West York freshman Courtney Harnish set her second District 3-AA girls' record in two days by winning the 500-yard freestyle in 4:44.62. That broke the mark of 4:46.64 set by Leah Gingrich of East Pennsboro in 2008.
As impressive as that time is, that is not Harnish's ultimate goal.
“By the end of the season, at states, I'm hoping for a 4:42,” Harnish said.
Harnish also won the 200 on Friday with a record 1:47.16.
It is unlikely that Harnish will be swimming in high school events next season, as she plans to concentrate on club swimming to prepare for the Olympic Trials next year.
Another freshman on top of the medal stand
York County provided another freshman gold-medal winner on Saturday. York Suburban's Megan Hunt won the AA girls' 100 breaststroke in 1:06.79.
Hunt did have a gold medal from Friday, when she swam the second leg of the Trojans' 200 medley relay. That relay win helped set the stage for her breaststroke success.
“It is nervewracking with all the adrenaline and all the excitement,” Hunt said. “[The relay win] was definitely a confidence booster.”
Price Doubles
Northeastern's Niki Price won her second gold medal of the meet by taking the 100 freestyle in 50.64.
Price had already won the gold in her signature event, the 100 butterfly, on Friday. But there were some discussions in recent weeks between Price and her coaching staff as to what other event she should concntrate on for the postseason.
“My coach wanted me to swim the 500 freestyle,” Price said. “But my open free has been better.”
Berks provides AA winners
Trinity won the AA boys' title, but three of the five events on Saturday were won by Berks County swimmers.
For Fleetwood's Matthew Leenhouts and Brandywine Heights' Dillon Lancenese, the victories were their second of the weekend.
Leenhouts won the 500 freestyle in 4:36.68 after taking the 200 freestyle on Friday.
“I just wanted to not excert too much engergy right off the start,” Leenhouts said. “I needed to take it long and strong.”
Lancenese claimed the 100 backstroke gold medal with a 52.13.
“I felt good on the first 50, the the second 50 was a lot harder,” Lancenese said. “I thought I had built enough of a lead, even with me dying, that no one could catch me.”
Lancenese also won the 100 butterfly on Friday.
Schuylkill Valley's Luke Raudenbush won the 100 breaststroke with a 1:00.97.
“I didn't even want to look at the board because I thought I had lost,” Raudenbush said.
He did win, however, beating Trinity's Henry Tanguay, who had a 1:01.41.
Owens wins 100 freestyle
Berks County's success did not disappear when the AA session ended. Daniel Boone's Ryan Owens won a gold medal in the AAA boys' 100 freestyle.
Owens posted a 45.74 after picking up a 21.94 split in the first 50 yards.
Owens was the No. 1 seed, and was also No. 1 in Friday's 200 freestyle. He was second in that with a 1:41.27, placing behind Northern's Josh Clarke, who had a 1:40.49.