Pennridge races to highest ever finish at states

LEWISBURG >> It was the perfect climax to a meet, a season, and for Brittany Weiss and Hannah Zurmuhl, a tremendous four years at Pennridge.

“That was the highlight of my high school career,” Weiss said after she and her teammates won gold in the 400-yard free relay Thursday night at the PIAA Swim Championships at Bucknell University, “winning that relay at the end there, last high school swim. That was just the topper. It was amazing.”
Zurmuhl led off the Rams’ winning 400 free, followed by speedy sophomore Anna Beno, Weiss, and then it was all anchored home by sophomore standout Morgan Scott.
Pennridge, surpassing its bronze-medal finish of a year ago, sprinted to a winning time of 3 minutes, 23.88 seconds, the best in a talented field that included eventual state champion North Penn (3:26.39) and Mount Lebanon (3:26.84), along with North Allegheny (3:29.09), Avon Grove (3:29.56), West Chester Henderson (3:30.74), Hershey (3:31.98) and Manheim Township (3:32.08).
The Rams, burning nearly six seconds off their seed time, pushed their point total to 169 points, pushing past Mount Lebanon (146) to earn Pennridge Class AAA Runner-Up Honors and its highest ever finish at states.
“A lot of hard work,” Weiss said with a smile, “and it definitely payed off at the end.”
Weiss was a fixture at the medal stand, having earned her second gold of the day. Earlier Thursday evening, the senior raced to first place in the 100 backstroke with an impressive time of 53.27, not far off the state record of 53.08.
“I was kind of shocked with my time,” said Weiss, who, as a junior, was second in the fly and sixth in the breast.
The Rams got Thursday started with Scott earning silver in the 100 free, adding to the gold she captured the day before in the 200 free.
Zurmuhl is headed to Penn State next year while Weiss takes her versatility to Liberty University. Together, they helped shape Pennridge into a state power.
The foursome of Zurmuhl, Beno, Weiss and Morgan exploded into states on Wednesday by breaking the 200 free relay record, their time of 1:32.91 replacing the previous mark of 1:33,48, set by Hershey in 2013.
They finished off both days at states — and in the case of Zurmuhl and Weiss, their high school careers — by winning state gold.
Said Scott of the seniors: “I’m so happy we could win and break the (200 free) record because of the seniors. I want their name to be up there.”