YWCA Flying Fish second at National YWCA Championships

April 6, 2009 -- In the annual YWCA National Championships April 2 through 5, the YWCA Flying Fish placed second, their best showing in the eleven years they have attended the annual competition, held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Flying Fish were represented by over 40 swimmers competing in two divisions, the Junior Division (13 and under) and the Senior Division (14 and over).

Two Flying Fish women in the Senior Division captured first place finishes in multiple events. Jane Munro was first in the 50 free (23.69), the 100 back (56.53) and the 200 back (2:04.81). Kristina Walsh set a meet record and came in first in the 100 breast (103.83). She also placed first in the 200 IM (205.84), the 400 IM (4:27.44) and the 200 breast (2:18.96). In the men’s Senior Division, Ben McBratney placed first in the 100 breast (58.01) and Nick Killeen was first in the 200 free (1:41.54). The men’s 400 free relay, behind Nick Killeen, AJ Chen-Young, Ben McBratney and Max Behles also placed first with a time of 3:08.23.

Both the Senior Men and Women were very strong overall, receiving the second highest point totals in their divisions of the 18 teams from around the country competing at the meet. In addition to the first place finishes, eleven senior swimmers qualified to compete in finals (Top 8), scoring points for the team:

Max Behles- 200 free (2^nd, 1:42.21); 50 free (3^rd, 21.54); 500 free (5^th, 4:39.83); 100 back (5^th, 53.99), 100 free (3^rd, 47.07)

AJ Chen-Young – 100 breast (6^th, 59.96); 100 fly (2^nd, 50.93); 200 IM (5^th, 1:56.67), 200 fly (6^th, 1:57.81)

Nick Killeen – 100 fly (7^th, 52.52); 500 free (3^rd, 4:35.14); 400 IM (4^th, 4:08.34); 200 fly (5^th, 1:57.71)

Ben McBratney – 100 fly (3^rd, 51.54)

Blake Morgan – 1000 free (4^th, 9:42.90); 500 free (6^th, 4:41.55); 200 breast (5^th, 2:12.42); 400 IM (6^th, 4:14.54)

Jane Munro – 200 free (7^th, 1:54.17); 100 free (3^rd, 51.87)

William Myers – 100 breast (5^th, 59.39); 200 breast (4^th, 2:11.84)

CJ Smith – 1000 free (2^nd, 9:26.95); 200 free (5^th, 1:44.99); 500 free (4^th, 4:38.89), 400 IM (7^th, 4:15.90)

Grant Smith – 1000 free (7^th, 10:06.70)

Kristina Walsh – 100 fly (8^th, 58.01)

Amanda Weidner – 500 free (6^th, 5:16.89)

The Senior Girls placed sixth in the 200 medley relay (1:51.64, Weidner, Walsh, Lucy Myers, Maureen Gullen), fourth in the 400 medley melay (3:56.52, Munro, Walsh, Myers, Gullen); and second in the 400 free relay (3:33.56, Walsh, Gullen, Weidner, Munro). The Senior Boys relays also took second in the 200 medley relay (1:37.67, Keven Henley, Myers, Chen-Young, Killeen), second in the 400 medley relay (Behles, Myers, Chen-Young, Killeen) and second in the 200 free relay (1:25.86, Chen-Young, Behles, Terry Silkaitis, Hunter Wilson).

In the Junior Division, two boys placed in the top 8:

Matteo Brucato – 100 breast (5^th, 1:09.43); 200 breast (8^th, 2:37.10)

Ryan Knohl – 100 fly (7^th, 1:02.61); 200 fly (2^nd, 2:24.20)

The Junior Boys placed fourth in the 200 medley relay (1:58.63, Duncan Martinson, Brucato, Knohl, Andrew Owen) and eighth in the 400 free relay (3:57.25, Brucato, Martinson, Owen, Knohl).

The Flying Fish were also honored to send three swimmers, Max Behles, AJ Chen-Young and CJ Smith, to compete in the National Swim Coaches Association meet in Orlando, Florida on March 20, 21, 22. In nationwide competition, CJ Smith placed tenth in the 1500 freestyle with at 16:14.98, setting a new team record and qualifying for Junior Nationals.