Mercury-Area Boys Swimming Previews 2019-20

Boyertown

Head coach: Bill Draves, fifth season.

Last year’s record: 8-2 Pioneer Athletic Conference, 9-2 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Owen Miller (fly, free); Nolan Benner (fly, free, breast).   

Outlook: The Bears have gone 24-4 in the PAC over the past three seasons and hope to have similar success, despite heavy losses to graduation and a small freshman class. Benner was named to the Mercury All-Area First Team after finishing  first in the 100 free and 100 breast at the championship meet and Miller was second in the 50 free and a part of the winning 400 free relay team.

Daniel Boone

Head coach: Chris Breedy, fifth season.

Last year’s record: 2-6 Central Penn League, 2-7 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Senior: Jacob Santos (free, back). Juniors: Chris Guiliano (all events); Justin Eves (free); Jackson Peterson (free). Sophomore: Jesse Wounderly (back, free, IM). 

Outlook: The Blazers have experience returning, including double state medalist and two-time All-American Guiliano. Stephen McDevitt is also returning and newcomers include Nick Antolis, Grant Seville and Ty Czeiner.

Hill School

Head coach: Amy Agnew, fourth season.

Last year’s record: 2-4 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Robert Twombly (diving); Matt Kenvin (breast). Juniors: Michael Wong (fly, back); Quinton Tang (IM, back); Aidan Dunn (mid-distance free); Parker Miles (back, breast); Philip Kershner (diving); Zach Kaplan (sprint free). Sophomores: Tristan Hertzog (sprint free); Justin Toomey (distance free). 

Outlook: The Hill placed eighth in last year’s Easterns Championship, where Alfonso Mestre (The Mercury Swimmer of the Year, now swimming at the University of Florida) won two individual and two relay medals. The team will include two post-graduates headed to the Naval Academy – Nathan Duchez (free, diving) and Jordan Corpuz (fly, breast).     

Methacton

Head coach: Sarah Stevens, second season.

Last year’s record: 5-4-1 PAC and overall.

Swimmers to watch: Senior: Matt Tsai (fly); Junior: Jan Perez Bonilla (free); Sophomores: Thomas Gibbs (fly, sprint free); Dylan Phan (breast, IM); Freshman: Christopher Groff (back).   

Outlook: The Warriors lost some depth with the graduation of seven swimmers. “While we are a small team this year, we have a strong core group of guys,” said Stevens. “I am excited to see who steps up this season to fill in some of the gaps.”

Norristown

Head coach: Beth O’Neil,  23rd season.

Last year’s record: 1-9 PAC, 2-14 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Alex Waskiewicz (all events); Ethan Stilley (back, free). Juniors: Devon Carpenter (all events); Deshawn Nellons-Owen (free); Freshman: Will LeBendig (free, back).

Outlook: “The team is small again this year, but all new swimmers came into the season with some swimming background,” said O’Neil. “We won’t be able to fill every lane, but we will be competitive in certain events. The goal is not wins or losses, but best personal times. We will win a few meets with teams that are comparable to ours and look forward to learning from the excellent competition in our league.”

Owen J. Roberts

Head coach: Kevin Bott, 20th seasson.

Last year’s record: 5-5 PAC and overall.

Swimmers to watch: Senior: Will Blackledge (free, breast). Juniors: Dalton Fink (back, fly); Jonah Kasnzay (back, IM); Nathan VanNetter (free, breast).   

Outlook: Fink, Kasnzay and VanNetter were district qualifiers last year and Fink won the 100 backstroke at the PAC championships. The team is young, with only one senior. “But the junior class is also stepping into a leadership role,” said Bott. “Early on, the boys seem excited to work hard and improve, and we are looking forward to a continuation of their progress. The transition for the younger athletes to the team has gone well thus far and the team continues to be supportive and motivating each other at practice.”

Perkiomen Valley

Head coach: Mitchell Zackowski, third season. 

