PIAA Swimming: Phoenixville runner, swimmer Padilla takes another trip to states; OJR freshman Davis off to the races

Phoenixville sophomore swimmer Kenzie Padilla is no stranger to the biggest stage of high school sports.

A PIAA qualifier in swimming as a freshman in 2020-21, Padilla added onto her individual résumé with a trip to the state cross country championships this fall.

The multi-sport standout will take a third trip to the state championships when she represents the Phantoms again at the PIAA Swimming Championships, taking place Wednesday through Saturday at Bucknell University.

“I’m super excited and I’m really excited that it’s going to be a more normal states this year because I didn’t get to have that last year,” Padilla said. “I got to go to cross country states this year in the fall, too. It was so cool with the spectators and the environment was really fun. I’m excited to have that for swimming now.”

Padilla’s multi-sport background stems from her parents.

Her mother Colleen and father Mike were both cross country runners at Cornell University. Her mother was also a swimmer in high school.

In her first two high school seasons she’s excelled at cross country and swimming and also runs track as well.

“Swimming has pretty much always been my main thing,” Padilla said. “I’ve done it since I was little, but cross country I ran for middle school and my parents ran in college, so that’s kind of how I got into it. And for high school I started running a lot more and I like it a lot too. Swimming has basically always been the main thing, but I try to do both now.”

While sometimes a challenge, she said she’s found a way to balance both sports.

Padilla made strides in cross country this past fall, finishing 10th at districts – up from 27th as a freshman –  before a 31st place finish in her first state cross country meet.

Last winter she finished sixth in the 100 butterfly (56.48) and eighth in the 500 freestyle (5:11.39) at the District 1 swimming championships and grabbed a fourth place medal in the 100 fly at states.

She enters her second go-around at the state swimming championships with the third-fastest time in the 100 fly (55.63) and 24th-fastest time in the 500 free (5:11.97) after second and ninth place finishes at districts in both events, respectively.

“I think swimming and running definitely work well together since they’re both endurance sports,” Padilla said. “I think that helps. It’s obviously hard during peak swim season to run and during peak cross country season to swim as much as I’d like to but I think they definitely work really well together and I’m able to switch between the two.”

 

Due to COVID-19 precautions and restrictions, all races were finals last season and the championships took place in two day — Girls 2A/Boys 3A on Friday and Boys 2A/Girls 3A on Saturday.

But this season, Padilla is excited to have the ‘full experience’.

She headed to Bucknell Tuesday for registration and practice, and will compete in the 100 fly Wednesday and the 500 free Thursday.

“I really just want to have fun, and I want to try my best,” Padilla said. “I think it will be really exciting to make finals, so I want to do that.”

There won’t be much time for rest after she finishes as track season is already underway for the long-distance runner.

“I’ll be able to hop right in pretty easily because I’m in shape from the swimming,” Padilla said.

OJR’s Davis learns the ropes quick

Colin Davis said he didn’t have any set in stone goals for his first high school season.

As a rookie to this level of swimming, the Owen J. Roberts freshman didn’t know what to expect.

“Once the realization kicked in that I’m swimming with the big guys here and making districts, I didn’t really have much of a goal but just to have fun and swim as fast I can and do as best as I can,” Davis said.

Even in his first year, Davis’ best took him pretty far. The OJR freshman swimmer is ready to swim in two events at the PIAA swimming championships this week, swimming in the 50 free on Wednesday and 100 free on Thursday at Bucknell University.

“I mainly just came on the team to have fun with the whole group and just get to learn people and swim with the team,” Davis said. “I didn’t really have a goal of getting to states, but eventually it just led along to that, and I’m ready to go out there and have some fun.”

Davis is a part of a large Owen J. Roberts contingent at states after both the boys and girls teams went undefeated to win Pioneer Athletic Conference championships.

On the boys side, OJR junior Logan Richards joins Davis as an individual qualifier in the 500 free (4:28.76) and 200 free (1:40.56) after claiming gold in both at the District 1 championships. He has the top time in the 500 and third fastest time in the 200 free heading into states. Both Davis and Richards will also swim legs of the Wildcats’ 200 and 400 free relays at states.

On the girls side, senior Lauren Zelinske (500 free, 100 back) and juniors Natalie Spencer (50 free, 100 fly) and Eliana Crew (50 free, 100 free) will compete in multiple individual events along with the Wildcats’ 200 and 400 free relays.

“We were very fortunate to have such a great team and just all around great people on it,” Davis said.

Davis placed ninth in the 100 free (47.33) and tied for fifth in the 50 free (21.35) at the District 1 championships last month. In his first trip to states, he enters the 50 free with the 12th best time and the 100 free with the 23rd best time in the states.

He said districts was one of the biggest meets of his swimming career. States will be on another level, but it would not surprising to see another strong performance out the freshman who seems to have the mindset to thrive in big races.

“Before you get up there, it’s really exciting to see all these people cheering, see all these people crowd around,” Davis said. “It really just gets the adrenaline flowing and it’s just a great fun experience.”

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Listed below are the Pioneer Athletic Conference’s other PIAA Qualifiers:

BOYS 3A

200 medley relay: 12. Methacton (1:36.03), 24. Perkiomen Valley (1:38.68).

200 free: 3. Logan Richards, Jr., Owen J. Roberts (1:40.56); 9. Jacob Replogle, Sr., Perkiomen Valley (1:41.43); 23. Chris Groff, Jr. Methacton (1:44.13).

100 fly: 13. Tommy Gibbs, Sr., Methacton (50.87).

100 back: 10. Chris Groff, Jr., Methacton (51.63).

50 free: 12. Colin Davis, Fr., Owen J. Roberts (21.35).

100 free: 23. Colin Davis, Fr., Owen J. Roberts (47.33).

500 free: 1. Logan Richards, Jr., Owen J. Roberts (4:28.76), 6. Jacob Replogle, Sr., Perkiomen Valley (4:35.97).

200 free relay: 18. Owen J. Roberts (1:27.29).

400 free relay: 20. Owen J. Roberts (3:12.55).

200 medley relay: 24. Perkiomen Valkey (1:38.68).

BOYS 2A

200 free: 8. Henry Phillips, Jr., Pope John Paul II (1:45.22).

500 free: 4. Henry Phillips, Jr., Pope John Paul II (4:44.51).

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GIRLS 3A

Diving: Gabby Filzen, Sr., Perkiomen Valley.

200 medley relay: 14. Spring-Ford (1:47.69).

200 free: 8. Madison Wimmer, So, Methacton (1:51.80).

100 free: 11. Ashley Gutshall, Jr., Spring-Ford (51.92); 19. Madison Wimmer, So., Methacton (52.63); 22. Eliana Crew, Jr., Owen J. Roberts (52.87).

50 free: 18. Eliana Crew, Jr., Owen J. Roberts (24.27); 27. Ashley Gutshall, Jr., Spring-Ford (24.43); 27. Natalie Spencer, Jr., Owen J. Roberts (24.43).

100 fly: 3. Kenzie Padilla, So., Phoenixville (55.63); 26. Natalie Spencer, Jr., Owen J. Roberts (58.72).

500 free: 24. Kenzie Padilla, So., Phoenixville (5:11.97), 25. Lauren Zelinske, Sr., Owen J. Roberts (5:12.76).

200 free relay: 7. Owen J. Roberts (1:37.25).

100 back: 20. Lauren Zelinske, Sr., Owen J. Roberts (58.18).

400 free relay: 18. Owen J. Roberts (3:34.75); 29. Spring-Ford (3:38.04).

100 breast: 21. Lindsay Yuen, Sr., Upper Merion (1:06.44).