PIAA Swimming: Haverford’s Katya Eruslanova has fun in defending 200 IM gold

LEWISBURG – Katya Eruslanova prefers to keep it loose before a race, even one as big as the PIAA Class 3A championships.

Beyond the hair highlighted Haverford red and the H sticker tattooed under her eye, a little chit-chat behind the block is just fine with the junior. For the competitor in her, being familiar with her opposition, their race plans and tendencies, that is reassuring, too.

So Eruslanova found herself as one of four Central Leaguers in the final of the 200 individual medley Wednesday night, a little light banter before and a group photo after complemented a gold medal pretty well.

Eruslanova defended her state title with aplomb, swimming away from the field in 2:00.09. Her winning margin, over Hatboro-Horsham’s Kathy Jia, was more than a second.

“It’s super fun,” Eruslanova said. “I like talking to people before my races. … Mostly it was just fun.”

Four medals returned with Central Leaguers, led by Radnor’s Audrey Collins in fifth. Alexa Conner of Lower Merion was sixth with Conestoga’s Naomi Furman seventh. Collins was the only senior among the top seven. Eruslanova, Jia and third-place Sophie Shao of Fox Chapel medaled last year as sophomores.

Eruslanova didn’t focus on the task of repeating, but rather on the changes from last year. It’s a different venue (Bucknell University instead of York YMCA) and a different format (32 swimmers in trials and finals as opposed to 16 in timed finals). Plus there’s the company of additional Fords, qualifying the 200 free relay that finished 21st.

“What really helped was that all my teammates were here because we had the relay going this year,” Eruslanova said. “Last year, I was the only one up here. We have a relay, we have one of our guys (Kyle Given) here, and we have two coaches. So especially during that last 50 freestyle, I was breathing over and I could see them cheering.”

Ersulanova was out fifth over the first 50 in her least favorite stroke, butterfly. But her 29.47 split in backstroke pummeled the field, pulling away for good.

“On backstroke, I just really push for it,” she said. “I kind of always have been a backstroker. … the backstroke, I know I can turn it on then, and I basically just carry that speed throughout the rest of the race.”

Collins had an amazing first night of the meet. She coasted into finals in the 200 IM, her main focus and the event she qualified in as a sophomore, in the lane next to Eruslanova in prelims, then snuck into the final spot in the 100 fly.

With the medals secured in the morning, she went 2:03.29 in the IM at night, then summoned all the energy left to add a fifth in the 100 fly. Tired as she was, she kept her speed while others faded, bumping up three spots from prelims in 56.33 seconds.

“The turnaround was really tough,” Collins said. “That 100 fly hurt a lot. I’m really tired.”