Swimming is approved as BCIAA sport

It’s the start of a new era in Berks County high school swimming — and the end of another.

The BCIAA has unanimously approved the addition of boys and girls swimming and diving as varsity high school sports starting in 2023-24, bringing an end to the Central Penn League (at least in name).

The eight BCIAA schools with swimming — Daniel Boone, Exeter, Gov. Mifflin, Muhlenberg, Reading High, Schuylkill Valley, Twin Valley and Wilson — petitioned to join, according to a press release. All eight had been members of the CPL.

Longtime Wilson boys coach Roy Snyder has been approved as the boys swim chair, while Bulldogs girls coach Tom Houck will be the girls swim chair. Both approvals also were unanimous.

Snyder, who helped found the CPL, said in an email the transition to the BCIAA is “seamless and natural” since the former league has been composed of just the Berks schools for about a decade.

Snyder said the only significant change will be that swimmers from all 18 BCIAA schools will be able to send athletes to the league meet. In the past, only those swimmers at CPL schools could compete in the league meet.

He said dual meets, records, awards and the league website will remain intact.

The CPL was founded by Snyder and Bill Schmidt of York High, Snyder said, because there was no swimming league in eastern Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia.

Its first season was 196566, and the league’s original schools were Bishop McDevitt,

Coatesville, Hershey, McCaskey, Manheim Township, Milton Hershey, Wilson, York Suburban and York.

The girls league began in 1974-75.

The CPL grew to as many as 18 teams and had two divisions for many seasons. Schools from six counties were members through the years.

Eventually, schools from York County and the Lancaster-Lebanon League withdrew to become members of their local conferences. After Boyertown and Owen J. Roberts left the league, it consisted of just

Berks teams.

“Over the past 58 years, the league has had numerous district and state individual and team champs and many who attained All-American status,” Snyder wrote. “Thousands of swimmers and divers that went on compete at the collegiate level. There were two Olympians, Kristy Kowal from Wilson and Kyle Salyards from Hempfield, both on the USA 2000 team in Sydney.

“The CP League had a great run and is now in the capable hands of the BCIAA.”