Conestoga boys defeat tough Springfield squad, Pioneer girls also victorious

Tredyffrin >> The Conestoga High School boys swimming team faced a tough challenge against Springfield (Delco) on Friday evening — the Cougars finished second at the Central League Boys Championships last winter and had many returners for the 2022-23 season — and the Pioneers (2-0) came away with a solid performance and victory at the Upper Main Line YMCA.
“Our team came ready to swim tonight, and before the meet I put emphasis (to our swimmers) on the fact the Springfield is going to be a tough team and we can’t back down from them,” said Conestoga boys swimming coach Mark Tirone. “You can’t go home after school and sleep until it’s time to go to the pool – you’ve got to be focused and come in ready to swim.”
Tirone also mentioned the Pioneers’ depth as a key to the victory.
“All the way across, we had a lot of good depth with our younger swimmers,” said Tirone. “They had the understanding that you’re not competing against the guy in Lane 3, you’re competing against everyone in the pool, and let’s beat some of them … I let our swimmers know that, unlike other sports, we get points for second, third, fourth, fifth, and it’s the fourth and fifth swimmers that are really essential to a team win.”
Conestoga ended the meet leading by a score of 106-64 – the diving event against Springfield will be held in a few days, which will complete the meet score.
Junior Jake Wang won the 100 free (46.21) and the 100 back (54.61). Also for Conestoga, junior John Yeniay won the 200 free (1:48.43) and the 500 free (4:49.08)
When junior Brock Whitaker completed his first-place swim in the 200 IM (1:59.55), a raucous cheer filled the packed stands at the Upper Main Line YMCA. The fans — some of them college students home for Christmas break — were spirited throughout the meet.
“Not only did our swimmers have the enthusiasm in the pool, the fans had it in the stands, which goes a long way,” said a smiling Tirone.
Sophomore Stanley Cui finished first in the 100 breast, and the Pioneers finished first in two relays. The 200 medley relay of Yeniay, Wang, sophomore Hutch Wood and Whitaker finished first (1:35.71), and the 400 free relay quartet of Wang, Yeniay, senior Andrew Zhang and Whitaker placed first (3:12.73).
For the Springfield boys (1-1), junior Jake Kennedy finished first in the 50 free (21.35) and junior Jacob Johnson was first in the 100 fly (49.45). Each of those swimmers had finished first in those respective events at last year’s Central League championships.
“Jacob Johnson and Jake Kennedy seem like they’re setting themselves up to have another magnificent year,” said Springfield coach Derek Kay.
In the 200 free relay, the quartet of Johnson, Jake Kennedy, Luke Kennedy and Tristan Ronayne finished first (1:28.29).
“Conestoga looks like they’re in their season form again,” said Kay, with a smile.
The Conestoga girls ended their meet against Springfield leading 85-74 with the diving event to come in a few days – and the Pioneers have two of the best divers around in sophomore Avery Hillier and junior Grace Gallagher. In addition, they had swims that were faster than Springfield’s first-place finishers, but were counted as exhibition swims — in the 100 back, 100 breast and 400 free relay.
First-place finishers in individual events for Conestoga included senior Lily Robinson in the 200 free (1:59.86), senior Audrey Laganelli in the 200 IM (2:12.36), senior Ayala Miller in the 50 free (25.87), sophomore Brianna Fan in the 100 fly (1:03.30) and Mackenzie Nagel in the 500 free (5:20.76).
Conestoga also won the 200 medley relay (Keira Haas, Hadar Miller, Jena Nowoswiat and Laganelli, 1:52.32) and the 200 free relay (Nowoswiat, Laganelli, Maddie Fox and Robinson, 1:40.49).
“I think it was a great team effort, and a lot of depth showed through today,” said Conestoga girls coach Rob Kirkby. “I think the best swim of the day was Keira Haas in the 100 back (1:00.60). I thought everything about that race was really good, it was nice to see. It also was good to have our captain, Lily Robinson, back in the pool — she wasn’t here last week because she was at a championship meet – it was great to have her back, she’s a great team leader.”
Top exhibition swims for the Pioneers included Haas in the 100 back (1:00.60) and Hadar Miller in the 100 breast (1:09.81), as well as the 400 free relay team of Ayala Miller, Nagel, Haas and Robinson (3:48.81).
For Springfield, senior Alena Chung won the 100 free (57.11). Ayva Christie got first-place points in the 100 back (1:01.50), Delanie McPeak got won the 100 breast (1:18.42) and the 400 free relay team of Addyson Despeaux, Hannah Barber, Chung and Michelle Kubiak captured the top spot with a clocking of 3:55.26.