Teammates Crush and McDonald Post Top-20 Times at Kentucky LSC Championships

KENTUCKY LSC STATE SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS (USA SWIMMING) – GIRLS MEET

• March 12-14, 2021
• Blairwood Tennis, Swim & Fitness Club, Louisville, Kentucky
• Short Course Yards (25 yards)
• Meet Central
• Live Stream
• Live Results

14-year-old Haley McDonald and 13-year-old Charlotte Crush, teammates from the Lakeside Swim Team, battled it out on day three of the 2021 Kentucky Swimming Short Course State Championships.

In the first event of the night, the 200 IM, McDonald got out to a narrow lead over Crush in the first 50 of butterfly and then never relinquished it, touching in a time of 2:03.37 to Crush’s 2:05.14. With their performances, both swimmers posted new personal best times. McDonald slashed almost 10 seconds off of her best time entering the day, which stood at 2:13.23, while Crush cut 4 seconds off of her best of 2:09.02.

McDonald’s time ranks her 15th in the 13-14 age group this season across the country, while Crush now ranks 5th among 13-year-olds in the country this season, despite just recently aging up into the age group.

In the 100 freestyle, McDonald once-again narrowly out-touched Crush by .16, with times of 50.69 and 50.85, respectively. For Crush, the swim marked her first time under the 52-second mark, as she cut over a second off of her best time of 52.24. Likewise, McDonald dropped over a second off of her best time, which stood at 51.94. With their times, McDonald and Crush rank 10th and 11th, respectively, in the country this season for the 13-14 age group, with Crush holding the country’s fastest time by a 13-year-old.

McDonald also picked up an individual victory in the 100 backstroke, coming into the wall with a personal best of 57.28. Her performance nicked about a half-second off of her previous best of 57.92.

Crush picked up her first win of the night in the 200 butterfly, where she posted a winning time of 2:07.10 to chop about a second off of her best time of 2:08.19.

Both Crush and McDonald also contributed to Lakeside’s winning 400 medley relay, alongside teammates Sydney Perkins and Cross Harper. The team finished in a time of 3:51.05, with McDonald splitting a 57.66 on the backstroke leg and Crush splitting a 55.11 on the butterfly leg.

Other Highlights:

• Louisville commit Ella Welch went a personal best of 48.92 en route to victory in the 15 and over 100 freestyle. Welch chopped over a half-second off of her best time of 49.58 with her performance.
• Annabel Crush, a US Junior National member and Charlotte’s older sister, won the 15 and over 100 backstroke by over a second, dominating the field in a time of 52.70.
• 16-year-old Madeline Meredith won the 15 and over 200 IM with a personal best of 2:02.88, chopping about a tenth off of her best time.
• 17-year-old Brinly Hardy set a new personal best in the 200 fly en route to victory, touching in 2:02.82.