Perkiomen Valley’s Replogle earns silver in 200 free at PIAA Championships

There weren’t many higher spots for Jacob Replogle to go on the 200-yard freestyle podium at the PIAA Swimming Championships after placing fifth as a junior.

But the Perkiomen Valley senior managed to achieve the feat Wednesday on the first day of the state championships at Bucknell University when he earned a silver medal in the Class 3A 200 freestyle with a school-record 1:39.55.

Replogle, who entered states already a three-time PIAA medalist, finished behind only Governor Mifflin senior Ben Gerhard (1:38.88). Owen J. Roberts junior Logan Richards, the District 1 champion in the event, finished in sixth (1:41.41).

Phoenixville sophomore Kenzie Padilla and Spring-Ford junior Ashley Gutshall — both returning PIAA medalists — were the other two PAC swimmers to earn hardware on Wednesday.

Padilla followed her silver medal at the District 1 championships with a fourth place medal in the 100 butterfly for the second year in a row, swimming a school-record time of 55.16 seconds.

Gutshall, who finished sixth in the 50 free at states a season ago, added another medal to her collection with an eighth place finish (23.98) on Wednesday.

She went to states as a freshman and was a first-time medalist last season, but this was her first time getting a taste of a final at the state meet.

“It was definitely different to go back to finals,” said Gutshall, who also went to states as a freshman. “They turned all the lights off at the beginning and everything got dead silent. It was so cool and everyone went, ‘ooooh’. It was different. It was so cool.”

Gutshall was also part of the Spring-Ford girls’ first-ever relay team to qualify for states. Gutshall anchored the 200 medley relay team along with junior Maris Sadowski, sophomore Sydney Koehler and freshman Abby Koehler to the ‘B’ finals, finishing 12th (1:47.85).

The Rams also swam in the 400 free relay on Thursday.

“I’ve been waiting so long to have a team to be with me,” Gutshall said. “I could see them all and we could all be there and we could stay in a hotel room together. It was just so much fun to be with all my friends.”

Methacton sophomore Madison Wimmer was another individual finalist on Wednesday in her first trip to states, making the ‘B’ finals of the 20 0free and finishing 10th with a time of 1:52:00. Wimmer also competed in the 100 free on Thursday.

Owen J. Roberts’ girls 200 free relay team of freshman Kaitlyn McGuire, senior Lauren Zelinske, junior Natalie Spencer and junior Eliana Crew finished 10th (1:38.39), and the Methacton’s boys 200 medley relay team of junior Christopher Groff, senior Dylan Phan, senior Tommy Gibbs and sophomore Christian Lebold finished 15th (1:37.25) to round out Wednesday’s finalists.