All-Delco Swimming: Successful return for Note Dame’s Kolessar
In addition to Swimmers of the Year Mia Abruzzo of Notre Dame and Ivan Puskovitch of Episcopal Academy, the rest of the All-Delco team includes:
Madison Kolessar, Notre Dame: The junior earns her second All-Delco nod, making it as a freshman at Garnet Valley before skipping her sophomore scholastic season. Kolessar’s transfer to Notre Dame made the Irish a power. She finished with the top time in the county in the 500 free at 4:51.37, an automatic All-American time. She was also quickest in the 200 free in 1:50.58, an All-American consideration cut and just shy of her Delco record as a freshman. Kolessar won the 500 at Easterns and took second in the 200 free. She helped Notre Dame finish second in the 400 free relay and fifth in the medley, capturing fifth place as a team. At the Inter-Ac Championships, Kolessar was second in the 200 individual medley and won the 500. Kolessar has committed to the University of Florida.
Noelle DiClemente, Garnet Valley: The senior sprinter is on the first team for the second straight season. She was quickest in the 50 at 23.52 seconds, an All-American consideration time, and second in the 100 free at 51.69. DiClemente finished fifth in the 50 free at states and seventh in the 100 while leading the Jags to a pair of relay B finals. The 200 free relay took home 13th place (with DiClemente anchoring in 23.47 in finals) and the 400 free was sixth thanks to DiClemente’s blistering anchor split of 50.69. DiClemente added a third-place finish in the 50 at districts and a pair of relay medals. She’ll further her career at Washington University in St. Louis.
Catherine Weaverling, Garnet Valley: The sophomore makers her All-Delco debut as the county’s premier fly/back specialist. Weaverling was fastest in Delco in the 100 back in 56.33 and second to Abruzzo in fly with a best time of 55.34, worthy of All-American consideration. She also had a top-five IM time, and the split of 51.51 she posted in the 100 free at states would’ve been in the top five had it been a flat start. Weaverling finished second in districts and fourth in states in the 100 fly. She went from seventh at districts to winning the B final of the 100 back at states for ninth. Weaverling was also on both of the Garnet Valley relays that reached the finals at states.
Maddie Aguirre, Agnes Irwin: The senior garners her second consecutive All-Delco nod before heading to Wisconsin’s blue-chip program. She was second in the county in the 500 to Madison Kolessar (4:55.18) and fourth in the IM (2:03.72), both All-American consideration times. She added the sixth-fastest time in the 100 free. Aguirre finished fifth in the IM at Easterns and second in the 500 while helping the Owls to a pair of top-10 relay finishes and 10th in the team standings. Aguirre was third in the IM and second in the 500 at Inter-Acs.
Ashley Kolessar, Notre Dame: The freshman joined her sister in helping propel the Irish to new heights. Kolessar came within a tenth of a second of the Delco record in the 100 breaststroke at 1:04.06, more than three seconds quicker than the county runner-up. She was second to Abruzzo in the 200 IM in 2:00.46, an automatic All-American time. Kolessar was second at Easterns in the IM and third in breaststroke. She anchored the Irish’s medley relay to fifth place and led off in 51.88 seconds (the third-fastest 100 free time) to help the 400 free relay finish second. At Inter-Acs, Kolessar was second in the 100 breast and fourth in the 200 free, a time that stood as the ninth-fastest in the county.
Alexandra Pastris, Marple Newtown: The freshman garnered a states medal in her first year of varsity competition. Pastris finished fifth at the District 1 championships with a score of 431.95 points. Under the tougher eyes of states judges, she scored 407.95, earning eighth place and the final spot on the podium. Her score of 477.35 won the Central League title and downed the six-year-old Delco record set by Haverford’s Alli Butera (467.85). Pastris’ top six-dive score was 271.40 in a dual meet with Upper Darby. She is the first Marple Newtown girls swimming and diving All-Delco since Dana DePaul in 2007.
