Fink, Replogle, Phillips earn gold to lead strong PAC showing at District 1 boys championships

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The mission for Owen J. Roberts senior Dalton Fink at Saturday’s District 1 Boys Championship was similar to seasons past.

At the end of Saturday’s event at Graham Aquatic Center in York, Fink wanted to know he had a spot locked up in states. The difference was there was only one way to do it this time and that was to leave with district gold as well.

It was a mission accomplished for Fink, who swam the Class 3A 100-meter butterfly in 49.48 seconds to lock up his first District 1 championship and earn the district’s automatic berth in the PIAA championships.

Fink was one of a trio of Pioneer Athletic Conference competitors to earn gold district medals and state spots as Pope John Paul II sophomore Henry Phillips won the Class 2A 500 freestyle and Perkiomen Valley junior Jacob Replogle won the Class 3A 500 free.

“Going into that final lap, I somewhat knew I was leading,” Fink said. “Obviously, everything can change that final lap, but I felt strong enough in order to finish it out. Once I touched that wall and looked at that time, I knew it was real. It was a great feeling. I was very excited. It was unbelievable actually.”

District gold was nothing new for Phillips, who also won the Class 2A 500 free as a freshman last season.

Philips’ time of 4:52.23 on Saturday was more than 16 seconds faster than second place. He also added a second place finish in the 200 free (1:47.77).

“I think this year it meant a lot more,” Phillips said. “Not that it didn’t mean a lot last year, but this year with everything going on, COVID in the world, it was just a different experience this year. It definitely was more heartfelt I think.”

“I owe it all to my coaches, friends and teammates,” he added. “It was more of a mentality to just show up everyday trying to focus on everyday and not worry about what tomorrow has in store or at the end of the season. We did a great job of creating that environment.”

Replogle was a second-place finisher in the Class 3A 500 free at districts last season and had hopes this season of winning both the 200 free and 500 free.

His time of 4:34.33 on Saturday earned him gold in the 500 free, and he added a silver medal in the 200 free (1:41.60).

Replogle and his coach Mitchell Zackowski credit the PV junior’s desire to continuously work hard this year as the reason for Saturday’s results.

When most pools were closed in late December, Replogle was practicing in a heated pool outside at Manorlu Swim Club in Dresher, Pa.

“It was just doing everything I could to get ready, even with COVID, ike practicing during Christmas break even when most pools were closed and my high school team wasn’t practicing and stuff like that” said Replogle, who capped his gold-medal winning day with a celebratory Shamrock Shake at McDonald’s. “

“The amount of focus and the drive that he has, you can’t coach that,” Zackowski said.

Like Phillips and Replogle, Fink added a District 1 silver medal to his list of accomplishments. He finished second in the 100 back (50.51), improving on his fourth place finish in 2020.

The Wildcats senior also combined with teammates Will Cano, Nathan VanNatter and Jonah Kasznay to swim a 1:26.02 in the 200 free relay for a school record and a silver medal. They also teamed for a third place finish in the 400 free relay (3:09.95 ) to cap the day’s events.

OJR also ended the day third in team points with 169, following North Penn (340) and Conestoga (247).

“We had no intention of going in there to break a team record,” Fink said. “We were just going in there to have fun, swim fast. The team record was a bonus. Obviously, all did have our eyes set on states again, but we just work so well together. We showed it last year, and this year again. I love the group of guys we’ve got. We work so well together and everything kind of clicked today.”

Along with Phillips, Replogle and Fink, Spring-Ford senior Brendan Baganski was a silver medalist.

He finished second in the Class 3A 50 free, setting a school record with a 21.19. He was also sixth (47.87) in the 100 free.

“Overall, I wasn’t really happy with my times, but honestly I can’t be too upset,” Baganski said. “With how the way this year’s been, I’m just happy we had a championship.”

The PAC had top five finishers in all but two events on Saturday.

Upper Merion’s 200 medley relay of seniors Andrew Hoy, Justin Wang, Michael Lemishko and Cody Nguyen swam a time of 1:36.25 for third place.


