Undefeated Henderson swim teams roll on against Coatesville

Caln >> The West Chester Henderson girls’ swimming team, which includes a trio of state medal-winning seniors that helped the Warriors place eighth at States last winter, is off to a 3-0 start this season after defeating host Coatesville, 91-66, Wednesday.
The Henderson boys made it a doubleheader sweep Wednesday, beating Coatesville 83-43 to improve their record to an identical 3-0.
Both Henderson squads feature a flock of underclassmen – at the beginning of the season, Warrior head coach Jeff Bott noted that his team had 32 underclassmen girls and 16 underclassmen boys. Against Coatesville, a team that had only about 20 swimmers Wednesday (six were not available due to COVID), Bott gave a variety of young Warrior swimmers some opportunities in various events.
“Today, we were mixing it up, putting swimmers in different individual events to see what some of them could do,” said Bott. “Our team has been training hard, coming out of the holidays, and I think we showed depth across the board today. For both the boys and girls teams, our freshmen and sophomores really stepped up today.”
Some of the Henderson underclassmen girls who sparkled Wednesday were freshman Meghan Denney, who won the girls 500 free (5:51.40) and placed second in the 200 IM (2:26.12); freshman Caelen Ladd, who posted the second-fastest time in the girls 100 breast (1:12.33); sophomore Gabby Daltry, who placed second in the girls 100 fly (1:07.46); and sophomore Natalie Krauss, who was second in the girls 50 free (27.66) and posted the second-fastest time in the girls 100 back (1:10.60).
For the Warrior boys, top underclassmen included freshman Finn Lukens, who posted the fastest time in the boys 100 breast (1:04.44) and freshman Eddie Stoltz, who won the boys 200 IM (2:13.17) and posted the fastest time in the boys’ 100 back (59.32).
Sophomore Vedant Bedekar, who was a member of the Warriors’ boys 400 free relay at Districts last winter, finished first in the boys 50 free Wednesday (22.90), and posted the fastest time in the boys 500 free (5:30.81).
“There were many underclassmen who swam well for us today,” noted Bott.
Henderson’s seniors also displayed some winning individual performances Wednesday.
Henderson senior Krista Marlin, who finished third in the girls 100 back and placed fifth in the girls 200 free at States last winter, finished first in both the girls 100 free (25.14) and girls 100 free (54.22) Wednesday.
Warrior senior Rylee Kelly, who finished fifth in the girls 500 free at States last year, won the girls 200 free Wednesday with a clocking of 2:04.75.
Henderson senior Katie Simpson, who along with Marlin and Kelly was part of two fourth-place relay teams at States last winter, finished first in the girls 200 IM (2:22.23) Wednesday.
Warrior senior Dylan Smolders, who last winter at States finished seventh in the boys 200 IM and was 11th in the boys 500 free (4:39.90), finished first in the boys 100 fly Wednesday (54.81).
Other Henderson swimmers who placed first in individual events Wednesday were Colin Smolders (boys 200 free, 2:05.84); Evan Janak (boys 100 free, 53.69); Hannah Fielding (girls 1-meter diving, 164.70); Ryan Chiazza (boys 1-meter diving, 158.30); and Shannon Gamble (girls 100 fly, 1:06.87). In the girls 100 back, the fastest time was posted by Henderson’s Lauren Cotellesse (1:07.72).
Henderson handily won the opening two events, the girls 200 medley relay and the boys 200 medley relay. The girls’ quartet of Simpson, Marlin, Daltry and Denney posted a time of 1:55.22, and the boys’ foursome of Kevin Filipas, Quinn Bruton, Dylan Smolders and Stoltz was clocked at 1:49.23.
While Henderson earned first-place points in the first 15 events Wednesday, Coatesville swimmers captured several second-place spots in those events. Coatesville sophomore Macey Speakman placed second in the girls’ 200 free (2:07.69); the Raider quartet of James Layden, Joseph Wayne, Julian Hernandez and Benjamin O’Toole was second in the boys 200 medley relay (2:05.07); and Kierstyn Lloyd finished second in the girls 100 free (1:01.27).
Speakman later placed first in the girls 100 breast, posting the fastest time of 1:10.56.
In the girls 200 free relay, the Coatesville quartet of Lloyd, Ava Stewart, Anna Hillman and Speakman picked up first-place points with a time of 1:50.01.
“I feel we’re making progress and I think we’re going to be on the up and up [improving] the rest of the season,” said Coatesville swimming coach Logan Storm. “We have [many] swimmers who offer a lot to the table.”