Chesco swimmers make waves at Taper Meet #3

West Chester >> Many Chester County high school swimmers were aiming to post PIAA District 1 consideration times at the Taper Meet Tuesday evening at the West Chester YMCA. The well-attended event included some top swimmers, such as Downingtown East senior Alexa Fulton, the Daily Local News Girls Swimmer of the Year last winter.
Fulton, who finished first in the girls 50 free at the PIAA 3A state championships last winter with a meet record 22.66, finished first in the 50 free Tuesday with a clocking of 23.21.
In the 100 free, Fulton, who won a gold medal at States last winter with a personal-best 49.04, swam a time of 50.02 Tuesday. Both of her winning times easily cleared the District 1 3A consideration times of 25.75 (girls 50 free) and 56.70 (girls 100 free).
Fulton also anchored two first-place relay teams. The Downingtown East quartet of Victoria Maki, Cady Kiebort, Hayley Heckler and Fulton finished first in the girls 200 free relay (1:41.37). The foursome of Maki, Finley Mulhern, Kiebort and Fulton finished first in the girls 200 medley relay (1:51.90). Both winning relay times were several seconds faster than the District 1 3A consideration time.
This taper meet was Fulton’s first high school event this season – she was at Junior Nationals for the Cougars’ first two dual meets.
“This meet was really about getting back with the (D-East) team, getting ready to race high school again, and swim with the relays,” said Fulton. “We really wanted to get our District cuts out of the way. Last winter, we had two relays at States, and we didn’t lose any of those relay swimmers (to graduation last spring), so I’m really excited to get back with them. Hopefully, we can get those relays back to States again (smiles).”
In the boys 50 free, Avon Grove’s Nate Kidder finished first (21.93), ahead of runnerup Erik Floren-Smith of Kennett (22.60). In the 100 free, Kidder finished first (47.78) and Floren-Smith was second (49.38). Both winning times made the district consideration times (as did both second-place clockings).
Avon Grove was first in both the boys and girls 200 IM events. Kaitlyn Burk finished first in the girls 200 IM (2:11.03), and Jacob Texter finished first in the boys 200 IM (2:01.46). Both winning times made the district consideration time with room to spare.
The Red Devils also finished first in both 500 free events. Cailin Maley won the girls 500 free (5:16.89), and Texter won the boys 500 free (4:47.39). Both first-place clockings made the District 1 3A consideration time easily. Maley, a freshman, also finished fourth in the 200 IM with a district consideration time of 2:14.34.
The Avon Grove quartet of Ava Pfaff, Maley, Lily Perrin and Kaitlyn Burk won the 00 free relay with a district consideration time of 3:40.00, and the foursome of Perrin, Maley, Burk and Pfaff finished second in the 200 medley relay with a district consideration time of 1:51.90.
Avon Grove coach Kelly Burk said, “Kaitlyn’s time was impressive in the 200 IM (2:11.03) – she went faster tonight than she did at States last year. We had three girls get district consideration time in the 200 IM (including Anna Hammerschmidt at 2:17.31), and we got the district consideration time in both of our relays. We wanted to make the district cuts tonight, and both Jacob Texter and Nate Kidder qualified.”
Another state medal winner, Unionville’s Izzy Iwasyk, who was third at states last year in the 50 free, placed second in Tuesday’s meet with a time of 24.29.
For the 50 free, there were two heats for both the boys and girls races Tuesday, and four girls swam the girls 50 free in under the district consideration time of 25.75 – Fulton, Iwasyk, Downingtown West’s Leah Lacovara (24.89) and Unionville’s Lauren Dobie (25.60). Three boys swam the boys 50 free in under the district consideration time of 23.20 – Kidder, Floren-Smith, and Downingtown East’s Jack Thompson (23.15).
West Chester Rustin’s George Harkins finished first in the 100 fly with a district consideration time of 53.80, and in the girls 100 fly Coatesville’s Sarah McGann (58.33) and Kennett freshman Alexandra Scime (1:00.37) were the top two times, as six girls posted district consideration clockings.
The Unionville foursome of Ernesto Solana, Kyle O’Neill, Matt Mclellan and Brendan Manion finished first in the boys 200 medley relay with a district consideration time of 1:42.42.
In the girls 200 free, Solanco (District 3) swimmer Addie Scott was first with a time of 1:54.54, and Avon Grove’s Ava Pfaff was second with a district consideration time of 1:58.74. Unionville’s Ernesto Solana was first in the boys 200 free with a district consideration time of 1:48.38.
In the girls 100 back, Solanco’s Addie Scott was first (59.03) and Perrin was second with a district consideration time of 1:01.43. Unionville’s Matt McLellan was first in the boys 100 back with a district consideration time of 53.23.
In the girls 100 breast, Coatesville’s Macey Speakman was first (1:07.74) and West Chester East’s Grace Herlihy was second (1:08.49), as five swimmers made the district consideration time in this event. Downingtown East’s Gabe Carroll won the 100 breast with a clocking of 1:03.97, the only boy to make the district consideration time of 1:06.