Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
County swimmers dominate at states
County swimmers leading district domination on state level
LEWISBURG >> As they crowded onto the top step of the podium built for one, both beaming, Olivia Paoletti and Heather MacCausland encapsulated the mythos of the PIAA Class 3A Championships.
A few minutes prior, the two had battled it out in the water in the 100 breaststroke at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium. MacCausland, a sophomore from Downingtown East who’d finished second to Paoletti in the 200 individual medley Saturday, resolved to be the aggressor in the rematch. In first place at the 50-yard wall, MacCausland was more than a second and half faster than two weeks prior at the District 1 Championships.
Paoletti’s turn of speed isn’t as pronounced, but the Avon Grove junior built off a rocky first 25 to gather speed late. Off the final wall, she started gaining on MacCausland with each stroke to reach the wall in 1:01.49, simultaneous to her Ches-Mont rival and seven-tenths quicker than her gold-winning time at districts.
Two different race plans, both executed exquisitely, both garnering gold: It was a microcosm for the general domination doled out by District 1 this weekend.
The team scores come with a caveat that diving remains to be contested, meaning that Avon Grove’s team title is unofficial, though the distance to second place Upper Dublin or any other team is insurmountable. Only fourthplace North Penn has divers entered, and their four qualifiers should vault them past Mt. Lebanon into third.
That only reinforces the predominant story line of District 1’s hegemony, which achieved titanic proportions.
As of Sunday, District 1 teams occupied five of the top six spots in the team standings, with Conestoga and Unionville slotting in fifth and sixth, respectively. But it’s not just a monopoly of the top spots: District 1 accounted for seven of the top 11 teams … and nine of the top 15 … and 15 of the top 24.
Event by event, the pattern repeats. District 1 teams claimed four of the top five spots in all three relays. The 200 freestyle featured a district 1-2-3, the 100 breast a ownership of the top five spots, led by the tie. District 1 claimed six of eight individual titles, including the meet’s two double-winners, Morgan Scott of Pennridge (100 free, 200 free) and Paoletti, named most outstanding swimmer for the second consecutive year.
Such dominance in the team scoring is unprecedented in recent history. A year ago, District 1 girls teams went 1-2-4, but with only one other top-10 finisher (West Chester Henderson in ninth). District 1 placed five in the top 10 in 2015, and District 7 claimed four of the top seven slots in the 2016 boys meet.
With traditional powers spreading out across Districts 7, 3 and 11 (plus occasional interlopers like State College from District 6 and La Salle in District 12 for the boys), it’s rare that one area can so comprehensively own the standings in a state with such depth. But the District 1 girls did this year.
The reason for this prodigious period even has coaches stumped. Part of it owes to the geographic spread, with epicenters in Bucks County (Upper Dublin, North Penn) and Chester County/Main Line. Four of the top 13 hail from the Ches-Mont League, an area suffused by successful clubs.
Avon Grove’s ascent — as senior Emma Brinton summarized Sunday, from a winless freshman season to state champs in her final campaign — may be instructive. A contingent of club swimmers from Delaware Swim Team, a club of national renown, underpins their success.
Coach Kelly Burk recognizes the school’s fortune in that, but success in the high school realm involves grafting a team dynamic on to the individual rigor of USA Swimming.
“With these girls, it was very easy,” Burk said. “They came together really quickly as a team; they’re all really good friends. When you’re at a USA Program, it’s not as much of a team feeling as you get on a high school team. And they just all step up as leaders. They do team songs during our dual meets, and I think it’s just great that they come together as one unit.”
“Training with a club team, everyone is pretty individual,” Brinton said. “But coming to a meet for high school, it’s all about the team. Everyone is working for the greater good of the team. And bringing that mentality into this meet has been incredibly helpful and special to us.”
The task is different at other clubs. Downingtown East coach Janet Bright, for instance, benefits from a district located at the confluence of many clubs’ catchment areas. Her states contingent comprised members of seven clubs, putting the onus on her to meld those talents into a coherent whole. This year, it translated into 10th place in the team category, paced by a silver medal in the medley relay.
Conestoga coach Rob Kirkby faces a similar challenge. His squad won the 200 freestyle relay at states Saturday. Its swimmers represent three clubs — 100 back champ Caroline Famous and Caroline Apathy from Suburban, Madison Ledwith from Radnor Aquatic and Sophia Poeta
from Upper Main Line Y, which hosts Stoga’s home meets.
Coaches will tell you that it’s a blessing to have such committed athletes. Getting that talent to coalesce into a high school identity can present a logistical challenge, but it’s often aided by swimmers’ unique makeups.
“I love high school swimming because it’s in front of your peers,” Kirkby said. “This is a team competition, but they all know each other and they all are rooting for each other.”
The club network undergirds a meet like states. Though they’re competing for their schools, swimmers maintain myriad connections to opponents that are teammates in other aspects of their swimming realm, from summer clubs to the YMCA scene to USA Swimming.
Those networks provide comfort and motivation, even if those clubs aren’t the ones individuals are representing in the moment. When they’re built around mutual respect for the work their peers and rivals put in, it can create the kind of rising tide that lifts all boats over an area as vast as District 1.
“Kids are here for their teams and they’re here to support everybody,” Burk said. “People are in it for everybody and they want everybody to do well. It’s a great event here, and it’s a great event at districts, just to see everybody support each other.”