Downingtown East nabs surprise district crown in 200 medley relay

PHILADELPHIA >> The Downingtown East boys’ swim team opened up the District 1 Class 3A competition with a surprise victory in the 200-yard medley relay at La Salle University’s Kirk Pool on Thursday.

Only event winners in swimming receive automatic berths at the PIAA championships, slated for March 11-14 at Bucknell University. Other swimmers may receive at-large berths based on statewide time comparisons.

DJ Fechtman, Owen Wright, Ben Doyle and Jack Inman touched in 1:36.53. In addition to their gold medals, the quartet also received the George Ingram Memorial award for the fastest time in the 200 medley relay, presented by the District 1 Swimming Officials Chapter.

North Penn actually hit the wall first but was disqualified.

Doyle was fifth in the 100 butterfly (51.37) and Fechtman was right behind him in sixth (51.42). Inman placed sixth in the 50 freestyle (21.73).

Inman, Aiden Carroll, Fechtman and Doyle ended the day with a fifth place finish in the 200 freestyle relay (1:27.82) for the Cougars.

“The medley was a little bit of a surprise, but we’ll take it,” Inman said. “It was really exciting. We had to win it to get the automatic (berth) so it’s a big relief. I think we probably would have gone with our time but having first and the automatic is awesome. That really started the meet off right for us. It was a big lift for the team. Everyone’s been swimming well.

“I think we’ll take a big group to states and that will be good. For now I’m just looking forward to swimming the 100 free (Friday) and hopefully not being too slow.”

Downingtown East is third in team scoring with 108 points. North Penn leads the competition (176).

For Conestoga, Raymond Welgosh finished fifth in the 200 freestyle (1:42.33), Luke Nagel was eighth in the same event (1:44.20) and Gary Wang took eighth in the 100 butterfly (51.65).

James Hughes, Wang, Welgosh and Stephen Graver capped the day with the bronze in the 200 freestyle relay (1:26.57). Conestoga is fifth in team scoring (89).

Liam Simmons, Nathan Ober, Ryan Barish and Ronan Gorman of Kennett teamed up to take third in the 200 medley relay (1:36.81). The Blue Demons are eighth in team scoring (53).

In other action, Dylan Smoulders of West Chester Henderson took fifth in the 200 individual medley (1:55.33) and Oxford’s Alex Karahalis was seventh in the 200 individual medley (1:56.78).

In addition, Coatesville’s Ethan Moore made the podium, taking fifth in the 50 freestyle (21.70).

The meet concludes on Friday.

Boys swimming

District One championships

Class 2A

Team scores (through event 13)

1. Lower Moreland, 207 points; 2. Springfield (M), 192; 3. Upper Moreland, 187; 4. Bishop Shanahan, 176; 5. Holy Ghost Prep, 130; 6. Pope John Paul II, 28; 7. Pottsgrove, 13; 8. Valley Forge Military Academy, 5.

Event results

200-yard medley relay: 1. Lower Moreland (Noah Ferker, Alex Yoon, Greg Landis, Jude Blumhardt), 1:38.13; 2. Springfield (M), 1:40.52; 3. (tie) Holy Ghost Prep, Upper Moreland, 1:42.90; 4. Bishop Shanahan, 1:53.83;

200 freestyle: 1.  Jack Fidanza, Bishop Shanahan, 1:46.77; 2. Jake Hennegan, Springfield (M), 1:48.81; 3. Henry Phillips, Pope John Paul II, 1:49.22; 4. Ryan Park, Lower Moreland, 1:49.35; 5. Landis, Lower Moreland, 1:49.91; 6. Declan Keener, Pottsgrove, 1:54.05; 7. James Samuel, Holy Ghost Prep, 1:55.66; 8. Theodore Devaney, New Hope-Solebury, 1:55.72;   

200 individual medley: 1. Ferker, Lower Moreland, 1:59.54; 2. Yoon, Lower Moreland, 1:59.84; 3. Andrew Kaupp, MaST, 2:03.77; 4. Brent Hennegan, Springfield (M), 2:04.82; 5. Mike Soroka, Upper Moreland, 2:09.75; 6. Brady Hendrickson, Bishop Shanahan, 2:12.66; 7. Josh Murtaugh, Pope John Paul II, 2:15.74; 8. Teddy Baughan, Springfield (M), 2:16.35;

50 freestyle: 1. John Devaney, New Hope-Solebury, 21.79; 2. Jaden Feldman, Lower Moreland, 21.85; 3. Blumhardt, Lower Moreland, 22.50; 4. Michael Hood, Springfield (M), 22.56; 5. Patrick Taylor, Bishop Shanahan, 22.70; 6. Hennegan, Springfield (M), 22.74; 7. Logan Holman, Upper Moreland, 23.60; 8. Nate Fraser, Bishop Shanahan, 23.99;

