The Chambersburg Memorial YMCA Chargers could have closed the book on their swimming season with the happiest of endings after winning the PA YMCA State Championships in March.
But the Chargers decided to pen one more chapter, and now they have even more to celebrate.
Competing at the YMCA National Short Course Championships in Greensboro, N.C., Chambersburg’s boys had a brilliant outing, posting 186 points to finish ninth in the field of 181 teams. Leading the “charge” for the Chargers was Cullen McGraw, who zipped to podium finishes in the 1,650 freestyle (2nd in 15:35.29) and 1,000 freestyle (3rd in 9:12.66). McGraw’s runner-up showing in the 1,650 freestyle was not only a team record, but also the highest a Chambersburg swimmer has ever finished at Short Course Nationals.
Amir Tasker added thrid-place finishes in both the 200 freestyle (1:37.55) and 200 backstroke (1:46.17), while also taking 10th in the 100 freestyle with a team record time of 45.59. Cristian Pong added a sixth-place finish in the 200 butterfly (1:51.05), while the 800 freestyle relay team of Tasker, McGraw, Alex Kaczmark, and Ethan White claimed sixth in 6:44.06. Kaczmark also posted a PR time of 1:50.64 in the 200 butterfly for ninth place.
The top finisher on the girls side was Ellery Hayes, who finished 19th in the 200 breaststroke in 2:21.62.
The accompanying YMCA Short Course Time Trials included Top 8 finishes from Chambersburg’s Penny Richardson (3rd in 200 butterfly, 2:13.86), Alyssa Detwiler (6th in 200 IM, 2:11.02), and Calla Hoffman (8th in 100 butterfly, 59.83), as well as Waynesboro’s Mady Barker (8th in 50 freestyle, 25.21).
Below is a meet-by-meet, event-by-event look at how club swimmers from the Local.News1 coverage area performed last week:
Speedo Sectionals
Thursday-Sunday, March 26-29, in St. Mary’s City, Md.
Boys team scores (86 teams): 1. Rockville Montgomery Swim Club 465, 43. YMCA of Hagerstown Gators 0, 43. Waynesboro Area YMCA 0
Girls team scores (86 teams): 1. Germantown Academy Aquatic 429, 46. Waynesboro Area YMCA 0, 46. YMCA of Hagerstown Gators 0
Local.News1.org Finishers
Boys
50 Freestyle: 76. Oscar Wu (Hag) 22.43, 119. JB Bonner (Way) 22.94
100 Freestyle: 110. Oscar Wu (Hag) 50.01
100 Backstroke: 20. Oscar Wu (Hag) 52.47
200 Backstroke: 18. Oscar Wu (Hag) 1:55.44
50 Butterfly: 22. Oscar Wu (Hag) 23.58
200 Freestyle Relay: 28. YMCA of Hagerstown (Oscar Wu, Eli Harsh, Anthony Witanowski, Owen Ghattas) 1:32.77
YMCA National Short Course Championships
Monday-Friday, March 30-April 3, in Greensboro, N.C.
Boys team scores (181 teams): 1. Somerset County YMCA 339.5, 9. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA 186, 47. YMCA of Hagerstown Gators 0.
Girls team scores (181 teams): 1. Schroeder Swim Team 398, 48. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA 0, 48. Waynesboro Memorial YMCA 0, 48. YMCA of Hagerstown 0.
