District record for OJR’s Richards, threepeat for PJP’s Phillips at District 1 Swimming Championships

February 27, 2022

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Logan Richards wasn’t sure where he stood when he touched the wall Saturday in the 200-yard freestyle at the District 1 Swimming Championships.

On Sunday, after racing the 500-yard freestyle, the Owen J. Roberts junior knew exactly where he stood.

And it only got better when he looked to the time board.

A new District 1 record 4:28.76.

Richards’ record-smashing 500 – he bested the 4:31.28 of Kennett’s Emils Jurcik set in 2018 – earned him a second gold medal from the two-day District 1 meet held at the Graham Aquatic Center at the York YMCA after winning the 200 free a day earlier.

“Oh my god, it was probably the best feeling of my life,” Richards said. “Halfway through the race I knew I was in the lead and I just expanded my lead even more. I didn’t even know – I wasn’t going for the record, I was just trying to win. But after I saw I was out so far ahead I just went for it.”

“I touched the wall and when I turned around and looked at the clock it said ‘4:28’ that’s when everything just clicked and I realized what I’d done.”

Perkiomen Valley’s Jacob Replogle, who was the reigning champion in the event, placed third in the 500, touching in 4:35.97.

Pope John Paul II’s Henry Phillips won the same race in Class 2A, his 4:44.51 well ahead of second place (5:00.06 by Lower Moreland’s Bumyeol Park). It was Phillips’ third straight district championship in the event.

Methacton’s Chris Groff earned bronze in the 100 backstroke with a 51.63.

Owen J. Roberts senior Lauren Zelinske reached the podium by placing fifth in the 100 backstroke (58.18), the highest finish for a PAC girl on Sunday. Zelinske also finished 10th in the 500 free.

Spring-Ford junior Ashley Gutshall placed sixth in the 100 free with a 51.92. Upper Merion’s Lindsay Yuen also medaled with her seventh-place finish in the 100 breast.

Phoenixville’s Kenzie Padilla just missed a medal when she placed ninth in the 500 free.

Richards anchored the OJR 400 free relay that placed sixth. He was joined by freshman Colin Davis, senior Will Cano and junior Eskander Bierman. Davis placed ninth individually in the 100 free.

Richards said having a Saturday win under his belt ‘gave me a huge confidence boost’ for his 500 swim Sunday. He was a record-setter at the Pioneer Athletic Conference Championships on Feb. 12 when he broke the Perkiomen Valley pool record with a 4:36.39.

He chose not to hold anything back Sunday.

“I used to swim (a 500 free) as a build through the whole thing and split it into 250s, a 250 strong and then whatever I have left, but today I just wanted to see how fast I could go out,” Richards said. “I’m pretty sure I was out in like 1:46 and that’s by far the fastest I’ve been out. That’s actually the first time I’ve ever swam a 500 free like that and it really worked out for me. I just went for it and put everything in there.”

Richards credits the rigorous training from coaches Kevin Bott and Chris Burns that has helped elevate from a swimmer who didn’t even qualify from the 500 free in 2021 to a record-setter.

“I had no idea I’d ever be going 4:28 in a 500 free. Last year I didn’t even qualify for the 500 free. And now here I am winning with a district record,” Richards said.

“They put me through some of the hardest practices I’ve ever been through and that definitely contributed a lot. I’ve really amped my yardage and my time and input into the sport.

“It was a tough decision because it’s really hard, it takes a huge toll on your body. Some of the hardest practices I’ve been though in my life, but it all pays off in the end.”

District 1 Championships – Boys Results (Sunday)

District 1 Championships – Girls Results (Sunday)

District 1 Swimming Championships

At York YMCA

Boys Class 3A

Top 3 and PAC finishers

Team Standings

1. North Penn 324; 2. Conestoga 295.5; 3. Central Bucks East 157; 4. Souderton 134.5; 5. Springfield-Delco 132; 6. Owen J. Roberts 123.5; 7. Council Rock North 96; 8. Hatboro-Horsham 89; 9. WC Henderson 84.5; 10. Upper Dublin 81. 12. Methacton 78; 15. Perkiomen Valley 57; 29. Spring-Ford 6; 36. Upper Perkiomen 2.
100 free
1. Marcus Papanikolaou, CB East, 45.03; 2. Liam Simmons, Kennett, 46.37; 3. Connor Brennan, Upper Dublin, 46.74; 9. Colin Davis, OJR, 47.33; 14. Tommy Gibbs, Methacton, 47.84; 19. Will Cano, OJR, 48.20; 39. Josh McKelvy, Upper Perk, 50.33;
500 free
1. Logan Richards, OJR, 4:28.76 (district record); 2. Danny Dunigan, North Penn, 4:35.70; 3. Jacob Replogle, Perk Valley, 4:35.97; 20. Eric Harter, Upper Perk, 4:52.17; 25. Harry Tye, Boyertown, 4:53.27; 29. Nolan McCloskey, Upper Perk, 4:58.34.
100 breast
1. Jake Wang, Conestoga, 55.40; 2. Alex Karahalis, Oxford, 56.29; 3. David Ji, Hatboro-Horsham, 57.06; 11. Cooper Demark, Perk Valley, 59.99; 15. Dylan Phan, Methacton, 1:00.74.
100 back
1. Liam Simmons, Kennett, 49.48; 2. Gary Wang Conestoga, 50.61; 3. Christopher Groff, Methacton, 51.63; 17. Patrick Baganski, Spring-Ford, 54.62; 29. Nate Kulp, OJR, 56.85.
400 free relay
1. Conestoga (Wang, Yeniay, Welgosh, Graver), 3:05.94; 2. North Penn (Potts, Faikish, Freece, Klein), 3:06.04; 3. Central Bucks East (Papanikolaou, Miksa, Lever, LeMay) 3:08.94; 6. Owen J Roberts 3:12.55; 15. Methacton 3:18.18; 20. Perk valley 3:22.51.

