Local swimmer takes 15th at YMCA nationals

By Brian Riley, Riptide Coach
PUTNAM — The Horse Capital of the World is probably the last place you’d expect to find an incredible Riptide, but that’s exactly what folks were presented with as Mary Kate Barnwell of the Hale YMCA Riptides took the podium following her 15th-place finish in the evening finals session of the 50m Butterfly at the YMCA Nationals Long Course Championship in Ocala, Fla. This is her third time at the Long Course Championships.
At the beginning of the five- day meet Barnwell was merely hoping to reach the Top 30 in one event, so she would have the opportunity to swim in the evening finals session. During the first three days of competition, although Mary Kate swam well, she didn’t make the Top 30. But she didn’t get discouraged and continued to work out.
Aug. 1 officially, ranked 71st in the 50m Butterfly Barnwell was slotted in the very first heat, while the fastest swimmers were positioned in the 7th heat. Despite her ranking, Mary Kate thought that if she swam her race, she’d have an outside shot at making finals. She swam her best time in the 50m Butterfly (:29.34), but Mary Kate had to wait for all the other heats to swim to find out where her time had placed her.
Not only did Barnwell crack the top 30, she and a swimmer from New Jersey were tied for 10th place. Even though she had been ranked at #71, Mary Kate had leap-frogged over 61 swimmers into a tie for10th place. Because there was a tie for 10th place there would have to be a swim off to determine which swimmer would take the 10th spot
Before the swim-off, both girls would compete in the 100m Backstroke.  Ironically, earlier in the day, the girls had received random lane assignments - next to one another. Mary Kate won the 100m Backstroke battle against the competitor from Scotch Plains, N.J. Later, in the swim-off, the race was neck and neck between the two butterfliers and Barnwell dropped one-tenth of a second finishing in a best time of (:29.24). The swimmer from the Garden State, however, swam the 50m Butterfly just a little faster, turning in a time of :29.12.
In the evening Finals session for the 50m Butterfly, Mary Kate finished in :29.36, good enough for 15th place and a trip to the podium. Ironically, the swimmer from New Jersey also finished with a time of :29.36.  Mary Kate and the swimmer from the Garden State had tied twice in one day. There wouldn’t be another swim-off, because the swimmers in the Championship Final are locked into the Top 10 places. After beginning the day ranked 71st, Barnwell was ecstatic that she was able to stand on the podium and receive her 15th Place ribbon AND she had tied with the 10th-place finisher — twice.
Aug 2, with a time of :28.04 in the Preliminaries of the 50m Freestyle, however, it was clear that If Barnwell was tired, she wasn’t showing it.  She earned her second evening Finals swim of the week. With a 28th-place finish in the evening finals session of the 50m Freestyle (:28.05), Mary Kate had logged her second finals, Top 30 swim of the YMCA Nationals Championships meet.
Barnwell had qualified in six (6) events, but the rules only permit swimmers to compete in five (5) individual events.  So, at YMCA LC Nationals, Mary Kate competed in: 100 Free; 100 Butterfly; 100 Backstroke; 50 Butterfly; and 50 Freestyle.  On an off day, Barnwell competed in the 200 Backstroke as a Time Trial. Though happy with her accomplishments - as a rising junior at Marianapolis Preparatory School, Mary Kate is hungry for more podium finishes at Nationals meets in the future.

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Mary Kate Barnwell of the Hale YMCA Riptides in the Nationals, swimming butterfly. Courtesy photo.