Kennedy, SwimMAC teammates win national title in 400 freestyle relay

Avon’s Madison Kennedy won her second national championship medal in the 400 freestyle relay Wednesday.

IRVING, Calif. – For the second time, Avon’s Madison Kennedy has won a gold medal at the U.S. national championship race in a freestyle relay.

Late Wednesday night at the end of day 1 of the 2014 U.S. national swimming championship meet, Kennedy and her teammates from SwimMAC Carolina won the 400 meter freestyle relay by 0.01 a second in a thrilling race.

SwimMAC Carolina won the national championship race in 3:44.31, just ahead of surging California Aquatics A in 3:44.32.

SwimMAC was second after the first leg swum by Kate Melli but the Charlotte, North Carolina club grabbed the lead for good on the second leg as Kennedy swam her 100 meter leg in 55.81 seconds – the fastest of the four SwimMAC swimmers. Kennedy has the second fastest 50 meter split in the entire relay field (26.44 seconds). Only teammate Melissa Gates was quicker – by 0.07 of a second.

Gates maintained the lead on the third leg and Nora McCullagh held off California’s Kaylin Berg to bring home the championship. There were 13 teams in the race. The SwimMAC Carolina men’s team also won the 400 freestyle relay.

It’s not the first national championship medal won by Kennedy.

In 2010, she swam for the California Aquatics and won the 400 freestyle relay with her team. In that year, Kennedy swam the leadoff leg in 56.10 seconds as California Aquatics beat Palo Alto Aquatics by 0.05 of a second to win the championship.

Kennedy resumes competition on Sunday. She is the top seed in the 50 meter freestyle event. On Sunday, qualifying races begin at noon, EST with the finals scheduled for 9 p.m.