The annual double dual meet between Central Bucks West and Central Bucks South is one of the highlights of the swim season for both teams.
This year was no different. The two met on Friday night in a Suburban One League Colonial Division tilt at CB South, the home pool for both programs. CB West won the girls meet, 103-77, and the boys, 105-76.
For the CB West girls, Marley Swain won the 200-yard freestyle in 1:59.71 and the 500 freestyle (5:25.41), Maddie Majewski was the winner of the 100 butterfly (58.26) and Liv Shaffer touched first in the 100 freestyle (56.47).
“This is always just a great meet for us,” said Majewski, a junior. “It’s really nice to win, of course, but it’s also such a fun meet because we know so many of the swimmers at South. I look forward to this meet every year. There’s nothing that compares to it. I go to plenty of U.S. meets and this environment is the best. You’re swimming against your friends with all your family and friends watching. There’s always a lot of alum in the balcony and that’s nice.
“We still have some meets left but this is a nice way to see where we are before champs (conference championships). I’m just hoping we throw down some good relay times. I might swim some events I don’t usually swim. I just love that meet. Everyone’s cheering and going for those district cuts.”
The Bucks’ Makayla Varlaro, Anna Majewski, Maddie Majweski and Swain opened the evening with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:51.93) while Maddie Majewski, Shaffer, Anna Majewski and Madeline Cutting teamed up to win the 200 freestyle relay (1:41.28) and Maddie Majewski, Cutting, Shaffer and Swain were first in the 400 freestyle relay (3:42.27).
“We had a lot of fun but it’s so sad for me to think it’s my last meet against South,” said Cutting, a senior. “It’s so nice to swim against all our friends. I think it brings out the best in both teams. There was a lot of cheering and a lot of good swims on both sides.
“We got the district qualifications that we wanted at this meet so we’re really excited. We just made the 200 free relay and the 400 free relay, so that was a big goal for us.”
CB West boys had a pair of double winners in the individual events. Connor Mangan won the 200 freestyle (1:45.22) and 500 freestyle (4:52.95) and Derek Feldman won the 100 freestyle (47.03) and 100 backstroke (58.22).
Darren Sung was the victor in the 200 individual medley (2:14.34), Blaise Hofmann won the 50 freestyle (22.17), Gavin Pacitti was first in diving (269.40 points) and Jimin Chung touched first in the 100 butterfly (52.59) to round out the individual events for the Bucks.
Hofmann, Feldman, Chung and Karl Linde combined to win the 200 medley relay (1:37.70), Chung, Mangan, Hofmann and Feldman won the 200 freestyle relay (1:28.13) and Chung, Linde, Mangan and Hofmann capped the evening with a victory in the 400 freestyle relay (3:16.38).
“This meet’s always a lot of fun,” Mangan said. “I train with a lot of the South people (at the Doylestown YMCA) so it’s fun to swim against them and it’s amazing to win. We always like to beat the other CB teams.
“I’m happy with my swims. At this point in the season, I’m really tired so those are good times. Obviously I can do better but I did pretty well. At champs I’m definitely looking to do well in the 200 and 500 (freestyles) and I’m optimistic about our relays.
“We still have a couple of dual meets left before champs but this is a good tune-up because everyone is so pumped for this meet.”
Mangan will swim at Gettysburg next season, where he is undecided on a major.
For the CB South girls, Abby Fee won both the 50 freestyle (25.68) and 100 backstroke (1:03.05), Gianna Bevivino topped the field in the 200 individual medley (2:13.94), Jacqueline Finlaw won diving (215.50 points) and Whitney Fields touched first in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.44).
“It’s hard to believe this was my last meet against West,” said Fee, a senior. “I honestly was on the block in tears. My four years went by so fast.
“We had a great meet. I got district cuts in the 50 free and 100 back and we got the medley relay and the 200 free relay. We always pull out crazy times in this meet. It’s my favorite meet. It’s the adrenaline. Everyone just swims so well.
“I swim with a lot of the West people at Central Bucks Swim Team so it’s exciting to swim against them.
“At champs I’m just looking at having a good time with my teammates. It’s my last year and I want to savor every minute. I’m not swimming in college so this is it for me. My goal is to go a minute in the 100 back and I’m going to work really hard to do that. I want to go out on a positive note.
Richard Scholer was the lone event winner for the CB South boys, taking first in the 100 breaststroke (59.92).
It was the first West-South meet for Titans freshman Jack Riegel.
“It was everything I thought it would be and more,” Riegel said. “This is the most exciting meet so far for sure. It was like nothing I’ve seen before. It was electric. Everyone was cheering and it was amazing.
“I think across the board everyone swam well. They had the energy behind them, they had the training behind them, and I’m excited to see what we can do at districts and maybe states.”
He is eyeing 200 freestyle and 100 freestyle for the league championship meet and has District One Class 3A cuts in those events as well as the 500 freestyle.
“I’m not sure which events I’m going for at districts but I have time to figure that out, and champs will help me,” he said. “But it’s nice to have choices. This year I’m just getting my feet in the water and seeing what it’s all about.”
Both teams honored their seniors. CB West seniors include Georgia Cutting, Madeline Cutting, Bryony Kelsey, Mangan, Sydney Petty, Ronald Podoksik, Jacob Stern and Varlaro while the CB South seniors are Nathan Bernstein, Bevivino, Ryan Brenan, Fee, Michael Finlaw, Daler Odzodza, Scholer, Chase Stribling and Matthew Wise.
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