Mercury-Area Girls Swimming Previews 2019-20
Boyertown
Head coach: Bill Draves, fifth season.
Last year’s record: 9-1 PAC, 10-1 overall.
Swimmers to watch: Juniors: Gabbie McKee (fly, free, back); Angie Nelson (breast, IM).
Outlook: Boyertown finished second in the PAC for the second straight year, with the only loss coming to undefeated Owen J. Roberts late in the season. The Bears will try to rebuild after heavy graduation losses. McKee placed second in the PAC and eighth in the district in the 200 IM and 13th in the state in the 500 freestyle.
Daniel Boone
Head coach: Chris Breedy, fifth season.
Last year’s record: 2-6 Central Penn League, 3-6 overall.
Swimmers to watch: Junior: Erin Goudie (fly, free); Amy Schafer (fly). Sophomores: Rachel Bozenhard (free, back, breast); Kayla Kritchel.
Outlook: Goudie was a district qualifier last season. Newcomers include Hannah Santos, Tori Pastor, Kaylee Eves, Sarah Wedemeyer, Ava Guglielmi and Payton Jones. “The team is young and eager,” said Breedy. “They will gain experience this year.”
Hill School
Head coach: Amy Agnew, fourth season.
Last year’s record: 4-3 overall.
Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Kennedy Becker (diving); Maddie Green (fly, IM); Maddy Lewis (distance free); Alex Zelinske (sprint free, back). Juniors: Olivia DeVol (diving); Bella Basile (fly); Kamilia Barkasi (breast). Sophomores: Mallory Horner (sprint free); Kiersten Dagg (distance free); Ella Scott (fly). Freshman Reese Catron (free).
Outlook: The Blues finished 11th at Easterns last season, with Zelinske placing sixth in the 100 backstroke. Team captains Lewis and Zelinskie lead a strong senior class.
Methacton
Head coach: Stephanie Saucy, sixth season.
Last year’s record: 5-5 PAC, 5-6 overall.
Swimmers to watch: Juniors: Alex Ferrance (100 fly, 200 free, 500 free); Emma Ginther (200 free, 500 free, 50 free). Freshman: Amanda Tsai (100 back).
Outlook: The Warrior squad includes 25 athletes, including five freshmen. “Amanda Tsai is an exciting addition to the team and will fill key positions in the relays,” said Saucy. “Alex Ferrance and Emma Ginther will also provide strength in multiple areas, including the relays. The sophomores and juniors will provide us depth as well. This year’s team shows some maturity and strength that should be an asset in the coming weeks of hard work.”
Norristown
Head coach: Beth O’Neil, 23rd season.
Last year’s record: 0-10 PAC, 2-14 overall.
Swimmers to watch: Senior Bailee Hendricks (breast, free); Chynna Boyd (back, free). Junior Olivia Parks (all events, diving). Sophomores: Brooklynn Pendleton (free, diving); Rachel Phan (all events); Katie Mocarsky (free).
Outlook: The small squad’s goal is to improve personal best times while picking up some team wins against comparable opponents. All of the new team members come into the season with a swimming background.
Owen J. Roberts
Head coach: Kevin Bott, 20th season.
Last year’s record: 10-0 PAC and overall.
Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Izzy Moes (fly, breast); Meredith Mutter (breast, IM); Mikayla Niness (free, fly). Juniors: Abbey Malmstrom (back, free); Kendall Obara (breast, fly). Sophomores: Ciara MacMullen (diving); Kaily Zakarevicz (free, back); Lauren Zelinske (back, free).
Outlook: The Wildcats were undefeated PAC champions for the third straight year and return eight district qualifiers. Niness was seventh in the state in the 50 freestyle and won that event and the 100 freestyle at the PAC championships. “The team graduated two seniors, Lilia Crew and Ella Greenholt, who were both leaders in and out of the water,” said Bott. “This group of seniors has continued the trend and the team is off to a good start with positive energy and focus at practice. The new athletes are adjusting well to the high school team and overall, the team is developing a solid rapport.”
Perkiomen Valley
Head coach: Mitchell Zackowski, third season.
Last year’s record: 3-6 PAC and overall.
