Downingtown East’s Fulton captures two gold medals; Unionville takes 4th
Downingtown East sophomore Alexa Fulton, who was named the Outstanding Swimmer of the Meet at the PIAA Class 3A state championships at Cumberland Valley High School Saturday, captured two gold medals: the girls 50 and 100 freestyle.
Fulton finished first in the 100 free with a clocking of 49.69, ahead of second-place finisher Kaelan Daly of North Penn (50.98). Fulton also was first in the girls 50 free with a time of 22.72.
“Alexa was really fantastic today,” said Downingown East swimming coach Gigi Graesser. “She led her races from start to finish.”
Fulton was seeded number one in both events (22.98 for 50 free, and 50.49 for 100 free), and had been named Swimmer of the Meet at the District 1 3A girls’ championships.
At States on Saturday, Chester County underclassmen captured the top two spots in the girls 50 free, as Unionville freshman Izzy Iwasyk finished second with a time of 23.48.
Kennett senior Sydney McCracken finished second in the girls 100 breast (1:02.62). McCracken and junior Liam Simmons each finished in the top 10 in two individual boys’ events.
West Chester Henderson junior Krista Marlin finished third in the girls 100 back and placed fifth in the girls 200 free.
In the girls’ team standings, Unionville finished fourth, thanks to some fine performances in the relays. Downingtown East was fifth, and West Chester Henderson eighth.
In the boys’ team standings, Conestoga finished seventh.
“With everything going on this year (with COVID-19), it was a blessing just to have a state meet,” said Conestoga boys’ swimming coach Mark Tirone.
Here’s a look at how the Chester County swim teams fared at Class 3A States:
Unionville
The Longhorns finished fourth in the girls’ team standings, with a total of 112 points, behind North Allegheny (167), Wilson (152) and State College (114).
Longhorn freshman Izzy Iwasyk finished second in the girls 50 free with a clocking of 23.48, behind first-place finisher Alexa Fulton of Downingtown East.
Unionville’s girls 200 medley relay foursome of Molly Carson, Emma Shields, Madelyn Lowe and Iwasyk finished third (1:44.97), behind first-place Upper Dublin (1:43.92) and State College.
Carson finished fourth in the girls’ 100 back (55.72).
The Longhorns’ girls 200 free relay quartet of Emma McGovern, Emily Albans, Carson and Iwasyk finished sixth (1:35.64).
The Longhorns girls 400 free relay team of Emma McGovern, Emily Albans, Iwasyk and Molly Carson finished eighth (3:30.12), shaving more than four seconds off their seed time of 3:34.17.
Downingtown East
The Cougars, led by Fulton’s two gold medals, finished fifth in the girls’ team standings, with 111.50 points, just a half-point behind Unionville.
D-East was fifth in the girls 200 free relay (1:35.59) with the quartet of Alexa Fulton, Victoria Maki, Grace Noble and Grace Bousum.
The Cougars finished sixth in the girls 400 free relay with Alexa Fulton, Victoria Maki, Lindsay Blake and Grace Bousum (3:30.03).
Bousum finished seventh in the girls 200 free (1:51.73) and tied for 11th in the girls’ 100 fly (56.51).
For the D-East boys, senior DJ Fechtman finished ninth in the boys 100 back (50.86) and placed 12th in the boys’ 100 fly (50.79).
Graesser said, “I’m very proud of the East swimmers how they handled all the challenges this season, and how the seniors were leaders to their younger teammates.”
Conestoga (boys)
The Pioneers finished seventh in the boys team standings, with 93 points (LaSalle College was first with 309 points).
“This might have been our best team performance at States,” said Conestoga boys’ swimming coach Mark Tirone. “I brought six boys up here – a senior, four juniors and a freshman – and every one of them swam a PR; they all had a great meet.”
Conestoga finished fourth in the boys 200 medley relay, with a quartet of junior Ryan McDonough, freshman Jake Wang, junior Gary Wang and junior Stephen Graver (1:34.33).
The Pioneers also were fourth in the boys 400 free relay (3:08.23) with a lineup of Stephen Graver, Luke Nagel, Raymond Welgosh and Jake Wang. They shaved more than a second off their seed time (3:09.31).
Jake Wang finished sixth in the boys 100 breast (56.99), shaving nearly one second off his seed time.
A junior, Welgosh placed eighth in the boys 200 free (1:41.91), and Wang finished ninth in the boys 100 fly (50.55).
West Chester Henderson
The Warriors finished eighth in the girls’ team standings, with a total of 104 points.
Henderson junior Krista Marlin finished third in the girls 100 back with a clocking of 55.31 (her seed time was 55.85), and placed fifth in the girls 200 free (1:51.10), shaving more than a second off her seed time of 1:52.69.
Henderson finished fourth in the girls 200 free relay with a quartet of Katie Simpson, Rylee Kelly, Shannon Gamble and Marlin (1:35.31).
Henderson was fourth in the girls 400 free relay (3:29.01, nearly two seconds better than their seed time), with a quartet of Simpson, Kelly, Gamble and Marlin.
Kelly finished fifth in the girls 500 free with a clocking of 5:01.40, more than four seconds better than her seed time.
For the Henderson boys, junior Dylan Smolders finished seventh in the boys 200 IM (1:53.22) and placed 11th in the boys 500 free (4:39.90).
Conestoga (girls)
The Pioneers finished 10th in the girls team standings, with 97 points.
The Pioneers girls 400 free relay team of junior Delaney Burns, sophomore Audrey Laganelli, sophomore Naomi Furman and sophomore Lily Robinson finished second with a clocking of 3:28.59, nearly two seconds faster than their seed time (3:30.21). The quartet finished second to Wilson High School (3:27.17).
Robinson finished fourth in the girls 50 free (23.78), and placed ninth in the girls 100 free (51.90).
The Pioneers finished sixth in the girls 200 medley relay, with a quartet of junior Kallie Whitaker, Furman, Burns and Robinson (1:45.84).
Burns placed 10th in the girls 500 free (5:04.39), and in the process broke a school record that was Conestoga’s oldest swimming record (was set in 1994). Furman finished 11th the girls 100 breast (1:05.22).
Kennett
Blue Demon senior Sydney McCracken finished second in the girls 100 breast with a clocking of 1:02.62, more than a second faster than her seed time of 1:03.64. McCracken’s time set a new Kennett record, and was the final race of her high school career. The winner of the race was Shippensburg’s Julia Strine (1:02.33).
“It was a nail-biting, neck-and-neck battle down to the very last stroke,” said Kennett swimming coach Cindy Millison. “A crazy powerful last kick propelled Julia deep and into the wall just out touching Sydney for the win. Sydney had stronger pull outs but Julia had faster turns. It was Sydney’s last race of her high school career, and there was no better way to end than with a race like that one, and with a silver medal too.”
McCracken also finished seventh in the girls 200 IM (2:05.73), dropping nearly a minute from her seed time.
Kennett junior Liam Simmons finished fourth in the boys 100 back (with a school-record time of 50.04) and placed ninth in the boys’ 200 IM (1:53.56).
“Liam also had a great day, and had his second fastest times in both events,” said Millison. “Liam has very strong underwater kicks in backstroke and it is always fun to watch him build up speed into an explosive break out stroke. He brought his A game to the meet in backstroke today. We’re very proud of both Liam and Sydney.”
Other Chesco swimmers at States included: Oxford sophomore Alex Karahalis finished seventh in the boys 100 fly (50.42). Downingtown West senior Tori Howard finished 10th in the girls 100 back (56.88). Great Valley senior McKaylie Sullivan tied for 11th in the girls’ 100 fly (56.51).
