Silver medal for Methacton’s Sykes, Spring-Ford’s Cubbler seventh
LEWISBURG >> Following the District One Class AAA Championships, Methacton’s Emily Sykes felt she had plenty left to give.
She left it all in the Kinney Natatorium pool on Thursday evening.
“I wanted to put something on the table that I didn’t put on the table at districts,” the junior said.
Sykes surged to a silver medal in the Class AAA 100-yard breaststroke, her time of 1 minute, 2.73 seconds so impressive that it was less than a quarter second off the National Federation’s Honor Roll (1:02.40).
“It’s a big step up,” said Sykes, who battled her way into the Championship Final for the first time after coming close as a freshman and sophomore. “I went to Junior Nationals this winter and that event, that atmosphere, taught me how to race the 100 breaststroke, to really get out after it.”
Sykes raced past Avon Grove’s Rabea Pfaff (1:02.79) for the silver, in a tough field that included Phoenixville’s Maddie Cooke (6th, 1:03.39).
It took a tremendous effort by another Avon Grove swimmer — Swimmer of the Meet, Olivia Paoletti (1:01.43) — to keep Sykes from getting the gold.
The junior is headed to Long Course Sectionals at the end of March.
“It’s so cool, doing 200 IM and 100 breast my junior year, it’s given me the opportunity to maybe do them again senior year or maybe mix it up,” she said.
Earlier in the evening, another Pioneer Athletic Conference standout, Spring-Ford’s Rebecca Cubbler, found her way to the medal stand in the 500 freestyle, going 5:02.50 to earn seventh, shattering her previous best time.
“It’s awesome. I totally wasn’t expecting it at all,” said Cubbler, who went into prelims seeded 19th.
The Ram product will swim at Bloomsburg University next year.
“It’s a great race for my senior year,” she said, “last race of my high school career. I just had a blast this season.”
Also out of the PAC, Methacton’s Gil Price made it back for the night swims, placing eighth in the 100 free consolation race and 16th overall with a time of 47.82, and Boyertown’s Cara Megill was sixth in the consolation race and 14th overall in the 500 free (5:07.42).
Methacton’s Austin D’Angelo was 21st in the 100 breast and the Warriors’ Sarah Lebold was 23rd in the 500 free.
The Methacton girls 400 free relay team was DQ’d in the morning swims.
