New coach helps York YMCA women repeat as national champs
Although the York YMCA women’s swim team was down a point heading into the final relay of last week’s YMCA Short Course Nationals Championships, first-year York coach John Nelson felt confident about the chances of repeating as champions.
And he had good reason, considering the four athletes swimming in that final 400-yard freestyle relay.
So when Marisa Gingerich, Leah Braswell, Marget Shelly and Courtney Harnish beat Greater Spartanburg by 1.45 seconds, the York YMCA repeated as women’s national champions.
“I was about as confident as I could be. Just because I had seen them race all week in relays,” said Nelson. “I knew they weren’t going to come that close and not make it happen.
“Everyone realized we’ve got this. When we have the option to win or lose, we are going to do the best we can. All four had lifetime bests to make it possible.”
It was Nelson's first title at the helm, taking over this season after he served as an assistant under for York's wildly successful coach Michael Brooks. But Nelson downplayed his part in it.
“I worked with Michael for four years. It really (helped) that the families knew me and I knew the level they were looking for,” Nelson said. “These families were invested and wanted to see us give it a run at the national level and they knew I also had that same desire.”
The coach was pleased to see the reward pan out for all the hard work involved, including the families that make huge sacrifices.
“It was a lot of joy, just for the kids and the work they put in. I am incredibly proud,” he said. “We didn’t win that meet on the night of that relay. We won that meet six months before when we were training for it.”
Nelson said there was a little pressure on defending the 2016 championship, but he made sure to minimize that before the competition. He admitted to being a little surprised at the repeat.
“The focus was really on personal bests and doing better individually than we had done in the past,” he said. “I really prepped the meet by discussing that the whole way in and not winning another title.”
Of course, it helps to have one of the top swimmers in Pennsylvania history in Harnish, who was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the nation and is headed to swim at the University of Georgia. Nelson referred to Harnish as, “the most humble, kind leader I have ever worked with.”
Harnish and teammate Leah Braswell started the meet in style for York by finishing first and second in the 1,000 freestyle.
A day later, the duo did the same in the 500 free. Harnish went on to add the 200 backstroke and 200 free to her championship list. This included setting a national record in the 200 free, swimming 0.34 seconds faster than former York teammate Megan Small.
Braswell won the national 1,650 free and was fourth in the 400 individual medley. The two also combined with Gingerich and Shelly to win the 800 free relay.
“(Gingerich) did not score individually the way she wanted to, but we wouldn’t have had a chance in any of our relays and thus a shot at the title, had she not swam out of her mind in those relays,” said Nelson. “She swam a best time on all of them.”
The York men’s team also competed, and Nelson credited Alec Peckmann and Ted Gunn for standing out at the meet, helping York place third overall in combined points.
It made for quite an ending to quite a first season at the helm.
“I knew I was working with a bunch of really special athletes,” the coach said. “It’s very motivating when I show up and every day 90 percent of the team is there 20 minutes early. That is very special to see.”