York Suburban’s State Swimming team.
by Madeline Abel
On Wednesday, March 15 and Thursday, March 16, the York Suburban swim team competed in the the PIAA state swim meet. Both the boys’ and girls’ team traveled to Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA where they swam for the top spots in the state along with over one hundred schools.
On day one of the two day meet, Suburban came out with a few place movements and spots on the podium. The girls 200 medley relay including sophomore Maddy Abel in backstroke, senior Megan Hunt in breastroke, junior Keelie Walker in butterfly, and senior Cara Zortman in Freestyle, placed sixteenth overall. Within the relay, Walker had a personal best time in her 50 butterfly with a 27.2 seconds, and says, “I am extremely shocked and surprised at how well our girls did this season, and can’t wait to continue the legacy as a senior next year.” Hunt scored twelfth in the 200 freestyle with a personal best time of 1:56.18 minutes.
The boys 200 medley relay, led by senior Karl Schmittle in Backstroke, freshman Matthew Peters in breastroke, junior Aidan Fryar in butterfly, and sophomore Charles Rodgers in freestyle, finished seventh overall, earning them a spot on the podium. Individually, Fryar earned a spot on the podium finishing seventh in the 50 freestyle, and Schmittle scored twentieth in the 100 butterfly.
The girls 200 free relay with Havannah Suarez, Walker, Zortman, Hunt, and finished 12th overall with one of their best times throughout the whole season. Zortman adds that “After all the circumstances the team was put through, like postponements and student illnesses, everyone adjusted really well and did the best they could”.
The second day at Bucknell proved to be just as exciting as the first, as Fryar placed 27th overall in the 100 freestyle. Schmittle placed eighteenth in the 100 freestyle, and Hunt finished tenth in the 100 breastroke. The girls 400 freestyle relay finished twentieth overall, with Walker, Zortman, Suarez, and Abel. On the boys side, senior Trent Golden, Sophomore Devon Lonergan, Fryar, and Schmittle finished twelfth in the 400 free relay. Overall, the state meet was another success for the YS swim team and a great end to the 2016-2017 season.