Avon Grove’s Paoletti wins 2nd gold, named top swimmer at states
While green is the color of choice on St. Patrick’s Day, Avon Grove sophomore Olivia Paoletti looked resplendent bathed in gold.
Paoletti captured her second gold of the meet by winning the Girls Class AAA 100 yard breaststroke on the final day the PIAA Class AAA Swimming and Diving Championships at Kinney Natatorium on the campus of Bucknell University on Thursday.
Paoletti adds the gold to the one she won Wednesday in the 200 IM. She stopped the clock in 1:01.45, a little over a minute better than Methacton junior Emily Sykes in second. Avon Grove freshman Rabea Pfaff completed a fine meet with a third-place finish with a time of 1:02,79.
“(Having a teammate) was really nice because we were both really nervous and both really excited, so we just build off of each other,” said Paoletti. “I was super, super nervous.”
Paoletti was named Most Outstanding Swimmer of the meet after the double-gold performance.
“I’m extremely happy and extremely honored,” she said. “I had no idea, honestly. But it’s a really nice surprise.”
She has the perfect place where to display the plaque.
“Probably right in my living room over the fireplace,” she said.
Heather MacCausland of Downingtown East was fifth. Downingtown West’s Madi Grenoble won the B final in 1:04.18, more than a second off her time in the preliminaries.
“Before I got ready, I was just thinking about it,” said Grenoble. “I took a moment to just stop and listen to the crowd cheering, and it was so loud and it got me so pumped up to get up there and swim fast. I think I came in here seeded, so I added a little time in prelims. But I just wanted to do a best time and I did that.”
The finals kicked off with three area swimmers placing in the top eight in the 100 free. Conestoga sophomore Madison Ledwith finished sixth in 51.36. Ann Carozza of West Chester East was seventh in 51.40, while Abby Kosic of Henderson placed eighth in 51.79.
Oxford junior Morgan Curl garnered a third-place finish in the 500 free in 4:56.43. Anna Kalandaze of Lower Merion won the event and Frances Resweber was second.
“I could see her out of the corner of my eye, and I was trying really hard to catch up to her,” Curl said about trying to catch Resweber. “I put my head down for the last 100 and just hoped I would get here, and I looked at the clock and I didn’t. But I’m still happy.
“I’ve been super frustrated with my 500. In the beginning of the year, I wasn’t dropping time. I was adding time. So when I dropped time at districts, I was super happy. I don’t take it out as fast as I can, but I take it out strong and then I just build the last 250.”
Sophmore Clare McGovern was 12th for Avon Grove.
Emma Brinton touched home first in the B final for the Red Devils in the 100 backstroke with a time of 56.02, a half-second of Megan Koczur of West Chester Rustin. Unionville’s Maura Grimes finished 14th.
In the 400 free relay, Avon Grove finished fifth in 3:29.56, just ahead of Henderson in sixth. The Red Devils’ team consisted of Pfaff, Paoletti, Brinton and Serena Derderian. Erika Marlin, Rachel Hazard, Olivia Cotellese and Kosic swam for the Warriors.
The quartet of Megan Keithly, Grenoble, Siobhan McCarthy and Riley Rochon won the B final for Downingtown West in a time of 3:32.43. Unionville was third for an 11th-place finish overall.
In the final team scoring, North Penn won the team title with 243 points. Pennridge was second, Mt. Lebanon third and Avo Grove was fourth with 137 points. Other area teams in the top 20 were West Chester Henderson (ninth, 80), Downingtown West (12th, 72), Unionville (13th, 54.5) and Conestoga (19th, 35).
“It’s unbelievable,” Paoletti said on the growth of Avon Grove swimming. “It’s such an amazing experience to live this meet with all my friends and teammates and coaches. It feels great to help the team out with points and score better.”
Boni Trinter of Avon Grove finished 21st in diving.
The PIAA Class AA meet begins today with Villa Maria looking to repeat its team title.
Digital First Media’s Matthew De George contributed to this story.
