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New sensors driving relay teams crazy at PIAA swimming championships


The York Suburban girls 200 free relay would have been on the medal stand during Friday's third day of the PIAA swimming and diving championships. However the group was disqualified during its preliminary swim, just one of the many victims of a new technology.

One of the changes for states this season includes sensors on the block and touchpad, that registers if a relay swimmer leaves even a split-second before the one in the water touches the pad.

The system, designed to take the judgment call away from the officials, got five disqualifications during just the girls prelims on Wednesday – three in the medley and two more in the 200 free relay – as well as several victims during the AA boys, plus the AAA competition on Wednesday and Thursday.

A short while later the same fate happened to both the Trojan boys 200 medley and 200 free relay teams.