PIAA SWIMMING: North Penn girls capture second straight state 3A title
LEWISBURG >> For Caroline Dunigan, it was “the year of the 50,” and it was a year that — once again — belonged to North Penn.
“Two years in a row feels good,” Dunigan said, wearing a big smile and her fourth state medal of the weekend, as the Knights wrangled in their second straight PIAA-3A title. “And we lost a few girls from last year, who were key relay people, so it just feels good to make them proud.”
Dunigan helped North Penn rack up 243 points, overcoming second-place Upper Dublin and the rest of Class 3A, in an overwhelming performance at Bucknell University.
“It was a really exciting weekend. Our team, overall, did really well,” said Dunigan, a junior. “Our divers really scored a bunch of big points for us, which was awesome. We’re really proud of our divers and really lucky to have them.
“Everyone’s that been swimming has been placing better than they were projected. Our relays really came together and overall, I just really feel like we’re having a good time.”
It was North Penn’s third state title in four years.
Said coach Jeff Faikish: “They came together whenever the time called for it. No matter what adversity they faced throughout the season, they rose to the occasion every single time. It was a unique group of kids.”
The Knights provided the capper with a second-place finish in the 400 free relay, a foursome of Claudia Thamm, Nicole Chiappa, Parker Schulz and Kaelan Daly touching in 3:24.75.
Dunigan raced to fifth in the 100 free Saturday with a time of 51.18 seconds. That followed up a medal-filled Day One, a day in which she anchored home the silver-medal 200 medley relay and led off the silver-medal 400 free relay.
Her finest came in the 50 free, when she went 23.44 to place second.
“Because I didn’t swim the 50 last year, I was excited to swim it this year,” she said. “I hit a good stride and went after it and really focused on it. And it worked out really well in the end.
“Coming into the year, I had just been posting good times in it, better than last year. And I was really happy with that. So I was like ‘I guess this year is the year of the 50 for me.’”
Adding even more points to NP’s total, Dunigan added her fifth place in the 100 on Day Two.
“It felt way better than this morning,” she said. “I took a nap this afternoon and it just felt way better. I was ready to get up and go after it.”
North Penn’s combined effort was made stronger by Parker Schulz (11th in 100 free) and Maddie Fritz (15th in 100 breast).
And it all started with the diving, in which NP compiled a whopping 68 points.
Of the one-two-three-four finish by the Knights divers, Faikish said: “They spoke louder than anything else I’ve seen at a championship meet.”
“We’ve been through a lot this year,” Dunigan said of the squad. “We’ve had some highs and lows with our team, and coming into the states taper the last two weeks, we really just bonded well and meshed and have been having a really good time at practice, having a really good time here.
“And I feel like it’s finally come together for us. And we’re clicking.”
AMDOR WINS AGAIN >> Upper Dublin’s Abbie Amdor won her second and third gold medals of the weekend on Saturday, taking home the 100 free (49.32) and anchoring home the 400 free relay, joining Molly Braun, Elle Braun and Aly Breslin.
Amdor, who led the Cardinals to the runner-up spot (166), was selected Swimmer of the Meet for Class 3A Girls.
“It’s amazing. It’s such an honor,” the senior said. “Considering both of our relays got DQ’d (on Friday) for unfortunate events, our team, as a whole, turned around (Saturday) and the way we turned it around was amazing.
“I couldn’t ask for a better team to be able to do that with. I couldn’t have done any of this without my teammates.”
The Cardinals had four gold medals in all for the weekend, including Meghan DiMartile’s win in the 100 back — she touched in 53.73 to take home the title as a freshman.
OTHER TOP TIMES >> Also from the area, Wissahickon’s Carly Zlotnikoff earned silver in the 100 free (50.42), with Upper Dublin’s Molly Braun placing 13th (52.43).
Upper Dublin’s Elle Braun pushed to a silver in the 500 free (4:52.81), with Hatboro-Horsham’s Hannah Parker winning the consolation heat, ninth overall (5:00.28).
Aly Breslin of the Cardinals was eighth in the 100 breast (1:03.97).
And Wissahickon’s 400 free relay team of Karis Kim, Julia Weiss, Katie Sapozhnikov and Carly Zlotnikoff was 11th with a 3:32.69.
