North Penn boys, girls make midseason statements with wins over Upper Dublin
UPPER DUBLIN — A meet dripping with intensity, North Penn’s annual battle with Upper Dublin is one that packs the stands and inspires those competing.
Brett Else’s 100-yard freestyle pretty much summed up the type of determination that the Knights and Maidens brought to the Cardinals’ natatorium on Thursday evening.
“On that third lap, I was breathing to my right, and I was watching him, and I was chasing him down,’ Else said of Upper Dublin’s Wyatt Amdor. “He was that close to me, and I said to myself ‘ I can do this.’ I hit that (final) wall and then I just saw coach (Jeff) Faikish and he got me going. I just went to the wall as fast as I could.’
A strong turn off the final wall propelled Else into the lead for good, as the senior took the event by three hundredths of a second. It was Else’s second individual win of the night, and a big part of a North Penn sweep as the Knights took home a 103-78 victory over the Cardinals and the Maidens also stayed unbeaten, winning 111-70 over UD.
“This meet is always huge for us,’ Else said. “We always work for it. From the beginning of the season, it’s always the Upper Dublin meet — that’s our first goal. It’s always great competition. We love this meet.’
Else also won the 200 free and anchored the 200 freestyle relay to victory. In addition, the Knights’ Aaron Jordan raced to a first-place finish in the 100 fly while Mike Kern was the 500 freestyle winner, in 4:46.98.
Thanas Kountroubis was all by himself in the 200 IM, winning the event by almost four seconds, and that merely set up his 100 breaststroke, which he swam as an exhibition but broke the pool record.
It was a meet filled with several close races, but North Penn prevailed in most.
“They have phenomenal swimmers across the board,’ Faikish said of the Cardinals. “It was a game of matchups today, and today the matchups went in our favor.’
Kailyn Evans was a double winner for the Maidens, starting her day with a 1:55.01 in the 200 free.
“That got me so excited,’ she said. “I was so ready for the rest of the meet. That set it up.’
Megan Zartman (200 IM/500 free) and Olivia DiStefano (50 free/100 back) also won two events for NP, which got a victory up on the board from Marie Yacopino.
“These girls just have a competitive and spirited nature to them — I don’t know where it comes from,’ coach Matt Weiser said. “They had in their minds all week that they were gonna come here and take care of business.’
