CR North, Pennridge swimmers earn pair of medals at districts

Kaitlyn Landers should be feeling pretty good right now.

The Council Rock North junior earned medals at the District One Class 3A swimming championships, held on Friday and Saturday at Graham Aquatic Center at the York YMCA.

Event winners automatically advance to the PIAA competition, slated for March 13-16 in Kinney Natatorium at Bucknell University. Other swimmers may receive at-large berths based on statewide time comparisons.

Kaitlyn Landers swam to fifth place in the 100 freestyle (51.68) and the seventh-place medal in the 200 individual medley (2:08.16).

“I’m really happy with the 200 IM,” she said. “I actually went my best time at this meet last year and I haven’t done that time since then so I was really happy to do well with that. The best part was my breaststroke split (39.00) because they’re usually so bad, but this was a good one.

“I was also happy with my 100. It was my best time of the season. I feel all right about getting to states with those times, but you can never tell. I hate that you have to wait to see if you made it.”

Sara Bing was 33rd in the 100 butterfly (1:00.73) and 37th in the 100 backstroke (1:03.00) and Meghan Landers was 35th in the 500 freestyle (5:29.78) and 38th in the 100 backstroke (1:03.11) to round out the individual performances for CR North.

The Indians’ 400 freestyle relay of Bing, Emily Kennedy, Elizabeth Maltby and Kaitlyn Landers took 14th (3:40.33) while the 200 freestyle relay of Bing, Kennedy, Maltby and Kaitlyn Landers placed 15th (1:41.01).

“Our team swam amazing,” Kaitlyn Landers said. It was a great meet for us.”

Grace Petrakis of Central Bucks East stood on the podium, placing fourth in the 200 individual medley (2:06.73). She was also 11th in the 100 freestyle (52.81).

“The IM was definitely a good swim for me,” she said. “Going into it I was really looking forward to swimming against all these amazing swimmers and that really helped me to get that time. It was such a fun race.

“There’s so much great competition and it’s just an adrenaline rush to be here. It’s so much fun to be here with my teammates and with friends on other teams. All the hard work leads up to this point and it’s such a good feeling to swim well and to have fun doing it.

“I was expecting more from myself in the 100 but I’m OK with that time. I think I can definitely get into the IM at states so I’m just going to focus on that.”

Also for the Patriots, Elizabeth Ruch took 29th in the 500 freestyle (5:24.61) and 35th in the 200 freestyle (2:01.58).

CB East’s 400 freestyle relay of Yulia Ashbaugh, Ruch, Olivia Zimmer and Petrakis ended up 19th (3:44.69), while the 200 medley relay of Petrakis, Victoria Sipperly, Zimmer and Ashbaugh finished 21st (1:53.42).

For Pennridge, senior Ally Ricciardi claimed fourth in the 50 freestyle (24.05) and seventh in the 100 freestyle (52.38).

“I definitely am happy with getting the podium in both my individual events and I finished higher up than I ever have at a district meet,” Ricciardi said. “I think I expected my times to be a little bit faster but now I think those goal times will come for me at states.

“I think my times will get me to states. They’re faster than I’ve ever gone and I’ve gotten to states with slower times, so I feel good about it.

“I was really, really happy with my 50. I’ve never finished as high as fourth, and I’ve never medaled in the 100 so this was a big meet for me, and it gives me a lot of confidence for states. I’m not swimming after high school so I want to get my goal times and finish strong.”

Teammate Sadie Hogan placed 17th in the 100 butterfly (58.52) and 24th in the 200 individual medley (2:12.30).

The Rams’ 400 freestyle relay of Hogan, Anjali Verma, Ava Vesey and Ricciardi placed 16th (3:41.45) while the 200 medley relay of Ricciardi, Lexy Hulse, Hogan and Vesey took 18th (1:52.94).

Maddie Majewski of Central Bucks West placed fifth in the 100 butterfly (57.67). She also posted a 14th-place finish in the 100 freestyle (53.08).

“It was a lot of fun and I’m very happy with my fly time,” she said. “Coming into the meet all I wanted to do was make it to states because I didn’t make it in any individual events last year. I’m beyond happy with that time and I’m feeling pretty good about getting to states with it.

“It’s one of my favorite events to swim. I have so much fun doing that. It’s been a great event for me this year and I’m hoping to swim it again at states and do an even better time.”

Also for the Bucks, Marley Swain was 16th in the 200 freestyle (1:58.04) and 26th in the 500 freestyle (5:23.15), Anna Majewski placed 22nd in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.69) and 32nd in the 200 individual medley (2:15.48), Sydney Petty took 33rd in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.93) and Makayla Varlaro was 41st in the 100 backstroke (1:03.80).

CB West competed in all three relays.

The 400 freestyle relay of Maddie Majewski, Madeline Cutting, Liv Shaffer and Swain took 11th (3:38.60), the 200 medley relay of Valaro, Anna Majewski, Maddie Majewski and Swain finished 14th (1:51.23) while the 200 freestyle relay of Shaffer, Anna Majewski, Petty and Cutting wound up 20th (1:42.41).

The Council Rock South quartet of Ella Rossi, Lily Hamnett, Taylor Jiras and Elana Rhoge captured eighth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:40.35).

Jiras finished 13th in the 500 freestyle (5:12.95) and 26th in the 200 freestyle (1:59.22), Rhoge placed 14th in the 200 freestyle (1:57.84) and 23rd in the 100 freestyle (54.28) while Rossi finished 26th in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.47) and 29th in the 100 freestyle (55.13).

The Golden Hawks ended the meet with Jiras, Rebecca Geberth, Rossi and Rhoge touching in 3:40.84 to take 15th in the 400 freestyle relay.

Central Bucks South’s Abby Fee, Whitney Fields, Abigail Chayka and Gianna Bevivino finished 13th in the 200 freestyle relay (1:40.80) while the foursome of Fee, Fields, Bevivino and Chayka placed 15th in the 200 medley relay (1:51.64).

Fee took 18th in the 50 freestyle (25.00) and 31st in the 100 backstroke (1:01.88), Bevivino was 20th in the 200 individual medley (2:12.13) and 23rd in the 100 butterfly (59.56) and Fields finished 40th in the 100 backstroke (1:10.65) to round out the meet for the Titans.

Kara Woods of Quakertown swam to 17th in the 100 backstroke (59.66) and 22nd place in the 100 butterfly (59.15).

In Class 2A, Maria Kesisoglou of New Hope-Solebury was eighth in the 100 butterfly (1:03.14). New Hope does not have a swim team, so she competed as an independent.

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