Diving (contested Friday, Feb. 21): 1. Brandon Bush, Upper Moreland, 428.20 points; 2. Dylan Swedberg, Upper Moreland, 351.80; 3. Brendon Moran, Upper Moreland, 321.75; 4. Michael Robinson, Bishop Shanahan, 291.95;

100 butterfly: 1. Nicholas Scott, Bishop Shanahan, 53.49; 2. Fred Li, Holy Ghost Prep, 53.62; 3. Ben Gendron, Springfield (M), 54.11; 4. Landis, Lower Moreland, 54.49; 5. Matt Wojcik, Upper Moreland, 54.77; 6. Ian Pervall, Upper Moreland, 56.28; 7. Soroka, Upper Moreland, 57.71; 8. Philip Lee, Holy Ghost Prep, 58.54;  

200 freestyle relay: 1. Springfield (M) (Hood, Gendron, J. Hennegan, Brent Hennegan), 1:29.12; 2. Bishop Shanahan, 1:30.12; 3. Lower Moreland, 1:30.40; 4. Upper Moreland, 1:32.10; 5. Holy Ghost Prep, 1:33.54.

Class 3A

Team scores (through event 13)

1. North Penn, 176 points; 2. Upper Dublin, 133; 3. Downingtown East, 108; 4. Souderton, 93; 5. Conestoga, 89; 6. Council Rock North, 88; 7. Plymouth Whitemarsh, 67; 8. Kennett, 53; 9. Owen J. Roberts, 52; 10. Boyertown, 49.

Event results

200-yard medley relay: 1. Downingtown East (DJ Fechtman, Owen Wright, Ben Doyle, Jack Inman), 1:36.53; 2. Boyertown, 1:36.70; 3. Kennett, 1:36.81; 4. Upper Dublin, 1:37.31; 5. Plymouth Whitemarsh, 1:37.35; 6. Hatboro-Horsham, 1:37.47; 7. Neshaminy, 1:37.71; 8. Upper Merion, 1:37.91;   

200 freestyle: 1. Kyle Pro, Upper Dublin, 1:41.50; 2. Max Bachman, North Penn, 1:41.81; 3. Evan Mancini, North Penn, 1:42.06; 4. Nick Clark, North Penn, 1:42.10; 5. Raymond Welgosh, Conestoga, 1:42.33; 6. Jacob Replogle, Perkiomen Valley, 1:43.35; 7. Matthew Hurford, Garnet Valley, 1:43.78; 8. Luke Nagel, Conestoga, 1:44.20;  

200 individual medley: 1. Sean Faikish, North Penn, 1:50.13; 2. Jake DiMartile, Upper Dublin, 1:50.99; 3. Dom Edwards, Council Rock North, 1:53.60; 4. Eric Degodney, North Penn, 1:53.96; 5. Dylan Smoulders, West Chester Henderson, 1:55.33; 6. Alex Boeckx, Ridley, 1:55.82; 7. Alex Karahalis, Oxford, 1:56.78; 8. Tommy Krystkiewicz, Central Bucks East, 1:56.72;  

50 freestyle: 1. Caleb Kelly, Plymouth Whitemarsh, 20.74; 2. Luke Schwar, North Penn, 21.19; 3. Ryan Faikish, North Penn, 21.25; 4. Brendan Baganski, Spring-Ford, 21.39; 5. Ethan Moore, Coatesville, 21.70; 6. Inman, Downingtown East, 21.73; 7. Robbie Ferlick, Souderton, 21.78; 8. Will Deitch, Pennsbury, 21.85;

Diving (contested Friday, Feb. 21): 1. Conor Gesing, Abington, 553.45 points; 2. Luke Dotson, Council Rock North, 457.25; 3. Alec Pirone, Bayard Rustin, 452.50; 4. Kieran Clark, Penncrest, 448.80; 5. Paxton Flandro, Souderton, 411.70; 6. Luke Parada, Pennsbury, 408.05; 7. Will Merrill, West Chester Henderson, 400.05; 8. Kyle Creachen, Souderton, 392.85;

100 butterfly: 1. Matthew Jensen, Upper Dublin, 48.46; 2. Dalton Fink, Owen J. Roberts, 50.12; 3. Michael Lemishko, Upper Merion, 50.79; 4. Owen Miller, Boyertown, 51.28; 5. Doyle, Downingtown East, 51.37; 6. Fechtman, Downingtown East, 51.42; 7. Steven Woolery, Penncrest, 51.49; 8. Gary Wang, Conestoga, 51.65;  

200 freestyle relay: 1. North Penn (R. Faikish, Mancini, Matthew Harkrader, Schwar), 1L25,03; 2. Upper Dublin, 1:26.34; 3. Conestoga, 1:26.57; 3. Conestoga, 1:26.57; 4. Owen J. Roberts, 1:26.82; 5. Downingtown East, 1:27.82; 6. Souderton, 1:27.2; 7. Council Rock North, 1:28.10; 8. Spring-Ford, 1:28.53.