Conestoga boys, girls swim teams improve to 7-0

The Conestoga boys’ and girls’ swimming teams each remained undefeated (7-0) after victories against Garnet Valley Jan. 15.

The Pioneers relied on depth for the girls 101-85 win, and the Conestoga boys won 117-66.

In the girls meet, the Pioneers’ 200 medley relay squad of Sophia Poeta, Adriane Bertolotti, Allison Yuan and Louise Hay clocked a district qualifying time of 2:05.07 (all times in short course meters) to start the meet with a first place finish and new Garnet Valley pool record (breaking their own record from 2017). 

In the 200 free, Conestoga’s Nia Goddard, Ava Collin and Delany Burns, placed second, fourth and fifth, respectively. In the 200 IM Stoga senior Alex Marlow and freshman Maisy Montgomery touched the wall with first and second place finishes.

In the 50 free, Conestoga’s Caroline Famous, Julie McFadden and Kallie Whitaker placed second, fourth and fifth respectively. Stoga divers delivered a one-two punch half-way through the meet with sophomore Phoebe Hutton and junior Jamie Semmer taking first and second.

Depth was the story in the 100 meter butterfly with Stoga’s Allison Yuan, Delany Burns and Maisy Montgomery placing second, third and fourth.

In the 100 free, Conestoga maintained its point advantage with Sophia Poeta, Caroline Famous and Louise Hay taking second, fourth and fifth.

Senior Nia Goddard followed with a first-place finish in the 400 meter freestyle.

Stoga’s depth was again apparent in the 200 free relay with the Stoga squad of Sophia Poeta, Julie McFadden, Louise Hay and Caroline Famous placing second by four-tenths of a second behind Garnet Valley, and the team of Delaney Burns, Joyce Fung, Maisy Montgomery and Allison Yuan taking third.

Sophia Poeta, Kallie Whitaker and Lucy Wydeven took first, third and fourth in the 100 backstroke and Alex Marlow, Katherine Abele and freshman Adrian Bertolotti placed first, second and fourth in the 100 breaststroke.

The Conestoga girls will face the undefeated Lower Merion girls Jan. 25 at the Upper Main Line YMCA.

In the Conestoga boys 117-66 win over Garnet Valley, 200 medley relay winners Brendan Burns, Aidan McKenrick, Gary Wang and Jack Huges recorded a district qualifying time of 1:52.75. Burns, Thomas Hoone and Luke Nagal followed with a sweep of the 200 meter freestyle.  

Stoga’s freshman stepped up next with Raymond Welgosh and Gary Wang taking first and second in the 200 IM.

Stoga again had 1-2-3 finishes by Aidan McKenrick, Jack Hughes and Spencer Rosato in the boys 50 free.  Divers Rupert Hutton and Patrick Hoey delivered first- and second-place finishes for Stoga.

In the 400 meter freestyle, Miles Whitaker and Thomas Noone delivered what proved to be one of the more exciting races of the day with first- and second-place finishes with times of 4:19.75 and 4:19.96, respectively.

The Stoga boys went on to place 1-2 in the 100 back, with Brendan Burns and Jack Hughes, and 1-2-3 in the 100 breast, with Raymond Welgosh, Aaron Li and Matthew Pawlow.