Abrahams lives up to top billing with 100 breast title at Districts

PHILADELPHIA — Being the top seed in a meet like the District 1 Championships isn’t something David Abrahams has a ton of experience with. Being in the top spot by almost three seconds? Yeah, that’s definitely new.

But with the coveted third lane in the final heat of the 100 breaststroke Sunday afternoon at La Salle University’s Kirk Natatorium, Abrahams let the pressure bring out the best in him.

The Haverford senior claimed a district title with ease, besting the field by nearly two seconds to clock in at 56.11 seconds.

“Throughout the years, I’ve never really had that opportunity to be at that top position, so it was a new experience for me,” Abrahams said. “It was a little bit of pressure but I think it wasn’t enough to overwhelm me and I think it propelled me a little bit.”

Abrahams didn’t quite match his seed time of 55.76 seconds from the Central League meet two weeks ago, but he was 1.68 seconds quicker than Upper Perkiomen’s Kyle Kovalenko to nab the district’s lone automatic states berth.

Kovalenko and about a dozen others will get to states as time qualifiers, the PIAA taking the 24 fastest swimmers in each event regardless of district placement, beyond champions in eight district meets. Among those going will be Ridley’s Alex Boeckx, who took fourth in 58.01. With Boeckx as the second seed occupying lane four, Abrahams had a familiar foe nearby.

“It makes it a personal race,” Abrahams said. “It was great to have people around me that I knew. I wouldn’t say I study them, but I know them a little better than just some random other District 1 swimmer. Definitely fun to have some Central League representation with me.”

Boeckx is 22nd in the state’s performance lists in the 200 IM, looking likely to swim two individual events at states. Also likely states-bound is Garnet Valley’s Aidan Zipf, who tied Neshaminy’s Alexander McClurkin for 11th place in 58.93. Based on performance sheets posted by the PIAA, that time is tied for 21st in the state. McClurkin owns the tiebreaker with a faster seed time by 0.13 seconds, as the two swam the same time in adjacent lanes in the fifth heat of seven.

Abrahams has been working through his technique to eke out fractions of a second from the 100 breast. Despite the fast swim at Centrals, he felt he was overworking his arms, which produces the effect of wasted energy – breaststrokers call it “spinning.” With stronger legs near the end of a taper aimed at states, he homing in on the optimal stroke rate to get the most out of his power.

Sunday, that didn’t include tipping Brendan Hansen’s 19-year-old district record in the event, the Haverford legend clocking in at 55.28. It was in Abrahams’ sights, but he didn’t quite get there.

Abrahams’ gold capped a strong showing from the Fords. He joined Zach Given, Jackson Graham and Jon Meyer to take fourth in the 200 medley relay Saturday, which earns a states at-large. Abrahams will swim the 200 individual medley at states, his time of 1:55.57 Saturday good for ninth at districts. By finishing ninth in the 100 butterfly, Graham stands to (unofficially) earn the 23rd at-large. Given finished 12th in the 100 backstroke Sunday, but the time appears short of states inclusion.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “Going into this meet, we really hit every expectation we wanted. We broke the school record in our 200 medley. I was within .1 of my fastest in the IM and I was not quite where I wanted to be for the breaststroke but faster than where I was last year at states. It means a lot, especially being with the guys that I’m with, and we train every day. It’s really tight connections. So just doing it for them and being with them, it’s a great time.”

• • •

Patrick Cullen isn’t new to high expectations. But entering the 100 freestyle Sunday after winning the 50 free at Districts, that constitutes a new level for the Radnor senior sprinter.

“It’s really nerve-wracking, especially being the first event of the day,” Cullen said. “You’ve got to warm up and it’s a quick turnaround. You’ve got to be in your zone, ready to explode off the blocks, especially being 10 minutes into the meet. I try to do everything I can right when I get here to prepare myself for a really fast race to start off the meet.”

Cullen, who entered as the third seed, slipped one spot but turned in his fastest time of the season in 46.04 seconds.

Top seed Matthew Jensen of Upper Dublin sped away in 44.66. Second was North Penn’s Ryley Fein (45.65) with Cullen third in the final heat and fourth overall.

Cullen went quicker leading off the 400 free relay, his 45.84 helping Radnor finish fifth and nab a states spot with the team of Jack Undercofler, Wil Cosgrove and Nick Mlodzienski. A big reason for that speed boost: Swimming next to Conestoga, which led off with Brendan Burns. The winner of the 100 back and 100 fly, Burns set a sizzling pace off 44.79 for the Pioneers, who finished fourth in the event. Burns was a runaway choice for Most Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet.

“He totally brings out the best in me,” Cullen said of Burns. “It’s really nice to see a fellow Central League team next to us. We were all so excited to race them. It was a great time.”

Mlodzienski, who will swim at states after finishing fourth in the 100 fly, took 14th in the 100 free Sunday, which will likely miss the states cut.

Cosgrove took eighth in the 500 but is outside the top 24 at-larges in an uncharacteristically slow event for District 1. Cosgrove clocked in at 4:45.52. Eleventh in the event was Marple Newtown’s Matthew Gray (4:46.69), while Strath Haven’s Will Resweber (14th) and Garnet Valley’s James Greek (17th) will both miss out after swimming at states last year.

In addition to his four swims, Cullen will have company in little sister Casey. The freshman was sixth in the 100 fly to get a states swim. She finished 14th in the 500 Sunday, positioning her tentatively 22nd among at-larges.

“That would mean the world to me,” Patrick said. “She’s been huge this year, pushing me. We joke around all the time on deck. At meets, it’s awesome to have her right there, bringing a smile to my face.”

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