Second is enough for Episcopal Academy to finish first at Inter-Acs

Episcopal Academy entered the final relay at the Inter-Ac Boys Swimming and Diving Championships knowing that it didn’t need to win the event, but that it needed to get close to Haverford School to end up on top of the team standings.

The squad of Ben Wesley, Jonathan Valdes, Jack Christian and Sam Wesley finished second in the 400 freestyle relay, a spot behind the Fords, to hold them off in the team standings by just two points and claim the meet title late Wednesday at Malvern Prep.

EA finished with 298 points, two more than Haverford School. Germantown Academy was third in 258. The last relay was the culmination of an epic battle back and forth all day.

EA won the first two relays, the medley squad of Christian, Cole Whitsett and the Wesleys edging the Fords by 0.23 seconds. In the 200 free, the margin was for Whitsett, Valdes, Mason Kline and Jake Shaud was only 0.22 seconds.

Whitsett got the better of Haverford School’s Antonio Octaviano in the 100 fly in a time of 50.76, but Octaviano returned the favor in backstroke in 57.09. Sam Wesley was second in the 200 free (behind Haverford School’s Jack Deppen) and second to Jack Christian (51.84) by 0.04 seconds in the 100 backstroke.

Ben Wesley was second in the 200 individual medley (with Christian third) and second in the 100 free, slipping between Haverford’s Brian Brennan (winning in 46.48) and Bobby Blewett. Brennan and Blewett had gone 1-2 in the 50 free, Brennan winning in a pool record 20.79 seconds. Deppen took second in the 500 free for the Fords, and EA had a built-in boost from Will Hopkins nipping AJ Rosenberg to second in diving, which was contested Monday.

That set the stage for the 400 free relay, and while Brennan (45.47 off the front), Blewett, Deppen and Anton Crescente won by nearly two seconds in 3:09.46, it wasn’t enough to leapfrog the Churchmen.

In the Central League:

Garnet Valley takes two from Penncrest >> Diedre-McKenna Scudder won the 200 free and 50 free before the diving to lead Garnet Valley’s girls to a 103-77 victory.

Hailey Kouh won the 200 IM and 100 free, Amy Townend claimed the 100 and 500 free and 100 breast and Anasasia Erley won the 100 back as the Jags swept all three relays.

Samantha Woolery won diving with a score of 199.10 for Penncrest, and Sophie Murphy prevailed in the 100 fly.

Garnet Valley’s boys won, 104-79, led by Griffin Young’s victories in the 200 IM and 500 free. Matthew Hurford claimed the 200 free, Kevin Smith won the 100 breast and Jags captured all three relays.

Penncrest got wins from Tom McLaughlin in the sprint events, and Steven Woolery was first in the 100 fly. Kieran Clark’s score of 261.30 won diving.

In nonleague action:

Ridley sweeps Sun Valley >> Alex Boeckx set a Ridley pool record in the 100 breaststroke in a time of 58.38 seconds to lead Ridley to a 104-80 win over Sun Valley. The Ridley girls topped Sun valley, 102-79.

For the boys, Wyatt Shanks won the 200 IM and 100 back, the latter in a District 1 automatic qualifying time. Boeckx also won the 50 free. Mario Costa won the 200 free and was second to Ryan Dorrin in diving, and Danny Lynch added a win in the 100 fly with a spot on the victorious 400 free relay for Ridley.

Nick Fursman claimed the 100 free for Sun Valley.

Haley Cubler bested a trio of Sun Valley divers to notch a first-place finish for the Green Raiders. Hannah Smith (50 free) and Madison Rae (100 fly) won an individual event and two relays each as the Green Raiders swept all three relays. Kayleigh Kennedy was victorious in the 100 free, and Grace Reagan claimed the 100 breast for Ridley.

Sun Valley’s wins came via Keely Durkin (200 free, 500 free) and Jenna Johnson (200 IM, 100 back).