Last year’s record: 3-7 PAC, 4-9 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Seniors Dylan Alexander (500 free, 200 free); Ethan Hinz (100 fly, 200 IM). Sophomore Jacob Replogle (500 free, 200 free, 100 back).

Outlook: Replogle finished 12th in the state in the 500 freestyle and was named to the Mercury All-Area First Team. “We lost a few great seniors last year, but we have many strong swimmers returning this year with the hopes of making it to states in a few events,” said Zackowski.

Phoenixville

Head coach: Dan Weinstein, eighth season.

Last year’s record: 6-2-2 PAC and 9-2-2 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Ryan Aclan (IM, back); Nate McMullan (breast); Dan Smith-O’Donnell (free, fly). Juniors: Jack Hussin (free); George Pappas (free, back). 

Outlook: Phoenixville graduated Mitchell Schwartz and Dominic Sposato, who were part of the first Phantoms’ team to qualify for states in the 200 medley relay since moving up from Class 2A to 3A, along with district qualifiers Will Carnevale, Kyler Lewis and Nate Smith. Pappas finished second in the 100 backstroke in the PAC championships. “While decimated by graduation last year, the Phantoms return a strong core of swimmers looking to continue their recent team success,” said Weinstein.

Pope John Paul II

Head coach: Emily Thomas, third season.

Last year’s record: 1-8 PAC, 3-8 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Junior: Joshua Murtaugh (100 breast, 200 IM). Freshmen: Ceijay Bond, Henry Phillips, Hugh Trexler, Owen Bator.

Outlook: Phillips will be a key swimmer and team captain Murtaugh has come back stronger, according to Thomas. The Golden Panthers are beginning their second season competing as a team in meets and third overall.

Pottsgrove

Head coach: Alex Diehl, fifth season.

Last year’s record: 0-10 PAC, 0-11 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Freshman Declan Keener (50 free, 100 free, 100 fly).

Outlook: “Our boys team is small, but has some strong newcomers, which include the exciting young talent in Declan Keener,” said Diehl.

Spring-Ford

Head coach: Greg Huff, first season.

Last year’s record: 8-2 PAC, 9-2 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Seniors Luke McKenna (distance free); Cory Laing (free,IM); Sean Laing (fly, back); Sam Ricci (diving, free). Junior: Brendan Baganski (free, fly).

Outlook:  Huff takes over as head coach after five seasons as an assistant for the Rams and 15 years as a head coach at schools in North Carolina. McKenna finished first in the PAC and seventh in the district in the 500 freestyle and holds the school record in that event. Cory and Sean Laing, Baganski and Ricci  made up the PAC champion 200 freestyle relay team. The Rams, who finished in a tie for second in the PAC last year, have a large, experienced and flexible team with 10 seniors and 30 swimmers overall.   

Upper Merion

Head coach: Corey Besz.

Last year’s record: 10-0 PAC and overall.

Swimmers to watch: Juniors: Michael Lemishko (fly, IM); Andrew Hoy (free, back). Sophomore: Jack Larkin (free).

Outlook: The Vikings handed Owen J. Roberts its first league loss since the 2013-2014 season in the first week of the season on the way to an undefeated regular season, followed by a first-place finish in the championship meet. Lemishko finished first in the PAC and fifth in the district in the 100 butterfly and won the PAC title in the 200 IM. 

Upper Perkiomen

Head coach: Brien Kalnoski, seventh season.

Last year’s record: 3-7 PAC, 3-10 overall.

Swimmers to watch: Senior: Trevor Cairns (200 free, 500 free). Junior: Sean Lyman (200 free, 500 free, 100 fly, 200 IM).

Outlook: “With the loss of Kyle Kovalenko, 100 breast and state qualifier, and the addition of just one freshman, we are looking to have a comparable dual meet season to last year,” said Kalnoski.

— compiled by Dennis Weller