Conestoga earned a best-ever second place finish in the boys’ team competition at the PIAA 3A Swimming & Diving Championships at Bucknell University Thursday.
The Pioneers’ achievement was highlighted by gold medals in six events – senior Jake Wang won the 200 yard IM (PR 1:44.20) on Wednesday and 100 breaststroke (PR 52.36) on Thursday, senior Can Yeniay finished first in the 200 freestyle (PR 1:36.66) on Wednesday and 500 free (PR 4:20.60) on Thursday, and the Pioneers also won gold medals in the 200 free relay (PR 1:22.03) on Wednesday and 400 free relay (PR and school record 3:00.12) on Thursday.
The Pioneers’ winning 200 free relay was Wang, senior Brock Whitaker, freshman Liam Haas and Yeniay and the first-place 400 free relay was the quartet of Wang, Whitaker, junior Hutch Wood and Yeniay.
Whitaker also won a medal in the boys 100 butterfly Wednesday, finishing fifth (49.74), and he posted the fifth-fastest time in the 100 free (PR 45.55), finishing first in the B final Thursday.
At the end of the meet, Conestoga had 183 team points, behind perennial champion North Penn (204). And Wang was named the Boys Swimmer of the Meet for the second year in a row.
“Our three seniors (Wang, Yeniay, Whitaker) were really clicking these last two days,” said Conestoga boys’ swimming coach Mark Tirone, whose Pioneers finished third last year at States. “We have a core senior group that will be dearly missed. This has been an amazing season, winning gold medals in six events at States. It couldn’t be any better.”
Next winter, Wang will swim for Yale University, and Yeniay will swim for the University of Pennsylvania.
Unionville senior Izzy Iwasyk completed her high school swimming career with a second-place finish in the girls 100 free (PR and school record 49.59) on Thursday evening. It was her seventh individual state medal (she won medals in the 50 free and 100 free the last three state meets), and her second-place finish Thursday evening was her highest-ever placing at States.
“It was a great way to end my high school career,” said Iwasyk, who will be swimming for Auburn University next winter.
Asked what she thought was the biggest key to her performance Thursday evening, Iwasyk responded, “Being surrounded by so many other competitive swimmers.”
Chester County had five swimmers in the top 16 in the girls 500 free Thursday – Downingtown West sophomore Elizabeth McNamara (fifth, 4:58.11), Kennett sophomore Alexandra Scime (ninth, 5:00.31), Coatesville sophomore Sarah McGann (12th, 5:04.62), Downingtown West sophomore Morgan Harlan (14th, 5:08.01) and Conestoga senior Mackenzie Morgan (15th, 5:09.54).
Two local girls won medals in the 100 backstroke – West Chester Rustin Claire Roussakis (fifth, 56.16) and Conestoga sophomore Maddie Fox (eighth, 58.77).
West Chester East senior Taiylor Tegler tied for fifth in the girls 100 breast Thursday (1:03.60). Three other locals finished in the top 15 – West Chester Henderson junior Paige Fisher (11th, 1:04.54), Conestoga junior Hadar Miller (13th, 1:04.62) and Coatesville senior Macey Speakman (16th, 1:06.46).
Downingtown West finished seventh in the girls 400 free relay with a quartet of McNamara, Harlan, Keira Carmella and Leah Lacovara (3:33.61). West Chester East was ninth (3:34.01) with a quartet of Emily Schwarz, Sam Heiland, Grace Herlihy and Tegler. Conestoga was 10th (3:34.28) with a foursome of Olivia Tudge, Mackenzie Nagel, Sarah Fox and Maddie Fox.
West Chester Rustin sophomore Connor Kirby finished eighth in the boys’ 100 backstroke (50.68).
West Chester Henderson junior Edward Stoltz finished ninth in the 100 backstroke (48.95), winning the B final and posting the sixth-fastest time in the finals. The Warriors had some high finishes in the Wednesday races and wound up tied for eighth in the boys’ team competition.
In the 3A girls team competition, Conestoga was 11th, West Chester East 15th and Downingtown West 17th.
