Weaverling, DiClemente lead speedy Garnet Valley at Centrals

A year ago, the Garnet Valley sprint prowess might have caught some by surprise. But this year at the Central League championships, as the year-old records tumbled, there’s no doubt as to the strengths of the sprinters on the girls side.

The Jaguars won the three quickest individual events at Centrals, held Friday and Saturday at Radnor High School, and captured both freestyle relays.

Catherine Weaverling set pool and meet records in the 100 butterfly, winning in 55.34 seconds. Noelle DiClemente achieved the sprint double, taking Friday’s 50 free and Saturday’s 100 free. The 200 free relay squad of Weaverling, DiClemente, Alexa Hipp and Anastasia Erley outdueled Conestoga’s foursome in a meet/pool record of 1:37.01, with the Pioneers (1:37.89) also quicker than the Jags’ winning time from a year ago. The same quartet also won the 400 free relay in 3:34.24, again besting Conestoga.

Garnet’s Amy Townend was third in the 200 individual medley and 500 free, Weaverling claimed third in the 100 backstroke and Erley nabbed fifth in the 50.

Conestoga’s girls took their share of spoils, accumulating 518 points to grab the team title ahead of Garnet Valley (352) and Lower Merion (314). Alex Marlow won the 200 IM and 100 breast, the latter in a meet/pool record 1:04.94. Caroline Famous and Sophia Poeta went 1-2 in the 100 back after Poeta edged famous for second in the 50 free. And the squad of Famous, Marlow, Allison Yuan and Poeta set meet and pool records in winning the 200 medley relay in 1:47.44.

The other two individual wins came from Lower Merion’s Anna Kalandadze, who held onto her 500 free crown in 4:45.23, slower than the meet record she set two years ago. But she added the 200 free mark, blistering the field in 1:50.89. Second in both events was Strath Haven’s Sydney Bergstrom, and teammate Mia Yancey paired fourth in the 200 free with third in the 100 free.

Penncrest’s Julia Colizzo took second in the IM and fourth in the 100 back. Madison Dickert was third in the 100 breast for the Lions, and Claire Walsh medaled sixth in both sprints.

Haverford finished in the top four in all three relays. Grace Myers was second in the 100 free and third in the 200 free. Elsley Hazell was fourth in the 100 fly and 100 breast, a spot behind teammate Brooke Jamieson in the former.

Radnor freshmen Casey Cullen (second 100 fly, fourth 500) and Audrey Collins (fifth 200 IM, sixth 100 breast) each medaled twice.

The boys team competition was similarly lopsided in favor of Conestoga, manifested most concretely via Brendan Burns. The senior set records in winning the 200 free (1:37.36) and 100 back (48.30) and led the Pioneers’ 200 free and 400 free relays to meet-record victories. Conestoga won the team competition with 522 points. Radnor was second in 344, and Garnet Valley placed third with 226.

Radnor got sprint victories from Patrick Cullen in the 50 and 100 free. Wil Cosgrove was fourth in the 200 free and third in the 500, a spot ahead of brother Rhett. Nick Mlodzienski was third in the 100 fly and 100 free, and Jack Undercofler medaled in fifth in the 100 back and sixth in the 100 fly. The Raiders were second in both free relays.

Haverford won the 200 medley relay, the team of Zach Given, David Abrahams, Jackson Graham and Kieran Brennan clocking in at 1:37.40 and relegating Stoga to a rare second.

Abrahams would win the 100 breast comfortably in 56.78 seconds to augment his silver medal in the 200 IM. Graham was second in the 100 fly and fourth in the 100 free, and Given took fourth in the 100 breast.

Alex Boeckx of Ridley won the 200 IM in 1:55.29, getting the better of Abrahams, though the Haverford senior reciprocated by consigning Boeckx to second in the 100 breast. Ridley was third in both free relays.

Will Resweber of Strath Haven followed up a second-place finish to Burns in the 200 free by winning the 500 in 4:44.20. He edged past Matthew Gray, who led a strong showing by Marple. Gray was also fourth in the IM. Mike Hannig took second in the 100 back, Williams Thomas was fifth in the 100 breast and Tyler Smith grabbed sixth in the 50. Resweber’s teammate Andrew McLaughlin was fourth in the 50.

Christopher Snyder of Harriton won the 100 fly. Penncrest’s Steven Woolery was third in the 50 and 100 back, and Aidan Zipf medaled for Garnet Valley in the IM (fifth) and 100 breast (fourth).

At the District 12 Championships:

Claire McBlain of Bonner & Prendergast and Dan Bieter of Cardinal O’Hara booked two spots each at the PIAA Class 2A championships.

McBlain won the girls 200 IM in 2:20.33 and claimed the 500 free in 5:23.98.

Bieter was quickest in the 100 free in 48.31 seconds. In the 50, his time of 22.10 edged teammate Donovan Hunt for the automatic states berth. The O’Hara relay squad of Bieter, Hunt, Aidan Wilson and Ryan Cox missed a states nod by .04 seconds, finishing second to Lansdale Catholic.

Carroll’s girls 200 medley relay of Maggie Wilson, Kacey Marie Berardinelli, Julia Dellaratta and Victoria Patota also finished second. Dellaratta was second in the 100 fly, and teammate Schuyler Gock took silver in the 200 free. Berardinelli was third in the 100 breast and fifth in the 50 free.

Cardinal O’Hara’s Kylie Swanick finished third in the 100 back and fourth in the 100 fly, while Kathryn Yuknek took fourth in the 50 free.

On the boys side, Bonner & Prendergast’s Master Jones was third in the 100 breast.