Unionville girls, Malvern Prep both earn victories in season-opening tri-meet

Malvern >> The Unionville girls and the Malvern Prep boys both opened their respective dual meet swimming seasons with victories Tuesday in a tri-meet at Malvern.
The Friars defeated the Unionville boys, 105-73, while the Longhorn girls downed Villa Maria Academy, 125-56.

“We had good leadership today from our seniors, and we have lots of depth,” said Malvern Prep’s first-year head coach Bethany DeWitt. “Our kids have been working hard, and it’s good to see them start off their season with a win.”
Malvern Prep senior diver Nick Harris, who has committed to the University of Texas, easily won the boys’ 1-meter diving event Tuesday, with a score of 348.80 (the second-place finisher tallied 115.65).
Harris, who left after Tuesday’s meet for the Winter Nationals in Bloomington, Ind. Dec. 16-18, said, “I was trying to get a feel for the upcoming season today, trying out some new dives like the full out and the front 3 ½ – I think I scored 7 on both of them.”

A trio of Malvern swimmers won two individual events apiece – senior Kevin Cary won the boys 100 fly (54.57) and the boys 500 free (4:44.26), junior Ben Kutufaris was first in the 100 free (49.29) and 200 free (1:47.51) and senior Alex Hamill was first in the boys 200 IM (1:59.53) and boys 50 free (23.36). Senior Patrick Rooney had the fastest time in the boys 100 breast (1:00.97).
Malvern Prep also had the fastest time in all three relays – the boys 200 medley relay team of Alex Hamill, Patrick Rooney, David Woerner and Colby Weaver won with a clocking of 1:41.53; the boys 200 free relay quartet of Tom Moul, Ben Kutufaris, Davis Woerner and Kevin Cary had a winning time of 1:30.70; and the boys 400 free relay team of Kevin Cary, Patrick Rooney, Ben Kutufaris and Tom Moul had the fastest time of 3:22.91.

The Unionville girls had a trio of swimmers who won two individual events apiece. Sophomore Izzy Iwasyk won the girls 50 free and girls 100 free, senior Emily Albans finished first in the girls 100 fly and girls 100 back, and Madeline Braithwaite won the girls 200 IM and girls 100 breast.
Iwasyk, who finished second in the girls 50 free at the PIAA Class 3A state championships last winter, posted a time of 24.14 in the girls 50 free Tuesday and a clocking of 54.16 in the girls 100 free.
Albans posted a winning time of 1:00.69 in the girls 100 fly and a first-place clocking of 1:01.13 in the girls 100 back. Braithwaite’s winning times were 2:25.66 in the girls 200 IM and 1:13.99 in the girls 100 breast.

“It’s nice to be back in the pool for a dual meet again – everyone on our team did a great job,” said Unionville head coach Mike Mangan, who has returned to coach the Longhorns after serving as their head coach from 2000-2002.
The Longhorn girls swept the relays. In the girls 200 medley relay, Izzy Iwasyk, Delaney Harlan, Emma Hill and Jullian Murphy had a winning time of 1:52.93; the Unionville quartet of Albans, Harlan, Murphy and Amelia Miller won the girls 200 free relay by clocking 1:44.60; and the Longhorn team of Lauren Dobie, Miller, Albans and Iwasyk had a first-place time of 3:50.94.
Unionville’s Luscinia Quance won the girls 500 free (5:50.77). Mangan also noted that senior Jenna O’Neill had a good performance in the girls 50 free (28.30, third place).
For the Unionville boys Tuesday, Matt Mclellan finished first in the boys’ 100 back with a clocking of 55.05.
The Longhorns’ next dual meet is against Oxford Jan. 7.
For Villa Maria Academy, there were some bright spots in its loss to Unionville.
Villa Maria senior captain Hannah King won the girls 200 free with a time of 2:01.53, and was second in the girls 100 free (56.75)..
In the girls 1-meter diving, Villa Maria Academy finished 1-2-3, led by senior Peyton Kintzley (191.93), Mary Cate Doughty (190.51) and senior Morgan Kelly (183.91).
Two Hurricane freshmen made the District cut – Ainsley Ingram in the girls 10 back (1:08.75) and Keriann Collison in the girls 100 fly (1:07.22).