Parkland’s Johnson secures silver in 50 free
Parkland senior Kayla Johnson had a whole lot to be happy about on Wednesday night after Day 1 of the PIAA Swimming & Diving Championships wrapped up inside Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
She swam a personal best. She set a school record. And, she secured a silver medal.
Johnson accomplished all of those things in the 50-yard freestyle. She clocked 22.84 seconds in the sprint and it took a state-record performance to keep the 14-time District 11 champion from climbing to the top of the medals stand.
Downingtown East’s Alexa Fulton threw down a sizzling 22.66 to strike gold in record time.
“I’m very happy,” Johnson said with a smile. “I went a lifetime best, which is all I was looking for. I got a school record, too, which I’m thrilled about. It felt great. I took third last year so I’m happy I moved up a spot. Alexa is a great swimmer and I’m glad I got to swim beside her.”
Johnson gets one more shot at a coveted gold medal.
She is the No. 1 seed for Thursday’s 100 freestyle. Johnson has qualified for the state championships in each of her four years at Parkland.
“This is really the first year I swam an ‘A’ final,” she said. “My sophomore year we were sent home when COVID-19 hit when we were out here. Then last year they were all prelims. So this was my first time ever. Yes, I was a little nervous, especially since this is my last high school meet.”
Johnson concluded her evening by swimming the anchor leg on Parkland’s 200 freestyle relay team that finished 13th overall.
Pocono Mountain East’s Tori Fenn was the other District 11 representative to medal on Day 1 of the 3A girls meet.
Fenn, a senior, placed eighth in the 100 butterfly in 57.31 seconds. She surprised herself by qualifying for the ‘A’ final in the morning prelims. Hatboro-Horsham freshman Annie Jia set a state record, 52.04 seconds, to capture the PIAA title.
“I was really excited to make this final,” said Fenn, who expects to swim in college at La Salle University. “I was actually expecting to make the ‘B’ final. So I’m really happy about that. I didn’t do as well as I would’ve liked. But I’m still happy to be here.”
Fenn said she attended the PIAA championships as a freshman when her older sister, Lauren, competed. Tori Fenn is the first family member to earn a state swimming medal — so she has bragging rights.
“When I was a freshman I never thought I’d make it to states,” she said. “I remember everyone being so fast. I kept working and working. And I made it.”
The PIAA 3A championships resume at 10:25 a.m. Thursday with preliminary-round action.
Wednesday’s results
50 Freestyle: 1. Alexa Fulton, Downingtown East, 22.66
(state record); 2. Kayla Johnson, Parkland, 22.84; 3. Izzy Iwasyk, Unionville, 23.17; 4. Sarah Parker, Hatboro-Horsham, 23.27; 5. Lily Robinson, Conestoga, 23.63; 6. Sylvia Roy, Mt. Lebanon, 23.69;
7. Cali Oyerly, Hershey, 23.73; 8. Ashley Gutshall, Spring-Ford, 23.98.
200 Freestyle: 1. Krista Marlin, West Chester Henderson, 1:46.92;
2. Sydney Gring, Muhlenberg, 1:47.90; 3. Megan Unruh, Exeter, 1:48.81; 4. Lexi Sundgren, North Allegheny, 1:49.10; 5. Jennifer Bolden, Cumberland Valley, 1:51.13;
6. Kaitlyn Connors, Upper St.
Clair, 1:51.24; 7. Audrey Laganelli, Conestoga, 1:52.11; 8. Madeline Faikish, North Penn, 1:53.16.
100 Butterfly: 1. Annie Jia, Hatboro-Horsham, 52.04 (state record); 2. Sophie Shao, Fox Chapel, 54.22; 3. Kate Levensten, Harriton, 54.86; 4. Kenzie Padilla, Phoenixville, 55.16; 5. Audrey Collins, Radnor, 56.33; 6. Flynn Truskett, West Chester Rustin, 57.06; 7. Ria Dietz, Seneca Valley, 57.19; 8. Tori Fenn, Pocono Mountain East, 57.31.
200 Individual Medley: 1. Katya Eruslanova, Haverford, 2:00.09;
2. Kathy Jia, Hatboro-Horsham, 2:01.36; 3. Sophie Shao, Fox Chapel, 2:03.09; 4. Jade Castro, State College, 2:03.21; 5. Audrey Collins, Radnor, 2:03.29; 6. Alexa Conner, Lower Merion, 2:05.93;
7. Naomi Furman, Conestoga, 2:06.25; 8. Bella Rippon, Hershey, 2:06.33.
200 Freestyle Relay: 1. HatboroHorsham, 1:33.22 (Kathy Jia, Sarah Parker, Hannah Parker,
Vivi Vergara); 2. West Chester Henderson, 1:34.37; 3. Hershey, 1:35.97; 4. Upper Dublin, 1:36.40;
5. Muhlenberg, 1:36.52; 6. North Allegheny, 1:36.87; 7. Wilson, 1:37.37; 8. North Penn, 1:37.58. 200 Medley Relay: 1. HatboroHorsham, 1:42.67 (Kathy Jia, Emmy Erikson, Annie Jia, Sarah Parker); 2. Fox Chapel, 1:44.09;
3. Mt. Lebanon, 1:45.53; 4.
State College, 1:45.61; 5. North
Allegheny, 1:45.90; 6. Exeter Township, 1:45.91; 7. Conestoga, 1:45.98; 8. Radnor, 1:46.36.
CLASS 3 A BOYS
Diving: 1. Conor Gesing, Abington, 559.40; 2. Ethan Radio, Parkland, 490.70; 3. Stephen Bartlett, Northeastern, 484.15;
4. Kevin Siegfried, Central Bucks West, 431.60; 5. Luke Parada, Pennsbury,406.20; 6. Joshua Gratton, North Penn, 395.60; 7. Connor Thurston, Central Bucks East, 382.80; 8. Alex Wodehouse, Governor Mifflin, 387.0.