 100 free, and 200 free as well.