Local.News1.org Finishers
Boys
100 Freestyle: 10. Amir Tasker (Chbg) 45.59
200 Freestyle: 3. Amir Tasker (Chbg) 1:37.55, 10. Alex Kaczmark (Chbg) 1:39.55
500 Freestyle: 9. Amir Tasker (Chbg) 4:30.36, 11. Cullen McGraw (Chbg) 4:33.58, 14. Alex Kaczmark (Chbg) 4:35.32, 16. Ethan White (Chbg) 4:36.65
1,000 Freestyle: 3. Cullen McGraw (Chbg) 9:12.66, 28. Ethan White (Chbg) 9:41.74
1,650 Freestyle: 2. Cullen McGraw (Chbg) 15:35.29, 32. Ethan White (Chbg) 16:28.72
100 Backstroke: 28. Cristian Pong (Chbg) 51.46, 59. Oscar Wu (Hag) 52.61, 82. Luke Ritchie (Chbg) 53.74
200 Backstroke: 3. Amir Tasker (Chbg) 1:46.17, 53. Oscar Wu (Hag) 1:55.90
100 Butterfly: 14. Cristian Pong (Chbg) 49.41, 15. Alex Kaczmark (Chbg) 49.52
200 Butterfly: 6. Cristian Pong (Chbg) 1:51.05, 9. Alex Kaczmark (Chbg) 1:50.64
200 IM: 35. Cristian Pong (Chbg) 1:54.97
400 IM: 13. Cullen McGraw (Chbg) 4:03.03, 28. Ethan White (Chbg) 4:07.82
200 Freestyle Relay: 12. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Amir Tasker, Cristian Pong, Alex Kaczmark, Ethan White) 1:24.14
400 Freestyle Relay: 12. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Amir Tasker, Ethan White, Cristian Pong, Alex Kaczmark) 3:06.46
800 Freestyle Relay: 6. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Amir Tasker, Cullen McGraw, Alex Kaczmark, Ethan White) 6:44.06
200 Medley Relay: 11. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Amir Tasker, Ethan White, Cristian Pong, Alex Kaczmark) 1:33.17
400 Medley Relay: 17. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Amir Tasker, Ethan White, Cristian Pong, Alex Kaczmark) 3:25.99
Girls
50 Freestyle: 96. Elizabeth Young (Chbg) 24.84, 137. Ruth Phillips (Way) 25.43
100 Freestyle: 60. Elizabeth Young (Chbg) 53.29
200 Freestyle: 50. Elizabeth Young (Chbg) 1:55.13
1,000 Freestyle: 26. Mady Barker (Way) 10:34.16, 39. Alyssa Detwiler (Chbg) 10:43.63
1,650 Freestyle: 28. Mady Barker (Way) 17:56.31
100 Backstroke: 41. Mady Barker (Way) 57.95, 74. Calla Hoffman (Chbg) 59.36
200 Backstroke: 31. Calla Hoffman (Chbg) 2:08.13, 47. Mady Barker (Way) 2:06.67
100 Breaststroke: 51. Alyssa Detwiler (Chbg) 1:07.34, 56. Ellery Hayes (Chbg) 1:07.56
200 Breaststroke: 19. Ellery Hayes (Chbg) 2:21.62, 21. Alyssa Detwiler (Chbg) 2:22.58
100 Butterfly: 75. Penny Richardson (Chbg) 59.37
400 IM: 26. Alyssa Detwiler (Chbg) 4:30.63, 30. Ellery Hayes (Chbg) 4:35.12
200 Freestyle Relay: 40. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Elizabeth Young, Penny Richardson, Alyssa Detwiler, Calla Hoffman) 1:41.06
200 Medley Relay: 44. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Calla Hoffman, Ellery Hayes, Penny Richardson, Elizabeth Young) 1:50.62
400 Medley Relay: 35. Chambersburg Memorial YMCA (Calla Hoffman, Ellery Hayes, Penny Richardson, Elizabeth Young) 4:01.07
YMCA National Short Course Nationals Time Trials
Monday-Friday, March 30-April 3, in Greensboro, N.C.
Local.News1.org Finishers
Boys
50 Freestyle: 24. Oscar Wu (Hag) 22.35
100 Freestyle: 63. Luke Ritchie (Chbg) 50.27
200 Freestyle: 71. Oscar Wu (Hag) 1:52.53
200 Backstroke: 12. Luke Ritchie (Chbg) 1:59.11
100 Butterfly: 19. Oscar Wu (Hag) 53.24
Girls
50 Freestyle: 8. Mady Barker (Way) 25.21
100 Freestyle: 67. Ruth Phillips (Way) 56.47
200 Freestyle: 26. Penny Richardson (Chbg) 2:01.24
500 Freestyle: 15. Penny Richardson (Chbg) 5:38.13
100 Backstroke: 55. Penny Richardson (Chbg) 1:03.64
100 Buttefly: 8. Calla Hoffman (Chbg) 59.83, 41. Elizabeth Young (Chbg) 1:00.84
200 Butterfly: 3. Penny Richardson (Chbg) 2:13.86
200 IM: 6. Alyssa Detwiler (Chbg) 2:11.02, 11. Alyssa Detwiler (Chbg) 2:12.15, 53. Calla Hoffman (Chbg) 2:20.76