Boys Class 2A

Top 3 and PAC finishers
Team Standings
1. Springfield Montco 361.5; 2. Upper Moreland 325.5; 3. Lower Moreland 324; 4. Sun Valley 185; 5. Holy Ghost Prep 164; 6. Bishop Shanahan 122; 7. Pope John Paul II 107; 8. Pottsgrove 23.
100 free
1. Will Cross, Springfield-Montco, 47.80; 2. Michael Hood, Springfield-Montco, 48.26; 3. Jude Blumhardt, Lower Moreland, 48.60; 9. Declan Keener, Pottsgrove, 51.23
500 free
1. Henry Phillips, Pope John Paul II, 4:44.51; 2. Bumyeol Park, Lower Moreland, 5:00.06; 3. Zander Butterworth, Upper Moreland, 5:17.66; 6. Aidan Maiale, PJP, 5:32.68.
100 back
1. Bennett Grothusen, Springfield-Montco, 53.13; 2. Ian Pervall, Upper Moreland, 54.82; 3. Sam Shtrambrand, Lower Moreland, 56.31.
100 breast
1. Andrew Kaupp, MaST, 1:00.16; 2. Josh Ferker, Lower Moreland, 1:01.32; 3. Aidan Meehan, Lower Moreland, 1:02.38.
400 free relay
1. Springfield-Montco 3:14.88; 2. Lower Moreland 3:22.58; 3. Upper Moreland 3:37.43.

Girls Class 3A

Top 3 and PAC finishers
Team Standings
1. Conestoga 312; 2. Hatboro-Horsham 262; 3. North Penn 171; 4. West Chester Henderson 158; 5. Upper Dublin 128; 6. Radnor 127; 7. Owen J. Roberts 105.5; 8. Souderton 100; 9. Downingtown East 94; 10. Unionville 78; 12. Spring-Ford 54.5; 27. Phoenixville 26; 29. Methacton 22; 30. Pekriomen Valley 20.
100 free
1. Alexa Fulton, Downingtown East, 50.29; 2. Annie Jia, Hatboro-Horsham, 50.39; 3. Lily Robinson, Conestoga, 50.88; 6. Ashley Gutshall, Spring-Ford, 51.92; 11. Madison Wimmer, Methacton, 52.63; 12. Eliana Crew, OJR, 52.87
500 free
1. Kat Eruslanova, Haverford, 4:52.88; 2. Krista Marlin, Henderson, 4:54.95; 3. Delaney Burns, Conestoga, 4:57.23; 9. Kenzie Padilla, Phoenixville, 5:11.97; 10. Lauren Zelinske, OJR, 5:12.76; 18. Maddy Deeney, Phoenixville, 5:17.69; 28. Truly Sommer, Methacton, 5:21.36; 31. Ella Dittmar, Perk Valley, 5:23.81; 39. Olivia Cooper, OJR, 5:26.82
100 back
1. Kate Levensten, Harriton, 54.78; 2. Meghan DeMartile, Upper Dublin, 54.94; 3. Alexa Conner, Lower Merion, 56.04; 5. Lauren Zelinske, OJR, 58.18; 18. Maris Sadowski, SF, 1:0056; 27. Mackenzie Gorman, OJR, 1:02.39.
100 breast
1. Kathy Jia, Hatboro-Horsham, 1:02.63; 2. Naomi Furman, Conestoga, 1:04.12; 3. Jessica Burns, Souderton, 1:05.12; 7. Lindsay Yuen, UMerion, 1:06.44; 17. Sydney Koehler, SF, 1:07.95; 20. Tamara Engler, Boyertown, 1:08.44; 24. Molly Krock, Pottsgrove, 1:08.86
400 free relay
1. Hatboro-Horsham 3:26.82; 2. West Chester Henderson 3:28.09; 3. Conestoga 3:28.72; 7. OJR 3:34.75; 13. Spring-Ford 3:38.04.

Girls Class 2A

Top 3 and PAC finishers
Team Standings
1 Springfield-Montco 308; 2. Nazareth Academy 273; 3. Lower Moreland 239; 4. Villa Maria 234; 5. Gwynedd Mercy 196; 6. Merion Mercy 149; 7. Marple Newtown 108; 8. Upper Perkiomen 80; 9. Pope John Paul II 70; 10. Villa Joseph Marie 49.
100 free
1. AnnaScott McKeaney, Delco Christian, 52.67; 2. Hannah King, Villa Maria, 54.35; 3. Grace Duncheskie, Springfield-Montco, 55.01
500 free
1. Megan Smith, Nazareth, 5:16.83; 2. Brynn Romberger, Gwynedd Mercy, 5:27.36; 3. Quincey Kilbride, Nazareth, 5:33.42; 8. Mia Hang, Upper Perkiomen, 5:49.43
100 back
1. Mia Longo, Merion Mercy, 1:02.28; 2. Callie Walker, Nazareth, 1:02.58; 3. Darragh Martin, Upper Perk, 1:03.50; 7. Shae Gonzales, PJP, 1:05.01.
100 breast
1. Sue Bin Park, Lower Moreland, 1:05.07; 2. Grace Duncheskie, Springfield, 1:08.45; 3. Andrery McKeaney, Delco Christian, 1:10.80
400 free relay
1. Nazareth 3:43.62; 2. Gwynedd Mercy 3:47.54; 3. Villa Maria 3:47.95