All-Delco swimming: Giannella, Seiberlich leave lasting legacies

In addition to swimmers of the year Alex Boratto and Alex Sumner, the rest of the All-Delco team includes:

Greg Giannella, Radnor: The senior two-time All-Delco distinguished himself as the class of a deep sprinting corps. Giannella finished fifth at the PIAA Class 3A Championships in the 50 freestyle (20.66 seconds) and 100 freestyle (45.63). The 50 free time is an All-American cut, while the 100 free earns consideration. He helped Radnor finish sixth in the 200 free relay, seventh in the 400 free relay and eighth in team scoring. Giannella saved his best swims for relays, splitting 19.91 at the District One Championships and 19.68 at states in the 200 free. Giannella doubled up on districts gold in the 50 free in 21.01 and 100 free in 45.67. Giannella will continue his career at Lehigh.

Ivan Puskovitch, Episcopal Academy: The sophomore two-time All-Delco’s talents aren’t limited to the pool, as he’s among the nation’s premier open-water swimmers in his age group. He’s not bad in the walled confines either. Puskovitch scared Brendan Hansen’s country record in the 200 individual medley at the Eastern Interscholastic Championships, finishing third in 1:50.73 to skim within six tenths of the long-standing mark. Puskovitch claimed bronze in the 500 free in 4:30.52, just over a second outside the county record. Both times are All-American consideration cuts. Puskovitch won both events at the Inter-Ac Championships. In addition to Delco’s fastest time in both postseason events, Puskovitch’s midseason 200 free time of 1:44.64 was third in the county.

Brian Brennan, Haverford School: The freshman landed behind Puksovitch at Easterns, but both times were still monumentally fast. Brennan was nipped by Puskovitch in the 200 IM, settling for fourth in 1:50.83, an All-American consideration cut. Brennan struggled in his finals swim in the 500, slumping to eighth, more than three seconds slower than the 4:35.84 he set in the morning. Brennan led off the 200 free relay that finished third, setting a Delco record in 1:24.97 to upend Strath Haven’s 2006 mark. Brennan split 21.30 off the front; he was quicker in the morning at 21.07, second only to Giannella in Delco. Brennan also led off the Delco-record-setting 400 free relay in 46.35 en route to third place at Easterns. Brennan’s times stand in the top six in Delco in six events.

John Nelligan, Haverford School: The junior was a vital relay cog, taking part in the Delco-record-setting 200 and 400 free relays. Nelligan split 46.41 seconds on the third leg of the 400 free relay finals squad and 20.85 anchoring the 200 free relay in finals, both of which earned bronze medals. Individually, Nelligan finished eighth in the 200 IM in 1:55.28 and seventh in the 100 free in 46.61, vital A final points as the Fords finished third as a team. Nelligan was third in both events at the Inter-Ac Championships.

READ: Full list of All-Delco honorees

Charlie Ryan, Haverford School: The senior heads off to Michigan State with his third All-Delco nod. The overlap in his and Boratto’s specialties allowed coach Sean Hansen freedom to mix and match at Easterns on the way to the third-place finish. Ryan claimed fifth in the 100 butterfly, his time of 50.62 seconds the quickest in the county and worthy of All-American consideration. Ryan took fourth in the 100 backstroke in 50.64, an event Boratto won. Ryan handled the fly leg on the medley relay that set a Delco mark and tied for second at Easterns. He split 45.99 seconds on the 400 free relay. Ryan also posted top-six times in the county in the 200 free and 100 free.

Will Canny, Haverford: The senior ended his career with a states trip among a slew of accomplishments. He edged teammate Steve Szathmary to win the Central League title with an 11-dive score of 450.65 points. He tallied 470.20 to take fifth at the District 1 Class 3A meet. Canny finished 22nd at states. He notched the second-highest six-dive score of the season at 270.45.

Emma Seiberlich, Episcopal Academy: The Daily Times Girls Swimmer of the Year as a freshman, Seiberlich matriculates to the University of Virginia’s distinguished program as a four-time All-Delco. In her final campaign, she reclaimed the county mark in the 100 free, winning gold at Easterns in 50.66 seconds and downing Claire Walsh’s record from 2016 (50.76). The time is an All-American consideration. Seiberlich won the 100 fly at Easterns in 54.65, an automatic All-American time. She was quick enough in December in the 200 free (1:50.59) to earn All-American consideration. Seiberlich swam fly in the 200 medley relay that won gold at Easterns as the team won its first ever team crown. Seiberlich won the 200 free (in an EA pool record 1:51.22) at Inter-Acs and broke five minutes in the 500 free (4:59.49).

Hadley DeBruyn, Episcopal Academy: The freshman uncorked the lynchpin swim for EA’s Easterns championship hopes by winning the 500 free in 4:50.81. That time demolished the Delco record set in 1977 by Olympian Brenda Borgh (4:52.63), which had been the oldest surviving record by more than 35 years. It’s also an auto All-American time. DeBruyn added a silver medal in the 200 IM in 2:03.85, an All-American consideration cut second only to Sumner. DeBruyn led off the Churchwomen’s third-place 200 free relay in 24.41 seconds and anchored the runner-up 400 free relay in 51.73. A versatile swimmer, DeBruyn added an Inter-Ac title in the 100 breaststroke.

READ: 2016-17 Delco Top Times

Madison Kolessar, Garnet Valley: The freshman made an instant impact, etching her name into the history books by taking down the county record in the 200 free. Kolessar’s time of 1:49.62 undercut Seiberlich’s mark of 1:49.71 from last year; the record had been held by Borgh since 1977 (1:51.47). Kolessar earned a silver medal at states in the 200 free and fourth in the 500 (4:55.56). Both are All-American consideration times. Kolessar took fourth in the 200 free and third in the 500 at districts. She showed her versatility at Centrals by winning the 200 IM (in a meet record 2:06.11) and finished third in the 100 back in 58.33 while leading the Jags to victory in the 200 free relay.

Gab Rudy, Ridley: The senior leaves Ridley as the fastest breaststroker in Delco history, taking ninth place at states in 1:03.95. That swim downed Sarah Baturka’s record from 2016 (1:04.72) by a sizeable margin. The swim is an All-American consideration cut. Rudy finished 16th in the 200 IM at states in 2:06.50. She captured ninth at districts in the 200 IM and sixth in the 100 breast, as well as fifth in the 100 fly at Centrals. Rudy, who’ll swim at Drexel, is a two-time honoree, having made the first team as a freshman in 2014, followed by consecutive second-team nods.

Summer Martin, Strath Haven: Like Rudy, the senior Martin earns a second All-Delco nod (the other one coming as a sophomore) to augment two second-team selections. Martin edged a crowded contingent of 100-free specialists by medaling at states in eighth in 51.72 seconds. Martin struggled in her other states swim, finishing 23rd in the 200 free, but rebounded in extraordinary fashion in the 100. Martin claimed sixth at districts in the 200 in 1:52.67 and fifth in the 100. She finished fourth in the 100 fly at Centrals and second in the 100 free, helping Haven to two relay silvers. Martin will swim at Dartmouth.

Wren Sablich, Episcopal Academy: The junior’s many accomplishments include a Delaware County record, scoring 298.90 in the dual meet with Germantown Academy in December to displace the county record set by Ridley’s Erin Sauders in 2006 (284.00). Sablich won the Inter-Ac title with 278.15 points, then claimed the silver medal at Easterns at 407.70.