SOL Continental’s: North Penn defends the crown

TOWAMENCIN >> Out of the warmth of the Rick Carroll Natatorium and into the freezing cold of Saturday afternoon, North Penn’s seniors left their final home meet as determined conference champs.
“Seeing all the kids training hard this season all the way until now, the first week of the championship season, it’s great to get the momentum going,” said senior Sean Faikish. “It’s awesome to see how our team has been throwing out some quick times. And it’s just a lot of confidence and momentum that we built going into the rest of the championship season.”
North Penn combined its efforts for a mountain-sized 610.5 points, once again standing atop the Suburban One League Continental Conference.
The Knights notched more district cuts, swept the relays, and won 10 of the meet’s 11 swim events.
Sean Faikish swam to four gold medals, winning both the 100-yard freestyle and 100 fly and doing his part on the gold-medal 200 medley and 400 free relays to bookend the meet.
“I got to switch up my events this time. It’s kinda nice to be able to switch it up, not only focus on the 200 IM like I always do,” said the senior. “Doing the 100 fly and the 100 free, swimming with Evan (Mancini in the 100 free), one of my close friends, one of my good teammates, he and I push each other every day in practice.
“He and I getting first and second, it’s awesome to see. We’re both in the 400 free relay and we try to carry that momentum and hopefully try to win the 400 free relay at states.”

Faikish won the 100 free in 46.77, the 100 fly in 50.17.
“In the 100 fly, I was a little disappointed in my time. I was trying to go under 50,” he said. “I felt really good. It just didn’t work out the way I wanted it to. But that’s a lot of confidence and momentum I can carry into districts two weeks from now.”
Faikish led off the 200 medley relay, with Mancini, Nick Clark and Ryan Faikish coming through for a 1:34.88. The 200 free relay foursome of Matthew Harkrader, Luke Schwar, Aidan Faikish and Ryan Faikish were gold medalists in 1:27.71. And the 400 free relay capped things off, with Clark, Ryan Faikish, Mancini and Sean Faikish going 3:07.59.
“I think the boys got pretty excited (Friday) after seeing the girls swim so well,” said Knights coach Jeff Faikish, who guided both squads to Continental crowns. “They were very excited to swim today. For the seniors, it’s their last meet ever in their home pool. So there was some motivation in that group.
“The team was really rallying around each other for some district cuts, and we had a couple kids pick up some automatic cuts today, consideration times, so overall it was a really successful day.”

Clark also captured four golds for the Knights – he won the 200 IM and 100 breast and was on the first-place medley and 400 free relays.
Max Bachman (200 free), Ryan Faikish (50 free) and Eric Degodny (500 free) all won golds in their respective events for the Knights.
“It really does set a good tone moving further into the postseason and into districts,” Jeff Faikish said.
Making a push >> Souderton Area captured second in the team standings, scoring 339 points.
Big Red was led by Austin Graham, a silver medalist in the 50 free. Graham also led off the silver-medal 400 free relay, joining Matt Masciulli, Drew Stephens and Robbie Ferlick.
Pennridge’s 200 medley relay team had a strong race, with Greg Bashaar, Joseph Hong, Brett Musselman and Julian Arteaga earning silver in 1:40.70.
The Rams’ Joseph Hong also earned silver, swimming a 58.58 in the 100 breast.
Next up >> The District One Diving Championships will be held Friday and Saturday at North Penn, and then the swim portion will be held Thursday and Friday, Feb. 27 and 28 at La Salle University.

Suburban One League
Continental Conference Championships
Team Scoring: 1. North Penn, 610.5; 2. Souderton Area, 339; 3. Central Bucks East, 251; 4. Central Bucks West, 240.5; 5. Central Bucks South, 232; 6. Pennridge, 199; 7. Quakertown, 162.
200 medley relay: 1. North Penn (Sean Faikish, Evan Mancini, Nick Clark, Ryan Faikish), 1:34.88; 2. Pennridge, 1:40.70; 3. Souderton Area, 1:40.78.
200 free: 1. Max Bachman (NP) 1:44.06; 2. Matt Harkrader (NP) 1:46.21; 3. Ryan Kircher (CBS) 1:49.62.
200 IM: 1. Clark (NP) 1:56.03; 2. Tommy Krystkiewicz (CBE) 1:58.98; 3. Joseph Hong (P) 1:59.71.
50 free: 1. Ryan Faikish (NP) 21.37; 2. Austin Graham (S) 22.74; 3. Michael Scarpitta (CBE) 22.80.
100 fly: 1. Sean Faikish (NP) 50.17; 2. Eric Degodny (NP) 53.77; 3. Robert Freece (NP) 54.42.
200 free relay: 1. North Penn (Matt Harkrader, Luke Schwar, Aidan Faikish, Ryan Faikish), 1:27.71; 2. CB South, 1:32.86; 3. Souderton Area, 1:32.97.
100 free: 1. Sean Faikish (NP) 46.77; 2. Mancini (NP) 47.41; 3. Ryan Kircher (CBS) 49.39.
500 free: 1. Degodny (NP) 4:50.72; 2. William Klein (NP) 4:55.08; 3. Zachary LeMay (CBE) 4:56.93.
100 back: 1. Tommy Krystkiewicz (CBE) 54.84; 2. Harkrader (NP) 54.85; 3. Scott Klein (NP) 55.65.
100 breast: 1. Clark (NP) 58.30; 2. Joseph Hong (P) 58.58; 3. Luke Schwar (NP) 59.19.
400 free relay: 1. North Penn (Nick Clark, Ryan Faikish, Evan Mancini, Sean Faikish), 3:07.59; 2. Souderton Area, 3:20.50; 3. CB East, 3:22.65.