Weaverling’s finish is good as gold in 100 fly at districts

PHILADELPHIA — Catherine Weaverling has a pile of District 1 medals at home. There’s a silver from the 100-yard butterfly, a couple from the 100 backstroke, plus four from Garnet Valley relays.

But one thing the junior didn’t have was a gold. That was rectified in an exciting race Thursday.

Weaverling timed her finish to perfection in the 100 fly on the first day of the District 1 Swimming and Diving Championships at La Salle University’s Kirk Natatorium, winning an event where the top three swimmers were separated by less than a quarter-second.

Weaverling, who entered as the top seed, finished first in 55.66. It appeared that she had touched out Molly Braun of Upper Dublin in an adjacent lane to repel her biggest threat. But touching the wall between Weaverling and Braun (in 55.84) was Radnor’s Casey Cullen, who went 55.80 in lane 1 to nab silver.

“Honestly, I did not see Casey at all,” Weaverling said. “I really thought the girl next to me (Braun) was going to get me at the end, so I just tried to throw my arms as hard as I could, really put in those last kicks to get to the wall.”

Weaverling was surprised to get there first. She worked her 75-yard wall, coming up just ahead of Braun. The swimmers’ strokes were out of phase, leaving one with a perfect finish to hit the wall at speed and the other to choose between a long glide or a half-stroke. Weaverling was lucky to time it right.

“I’m never really good at touching people out,” she said. “I’m used to getting touched out. So this was kind of a shock to me that I touched someone out.”

The Jags enjoyed relay success in recent years thanks to the All-Delco duo of Weaverling and Noelle DiClemente. With DiClemente at the University of Washington in St. Louis, Weaverling is the Jags’ leader. And a gold medal is a fine reward.

“All the hard work put in from a year ago, it pays off,” she said. “… It feels great. A lot of hard work, it all pays off and it feels really nice.”

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Cullen is likely headed to states in two events, also finishing fifth in the 200 freestyle in 1:52.36. It took 1:55.35 to reach states last year, where eight district champions get automatic bids and the other 24 at-largest are selected by time.

But the biggest swim for shock value was provided by her classmate, Audrey Collins. Collins finished 11th in the 200 individual medley, setting a personal-best of 2:07.73 by lopping 3.37 seconds off her seed time.

“I couldn’t see the board because I have really bad eyesight,” Collins said. “So my friend came over to me and I was like, ‘what did I go?’ And she was like, ‘you went a 2:07.’ And I was so shocked.”

The sophomore has to wait for a lot of district compatriots in the states queue. But the last at-large last year was earned with a time of 2:10.15, which gives Collins lots of reason to hope.

Collins went 2:14.98 at districts last year, one of many things that has changed. Last year, she was 36th in the 100 breaststroke at districts with a season-best of 1:09.69. Over the summer, she pivoted to butterfly and finished 16th in the 100 fly Thursday in 58.54, a drop of 1.22 seconds from her entry time but likely not enough to get to states.

It’s emblematic of the work she’s done in refining her IM stroke by stroke.

“You always have to work on the turns and the underwaters,” she said. “It’s the small things that make or break your race. Without those small things, you won’t go fast.”

Collins will wait and see on states. Cullen is certainly going, and Collins is happy to credit the Raiders’ dynamic with helping her get this far. The team is led by underclassmen, with Collins, Cullen, Avery Barber and Kelsey Wakiyama just sophomores, plus fast freshmen Marina Wang and Campbell Coonley.

“I think it’s really good for our team,” Collins said. “It brings the future of the high school and the team. It brings competition, too, for relay spots. It’s a friendly competitive, but it’s fun, all freshmen and sophomores.”

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Alex Boeckx’s goal was, for him, a modest one: The Ridley senior, swimming unrested, just wanted to get to states.

Sixth place in the 200 IM in 1:55.82 should do the trick, with 1:56.16 required last year. The two-time states qualifier is hoping to enjoy his last hurrah at Bucknell, having just decided his future by committing to Rider.

“The college picking process, it’s a lot of stress, it’s a lot of work,” he said. “I’m just really happy to be done with it, finishing out my senior season and then off to the next challenge.”

Boeckx swims the 100 breast Friday.

Marple Newtown’s Matthew Gray was 10th in 1:57.40.

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Scottie McKeaney has been coming to districts for a long time. She knew what it was like to reach the top step of the podium from older sister, Alex, a multi-time district champ.

Scottie is starting her own sprint dynasty, the Delco Christian sophomore repeating as Class 2A 50 free champ. McKeaney clocked in at 24.53 seconds, outtouching Villa Maria’s Hannah King by .04.

“I can always improve, but I had very strong competition in Hannah,” McKeaney said. “It was a fast race.”

Though she was a little miffed that the time was two-tenths slower than last year, she’s ready to give it another go at states. In 2019, her training wasn’t geared toward states, where she finished 21st in the 50 and 25th in the 100 free. She wants to make amends this year.

“Last year, there were many different factors that went into it that came out with me not swimming well,” she said. “This year, I hope to just be training the whole time leading up and hopefully podium at states.”

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It’s not always easy for Steven Woolery to find time to train. He swims all winter with Upper Main Line Y, bookended by seasons of soccer and lacrosse for Penncrest. But the junior has made it work.

Woolery finished seventh in the 100 fly in 51.49. It’s considerably ahead of the time needed for the last at-large last year (51.93).

“With soccer and lacrosse, it’s pretty hard to manage time and everything,” Woolery said. “I just go to everything possible and do whatever I can.”

It’s paid off this year, as Woolery has turned his club times into a sustained high school campaign. He earned a spot in the final heat and still trimmed almost three-tenths, despite his cap coming loose.

Getting to states would be a great step, even if it would be a scheduling issue.

“I’d be pretty excited,” Woolery said. “I have to start lacrosse two weeks later. But I’ll be happy to be there.”

Radnor’s Jack Undercofler finished 11th in the 100 fly in 52.53.

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Notes >> Haverford freshman Katya Eruslanova is bound for states, finishing second in the 200 IM in 2:04.50. She entered as the top seed but saw Avon Grove senior Izzy Paoletti pull away late. … the Delco contingent had an impressive showing in the 200 free, with Strath Haven’s Sydney Bergstrom fourth, Cullen fifth and Keeley Durkin of Sun Valley sixth. With all three in the 1:52s, they’re likely to earn return trips to states. Haven’s Mia Yancey was 14th. … Garnet Valley’s Matthew Hurford finished seventh in the boys 200 free in 1:43.78, which is under the states at-large cut from last year (1:44.31). Teammate Griffin Young was 13th with Spring