Bonner & Prendie claim district crown, send 4 to states
Bonner & Prendergast’s boys swimming team earned a handful of berths to the PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships this weekend at La Salle University. A piece of team hardware is a bonus.
The Friars claimed the District 12 Class AA title, sending four swimmers to states in the process.
Bonner won the 200 medley relay via the team of Luke McDevitt, Thomas Lusch, Theodore Greiner and Arvin Sequeira, while also claiming the 200 freestyle relay’s automatic berth in the PIAA Class AA Championships.
Greiner booked a place in the 500 free with his time of 5 minutes, 40.92 seconds, while McDevitt was the only entrant in the 100 backstroke, earning the states trip in 1:02.53.
Bonner totaled 243 points, edging out Lansdale Catholic at 215. Third was Cardinal O’Hara with 185 points, buoyed by Daniel Bieter earning a district title and states berth in the 100 free. His time of 52.23 seconds was just three tenths ahead of LC’s Bryce U’Selis. Bieter was also second in the 200 free.
The Bonner & Prendergast girls took home third in District 12 Class AA, led by Claire McBlain’s two states berths. She won the 200 free in 2:05.69 and the 500 in 5:38.18, the latter in a 1-2 with teammate Jules Fanelli.
Tara McBlain was second in the 100 back, while Hannah Bierling was third in the 50 free. The McBlains, Fanelli and Nicole Schwindt helped Bonner take third in the 200 medley relay.
Archbishop Carroll was third in the girls Class AAA, with O’Hara fifth.
Carroll felt the sting of second on several occasions, starting with the medley relay of Julia Dellaratta, Victoria Patota, Zoie Octaviano and Katherine Hageney that finished there. Dellaratta was the runner-up in both the 100 butterfly and 100 free, while Patota took silver in the 200 individual medley to complement her third in the 100 breaststroke.
Carroll had a strong showing in the 100 breast, with Octaviano fourth (same placement as in the 50 free) and Kacey Berardinelli fifth (same as the 200 free).
Cardinal O’Hara’s Frances Schueren was sixth in both the 200 free and 100 breast. Kylie Swanick took fourth in the 100 free with Kathryn Yuknek fifth in the 50.
Archbishop Carroll finished sixth in in the boys Class AAA classification, well behind the hegemony of La Salle. Sincere Gibbs took home sixth place in the 100 butterfly in 53.99 seconds.
Carroll’s girls medley relay also finished fourth at the Catholic League Championships, held in the mornings Friday and Saturday before districts in the evenings. Dellaratta was second in the 200 IM, ahead of Claire McBlain on Friday, then Dellaratta turned around for fifth in the 50. Swanick took second in the 100 fly, while Gibbs was the high achiever among the boys at fifth in the 100 fly.
