THE KING’S ACADEMY SHORT COURSE METER INVITE
- September 4, 2021
- The King’s Academy, West Palm Beach, Florida
- Short Course Meters (SCM)
- Saint Andrew’s School, The King’s Academy, South Florida HEAT, Jensen Beach High School, Lake Worth Christian
- Results
A total of 10 NISCA National High School Records fell by the wayside at The King’s Academy Short Course Meter Invite on Saturday, an early-season high school showcase that featured The King’s Academy, Saint Andrew’s School, Jensen Beach High School, Lake Worth Christian, and the South Florida HEAT.
All 10 records were broken in short course meters, which, while contested much less frequently than the traditional short course yards, is an approved high school course.
Below, watch race videos of nine of the records, with brief descriptions of each:
Blair Stoneburg, Girls’ 500 Free: 5:10.56 (+400 free to the feet: 4:08.12)
Stoneburg broke two records en route to the finish in the 500-meter free. NISCA recognizes both 400 and 500-meter freestyle records, and Stoneburg broke both in the same swim: clocking 4:08.12 at the 400 to crush the official public school (and unofficial overall high school) record of 4:12.68 done by Erica Laning of Hardin Valley Academy (TN) in 2016.
Stoneburg then finished the 500 in 5:10.56, taking 14 seconds off the old record of 5:24.40 set by Joanna Thomas of Mainland Regional in 2006. (The 500 meter free isn’t swum at any serious level outside of high school competition.)
Stoneburg also set a new record in the girls’ 200 free in 1:57.83, lowering the previous mark of 2:00.38 that set by Amanda Weir in 2003.
Erika Pelaez, Girls’ 50 Free: 25.01
Erika Pelaez scorched a time of 25.01 in the girls’ 50-meter freestyle, breaking the previous record of 25.75 set by The Baylor School’s Sloane Pitman in 2008.
Erika Pelaez, Girls’ 100 Free: 54.75
Pelaez then put up a 54.75 in the 100 free to smash the National Independent High School Record that previously belonged to Pitman at 56.59 from 2008.
Josh Zuchowski, Boys’ 100 Backstroke: 53.77
Josh Zuchowski put up a 53.77 in the 100 backstroke to break his own National HS Record of 53.80 that was set just a week ago in the same pool.
Josh Zuchowski, Boys’ 200 IM: 1:58.89
Zuchowski also swam 1:58.89 in the 200 IM to become the first male sub-2:00 in a high school meet. The old Independent High School Record stood at 2:00.37 from Matthew Fallon of the Pingry School, set in 2019. The previous fastest time ever in high school competition was a 2:00.14 by Mainland Regional’s Destin Lasco in 2018.
Aspen Gersper, Girls’ 100 Fly: 1:01.01
Saint Andrew’s sophomore Aspen Gersper won the 100 fly in 1:01.01, shaving .05 seconds off the old record of 1:01.06 set by another Floridian, Claire Maiocco of Trinity Pepp, in 2015.
Saint Andrews, Girls’ 200 Free Relay: 1:45.70
Saint Andrews, Girls’ 400 Free Relay: 3:49.26
Saint Andrew’s School broke the independent school records in both girls’ free relays. First in the 200 free, Gersper, Logan Zielinski, Nicole Aguilar, and Erin Miller combined for a 1:45.70. That broke the old record of 1:46.37 that was set by The Baylor School in 2018. Then in the 400 free relay, Gersper, Aguilar, Ella Martinez, and Miller combined for 3:49.26. That broke the independent and overall high school records of 3:50.57 set by the Baylor School in 2008.