READ: Swimming & Diving: The All-Delco Teams
Brian Brennan, Haverford School: The junior sprinter makes it three All-Delco nods in three seasons. He was the preeminent sprinter this year, topping the county in the 50 (20.15 seconds) and 100 free (45.10). The times are good for automatic and consideration All-American cuts, respectively. Brennan grabbed a silver medal in the 50 at Easterns and bronze in the 100. He anchored the sixth-place 400 free relay with a sizzling 44.28 split, helping the Fords overcome a disqualification in the 200 free relay to still gain enough points to nab the sixth-place cup. Brennan did the sprint double at Inter-Acs and anchored the medley relay to gold. Brennan has committed to the University of Virginia.
Alex Boeckx, Ridley: The junior was one of the revelations of the PIAA championships, becoming the first Ridley male swimming medalist and first Ridley boys swimming All-Delco. He went from the 27th seed in the 200 IM and 15th in the 100 breast into a pair of A finals. Boeckx finished seventh in the IM, his time of 1:51.44 second-fastest in Delco and worth All-American consideration. In breaststroke, he was sixth after prelims but bumped up to third in 56.30. It’s the third-fastest time in Delco and an All-American consideration cut. Boeckx posted top-10 times in Delco in the 100 fly, 100 back, 50 free and 200 free.
Sam Wesley, Episcopal Academy: The junior takes his bow on the All-Delco team by finishing first in the county in a pair of events. He was the quickest of a sluggish middle-distance field, though his time of 1:38.62 in the 200 free flirted with the Delco record and was an All-American consideration time. He earned an AAC cut in the 100 back at 49.82 and was also sixth-fastest in the 100 free. Wesley earned a bronze medal in the 200 free at Easterns and took fourth in the 100 back. He switched to breaststroke to help the Churchmen set the Delco record and nab second place at Easterns in the medley relay, and provided a 45.38-second anchor in the 400 free. Wesley helped the Churchmen finish second in the boys competition at Easterns and clinch the inaugural combined cup.
Cole Whitsett, Episcopal Academy: Whitsett bucks trends as a rare fly and breaststroke specialist. He was quickest in Delco in the 100 fly (in an All-American consideration cut of 49.87), third-fastest in the 100 free (45.95) and fourth among a historically deep 100-breast field (56.34, also an AAC cut). Whitsett finished seventh in fly and second to Antonio Octaviano in breast at Easterns. He swam fly on the medley relay that took second at Easterns in an All-American and Delco-record 1:32.09 and led off EA’s fifth-place 400 free relay on the way to second in the boys competition. Whitsett won the fly and breast races at Inter-Acs. The two-time All-Delco has committed to the University of Tennessee.
Antonio Octaviano, Haverford School: The junior earns his second All-Delco nod, setting the top time in Delco in the 100 breast in 54.85, an All-American time (and quickest among four All-American B cuts in Delco). Octaviano was also second fastest in the 100 fly at 50.36 seconds. Octaviano was the Easterns champ in the 100 breast, pulling away from Whitsett to avenge a loss in the Inter-Ac Championships to take gold. He finished ninth in the 100 fly and was part of Haverford School’s sixth-place medley relay. Octaviano was second to Whitsett twice at Inter-Acs, where he won gold on the medley relay.
Pat Cullen, Radnor: The senior sprinter lands on the All-Delco squad for a second time. He was second to Brennan in both sprint events, though his time of 20.58 in the 50 was still an automatic All-American time. He was second in the 100 free with a time of 45.84. Cullen returned from states with a pair of medals and four finals swim. He took sixth in the 50 free and was 13th in the 100. He led off the 200 free relay at states to get Radnor fourth place and did the same to pilot the 400 free relay to ninth. Cullen captured the District 1 title in the 50, helping the Raiders’ 200 free relay to a runner-up result. Cullen is bound for Boston College.