Upper Perkiomen senior Sean Lyman placed fourth in the 500 free (4:38.83). Methacton junior Tommy Gibbs finished fifth in the 100 fly (51.23). OJR’s Kasznay finished fifth in the 200 IM.

In the two events the league didn’t have a top five finisher, the 100 free and 100 breast, Baganski placed sixth and Kasznay finished seventh (58.75), respectively.

“We really put the PAC on the map for District 1,” Lyman said. “District 1 has some of the big leagues with North Penn and Upper Dublin, but I really think with our performance today, the PAC conference is really on the come up.”

Only the District 1 champion of each event automatically qualified for the PIAA championships, set for March 19 and 20 at Cumberland Valley High School.

Class 3A will take eight district champions and eight more swimmers with the fastest time. Class 2A will have four more swimmers with the fastest time in each event.

Those swimmers won’t be determined until other districts hold their championships next week. Districts have until March 7 to finish their events.

“It relieves so much stress,” Replogle said. “I know I’m going to practice with a purpose.”

Class 3A
200 medley relay: 3. Upper Merion (Hoy, Lang, Lemishko, Nguyen), 1:36.25; 11. Owen J. Roberts (Richards, Feiser, Flewelling, Bierman), 1:41.05
200 free: 2. Jacob Replogle, Perkiomen Valley (1:41.60); 6. Jack Hussin, Phoenixville (1:43.37); 9. Nathan VanNatter, Owen J. Roberts (1:45.01); 15. Jack Larkin, Upper Merion (1:47.75).
200 IM: 5. Jonah Kasznay, Owen J. Roberts (1:54.35); 7. Sean Lyman, Upper Perkiomen (1:54.88).
50 Free: 2. Brendan Baganski, Spring-Ford (21.19); 8. Cody Nguyen, Upper Merion (21.85); 12. Will Cano, 22.11.
200 free relay: 2. Owen J. Roberts (Fink, Cano, VanNatter, Kasznay), 1:26.02
100 fly: 1. Dalton Fink, Owen J. Roberts (49.48); 5. Tommy Gibbs, Methacton (51.23); 10. Andrew Hoy, Upper Merion (52.21); 11. Michael Lemishko, Upper Merion (52.64).
100 free: 6. Brendan Baganski, Spring-Ford (47.87); 8. Nathan VanNatter, Owen J. Roberts (47.93); 10. Tommy Gibbs, Methacton (48.03); 14. Will Cano, Owen J. Roberts (48.59).
500 free: 1. Jacob Replogle, Perkiomen Valley (4:34.33); 4. Sean Lyman, Upper Perkiomen (4:38.83); 7. Jack Hussin, Phoenixville (4:46.75).
100 back: 2. Dalton Fink, Owen J. Roberts (50.51); 6. Andrew Hoy, Upper Merion (52.66); 7. Chris Groff, Methacton (52.82); 13. George Pappas, Phoenixville (53.79).
100 breast: 7. Jonah Kasznay, Owen J. Roberts (58.75); 12. Kai Hang, Upper Perkiomen (59.92).
400 free relay: 2. Owen J. Roberts (Fink, Cano, VanNatter, Kasznay), 3:09.95; 6. Upper Merion (Nguyen, Lemishko, Larkin, Hoy ), 3:14.38; 8. Methacton (Perez Bonilla, Valle, Groff, Gibbs), 3:14.75

Class 2A
200 free: 2. Henry Phillips, Pope John Paul II (1:47.77).
200 IM: 7. Josh Murtaugh, Pope John Paul II (2:11.99).
500 free: 1. Henry Phillips, Pope John Paul II (4:52.23).
100 breast: 8. Josh Murtaugh, Pope John Paul II (1:08.10).
100 free: 6. Declan Keener, Pottsgrove (50.95).
50 free: 7. Declan Keener, Pottsgrove (23.47).

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Owen McCue

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