North Penn girls win state title

Knights claim 2nd title in 3 years

LEWISBURG » On the Sunday before leaving for states, North Penn took part in an event hosted by the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which raises money for childhood cancer research.

North Penn participated under the name “Big Blue Wave,” which seemed awfully apropos, given the events that would soon transpire out at Bucknell University.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this entire program,” coach Jeff Faikish said as the PIAA Championships came to a close Thursday night. “Since we came in here, this was the ultimate goal. You could see on the pool deck the camaraderie between the boys and the girls and the divers. It was just one whole unit.”

The North Penn boys had risen to the runner-up spot in Class 3A earlier in the day, and the girls, for the second time in three years, captured the PIAA State Championship.

Said senior Megan Zartman: “Honestly, you’d think we’d be used to it by now, but it just gets better and better each time. It’s so fun.

“After such a long season, bringing it home at the end is the icing on the cake. And for my last year, it’s just great. It’s like the best thing I could ask for.”

The Knights’ 400-yard freestyle relay provided a heart-pumping finish for the North Penn girls, who won a back-and-forth battle with area rival Upper Dublin.

North Penn’s point total had climbed to a lofty 258, towering over the 203 by tough Avon Grove and the 168 by Governor Mifflin. Claudia Thamm, a three-time medalist on Day One, led off the relay, freshman Kaelan Daly took the second leg, Zartman the third and Parker Schulz anchored it home.