Downingtown East downs Kennett in swimming season opener

Uwchlan >> The Downingtown East and Kennett High School swimming teams kicked off their season Friday with some promising performances by both squads at the Lionville YMCA.
The host Cougars earned a double victory – the D-East girls prevailed 102-76, while the boys won 94-77. Although a few competitors were missing due to other commitments — Cougar senior Alexa Fulton, the Daily Local News 2021-22 Girls Swimmer of the Year, was at Nationals –- each squad posted several district consideration times.
“I’m very, very pleased with our performance today,” said Downingtown East boys coach Kirsten Snyder. “We were missing four boys today, and a few of our swimmers have been battling illness and were only able to get in 2-3 days of practice so far, but they hung in there.”
Downingtown East boys who posted district consideration times Friday included junior Gabe Carroll, who finished first in the 50 free (22.58) and 100 free (55.53); sophomore Matt DiAddezio in the 100 breast (1:05.67); junior Jack Thompson in the 100 breast (1:05.85); and the quartet of senior Luke Sperling, DiAddezio, George Liu and Carroll, who finished first in the 200 medley relay (1:43.90).
Other first-place finishes for East on Friday were Sperling in the 100 back (59.84), DiAddezio in the 200 IM (2:12.98), Thompson in the 500 free (5:17.82) and the quartet of Carroll, Sperling, Thompson and Niall Richards in the 200 free relay (1:34.42).
“We’re a young team,” noted Snyder.
The victorious East girls were missing Fulton and senior Cady Kiebort (Nationals) on Friday, but got a trio of first-place finishes from their other top senior, Victoria Maki.
Maki placed first in the 200 free (2:08.89), 50 free (26.65) and was the leadoff swimmer in the first-place 200 medley relay (2:01.59), which included Finley Mulhern, Kate Gersbach and Sydney Greene.
Other first place finishers were Courtney Jefferis (diving, 179.70), Reya Petrick (100 free), the 200 free relay team of freshman Lucy Obenski, Ellie Reese, freshman Hayley Heckler and Mulhern (1:53.84) and Obenski in the 100 back (1:07.99).
Prior to the start of the season, D-East girls coach Sean Wyatt had mentioned that they would have a strong freshman class of swimmers this winter. On Friday, a couple of 9th-graders, Obenski and Hackler, particularly sparkled.
Obenski finished first in the 100 back, second in the 200 IM and was the leadoff swimmer for the first-place 200 free relay. Heckler was second in the 100 free, third in the 200 free and was part of the winning 200 free relay.
“I thought they both did a good job today,” noted Wyatt.
For Kennett, sophomore Alexandra Scime and junior Gabe Summa posted district consideration times Friday.
Scime posted her district consideration time in the girls 500 free (5:25.30), where she finished first; and Summa recorded his in the boys 100 fly (56.18), where he finished second.
Scime also finished first in the girls 200 IM (2:20.17), and was the anchor swimmer for the first-place girls 400 free relay (4:24.31).
“She (Scime) is exceptional in all events, specifically distance free,” said Kennett head coach Cindy Millison a few days before Friday’s meet.
On Friday, Millison also praised Erik Floren-Smith, who finished first in the boys 200 free (1:56.79), posted a time of 1:08.46 in the boys 100 breast and anchored the first-place boys 400 free relay team.
“We had some good performances today,” said Millison. “Right now, we have some club swimmers who are at the height of their training and are exhausted right now. We’ll start tapering next week.”
Other first-place finishers for Kennett included Sam Kjelstrom (diving, 171.85), Julia Banker (100 fly, 1:07.63), Luke Myers (100 free, 54.71), the girls 400 free relay team of Cara Steffensen, Banker, Maddie Skrypzak and Scime (4:24.31) and the boys 400 free relay quartet of Quinlan Williams, Summa, Myers and Floren-Smith.
“Julia Banker dropped six seconds in the fly,” noted Millison. “We also had three swimmers today who had never swam competitively before and did very well today – Cassie Coats, Brooks Parlier and Jackson Caruso.”