The Conestoga High School boys swimming team, which finished second to North Penn at the District 1 3A championships last season, should challenge for the top at the upcoming championship meet at York YMCA. The Pioneers have a strong senior class and went undefeated (9-0) during the regular season, winning their ninth consecutive Central League title.
Leading the way will be senior Jake Wang, who has been the Boys Swimmer of the Meet the past two years at the meet. Wang, who returns as defending champion in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200 IM, is seeded first in both events.
Conestoga’s other two senior tri-captains, Can Yeniay and Brock Whitaker, bear watching too. Yeniay is seeded first in the 200 and 500 free, and Whitaker is second in the 100 butterfly and the 100 freestyle.
“I think this is the fastest individual class we’ve had since I’ve been swimming for Conestoga,” Yeniay said at the recent Central League Meet.
Conestoga boys swimming head coach Mark Tirone echoed that sentiment.
“This is the fastest group I’ve had in 30 years,” said Tirone.
The Pioneers’ three relays – 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay – are all seeded No. 1.
Other Conestoga individual Pioneers to watch include freshman Liam Haas (seeded seventh in the 50 frees and 13th in the 100 free), sophomore Henry Kogan (10th in the 200 IM and 11th in the 500 free), junior Hutch Wood (14th in the 100 fly, 15th in the 100 free), junior Justin Cuevas Riego de Dios (17th in the 50 free). In the 100 back, junior James Oken is seeded 20th and sophomore William Galef is 21st.
“Based on our seeding we look good on paper,” said Tirone. “Now each swimmer needs to perform their best and hope to finish a little higher than their seeding. Every point (at Districts) will make a difference.”
Here is a look at the other local teams as they prepare for the District 1 championships:
Avon Grove: One swimmer to watch is freshman Kyle Burk (seeded 6th in the 500 free and 12th in the 100 back).
Bishop Shanahan: Competing in the 2A meet, the Eagles are led by junior Owen Eusemann (ninth in the 50 free and 14th in the 100 free), and freshman Landyn Snook (10th in the 50 free). The Eagles also are competing in the 200 medley relay (seeded seventh) and the 200 frees relay (fifth). Eusemann and Snook will be joined by senior Nate Olivo (who is also seeded 14th in the 50 free) and Jayden Snook (who is 15th in the 200 free).
Coatesville: Freshman Connor Fanelli will be seeded 38th in the 100 breast.
Downingtown East: The Cougars’ 200 medley relay team is seeded 10th, and their 400 free relay squd ninth. They consist of Gabe Carroll, Matt DiAddezio, Sam Sperling and Jack Thompson.
Individually, top Cougars include Sperling (ninth in the 100 free, 16th in the 100 fly), DiAddezio (seventh in the 100 breast, 33rd in the 100 fly), Carroll (27th in the 100 free, 30th in the 50 free), Thompson (27th in the 100 breast, 34th in the 200 IM) and Andrew Fulton (36th in the 500 free and 38th in the 200 free).
Downingtown West: Sophomore Shane Martin is seeded 23rd in the 200 IM and 17th in the 100 back, Henry Dennin is 37th in the 200 free and Logan Seiss is the second alternate in the 200 IM.
Great Valley: Patriots to watch include senior Tighe Hynes (30th in the 500 free), senior Rafael Rodriguez Urbina (39th in the 50 free), junior Patrick Li (28th in the 100 fly) and sophomore Patrick Hynes (21st in the 200 free).
Kennett: One individual to watch is Gabe Summa, seeded 29th in the 100 fly and 32nd in the 100 back. The 200 free relay of Alex Fialkowski, Luke Myers, Quinn Williams and Austin Lafferty is 23rd. Lafferty, a freshman, is 33rd in the 200 free.
Unionville: Freshman Grant Fleming (18th in the 200 IM and the 100 back) and James Burns (31st in the 50 free and 25th in the 100 free). West Chester East: Nate Schwarz is seeded 22nd in the 200 free and 31st in the 500 free. Giuliano Bucciarelli is seeded 17th in the 100 fly and 19th in the 100 back.
West Chester Henderson: Top individual swimmers for the Warriors include junior Eddie Stoltz (fifth in the 100 back and 10th in the 50 free), junior Finn Lukens (third in the 100 breast and 32nd in the 200 IM), senior Vedant Bedekar (11th in the 200 free and 14th in the 100 back), sophomore Sean Dillon (ninth in the 200 free and 15th in the 500 free), senior Bailey Steimel (18th in the 100 fly), junior Colin Smolders (37th in the 200 IM and 34th in the 500 free).
The 200 medley relay of Stoltz, Lukens, Steimel and Bedekar is seeded eighth, while the 200 free relay foursome of Stoltz, Lukens, Steimel and Bedekar is seventh and the 400 free relay of Smolders, Jeehan Lee, Adam Pontzer and Dillon is eighth.
West Chester Rustin: Top individuals to watch include sophomore Connor Kirby (12th in the 50 free, seventh in the 100 back), junior George Harkins (39th in the 200 IM and 21st in the 100 fly), junior Alec Khatib is 37th in the 100 fly. Freshman Philip Grece is 25th in the 500 free and junior Jonah Hilt is 31st in the 100 fly). Rustin’s 200 IM medley relay projected lineup of Kirby, Harkins, Khatib and Hilt is 17th and the 400 free relay team of Harkins, Grece, Hilt and Kirby is seeded 23rd.