Swimmers to watch: Juniors: Ashley Derrick (100 back); Emily Hinz (100 fly, 200 IM); Erin Lamirande (500 free, 200 free). Freshman: Ella Dittmar (100 back).
Outlook: Hinz won the PAC 200 freestyle championship. “This year we have a very strong group of young swimmers and our goal is to send many of them to districts in the hopes of making it to states,” said Zackowski.
Phoenixville
Head coach: Dan Weinstein, eighth season.
Last year’s record: 7-3 PAC and overall.
Swimmers to watch: Juniors: Sarah McCarthy (breast); Erini Pappas (free, fly, back); Penelope Pappas (free, fly, back).
Outlook: The Phantoms have posted four straight winning seasons and hope to compete for the PAC title again this year. Erini Pappas placed seventh in the state in the 100 butterfly and 12th in the 200 IM and won the PAC championship in both events. “Former Area Swimmer of the Year and state medalist Erini Pappas leads a deep and versatile squad of experienced swimmers looking to compete for the PAC championship,” 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: Maggie Sullivan (100 breast, 200 IM); Freshman: Bella Greco (free, 200 medley relay).
Outlook: The Golden Panthers enter their third season and second competing as a team in meets. “Bella Greco will be a strong asset to our 200 medley relay and individually in freestyle events,” said Thomas. “Junior captain Maggie Sullivan is set to reprise her role in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM.”
Pottsgrove
Head coach: Alex Diehl, fifth season.
Last year’s record: 2-8 PAC and overall.
Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Victoria Keener (500 free, 100 breast); Jaelyn Kennedy (50 free). Junior: Alaina Christ (200 IM, 100 fly, 500 free, 100 back). Sophomore: Molly Krock (200 IM, 100 breast, 100 fly).
Outlook: The Falcons are looking solid as numbers continue to grow each season, according to Diehl. “They are being led by a strong group of returners with talent in all grade levels,” he said. “This year those returners are being joined by a large group of newcomers, including several talented freshmen with years of experience. The future’s looking good.”
Spring-Ford
Head coach: Greg Huff, first season.
Last year’s record: 6-4 PAC, 6-5overall.
Swimmers to watch: Seniors: Anna Curran (breast, IM, distance); Emma Thomas (back, free); Alyssa DeFlavia (free, back); Meredith Ruckelshaus (sprints). Freshman: Ashley Gutshall (free).
Outlook: Huff takes over as head coach following five years as assistant for the Rams and 15 years as head coach at schools in North Carolina. Thomas is the defending PAC 500 freestyle champion. “The team is looking forward to an improved 2019-2020 season after an up-and-down season last year,” he said. “The team is very flexible in its lineups against the varied teams in the PAC. They have steadily improved over the past couple seasons and qualified multiple relays to districts for the first time in years. The addition of a talented freshman class will be supporting a large senior class of eight girls.”
Upper Merion
Head coach: Carson Bowes, second season.
Last year’s record: 3-7 PAC and overall.
Swimmers to watch: Juniors: Kayleigh Roseland (sprint free); Kaitlyn Miller (back). Sophomore: Lindsay Yuen (breast); Emily Burke (fly). Freshman: Ashley Evitts (diving).
Outlook: The Vikings have had small junior and senior classes the past two seasons, but are a young team on the rise, according to Bowes. “We’ve been relying on freshmen and sophomores to help fill in the gaps and find success and the future looks bright,” he said.
Upper Perkiomen
Head coach: Brien Kalnoski, seventh season.
Last year’s record: 8-2 PAC, 9-4 overall.
Swimmers to watch: Senior: Noel Fresa (100 free, 200 free). Juniors: Devin Romanowski (sprint free, 500 free); Laura Cooney (500 free, 100 back); Kayman Heater (500 free). Sophomore: Darragh Martin (200 free, 500 free).
Outlook: The Mercury Swimmer of the Year Fresa returns after finishing second in the PIAA Class 2A championships in the 100 freestyle and third in the 200 freestyle and winning both events in districts. The Indians finished above .500 in the PAC for the first time, but graduated four swimmers and are facing a rebuilding year, according to The Mercury Coach of the Year Kalnoski.
— compiled by Dennis Weller
