This week’s notebook highlights swimmers from Pennsbury, Souderton and Upper Moreland who will be heading to this week’s state meet.
National Conference
Naglich happy to be back - Alex Naglich just couldn’t stay away.
The Pennsbury senior took a break from high school swimming last year to focus on longer distance training, which is not done in high school.
His decision paid off in a swimming scholarship to Kentucky, but he found he’d liked being on the high school team his freshman and sophomore years.
“I had a lot of fun with this team and I missed it,” he said. “Districts and states are a lot of fun so I’m really glad I did this.”
Naglich’s choice to return culminated in an automatic bid to the PIAA championships in the 500 freestyle.
His fourth place finish of 4:44.84 in that event at the District One Class AAA meet, held March 1-2 at La Salle University, garnered him the final automatic spot at states.
He will also compete at states in the 200 freestyle as an at-large qualifier. His seventh place district time of 1:45.10 ranked him 13th among swimmers who did not qualify automatically.
At-large bids go to the top 16 times among non-qualifiers.
“I didn’t get the automatic in the 200 so getting it in the 500 really took the pressure off me,” Naglich said. “It was good to know that I was going to states in at least one event.”
In his sophomore year, Naglich was the consolation heat winner of the 500 freestyle at the PIAA meet.
“I feel pretty good about my 500 time,” he said. “Hopefully I’ll get back to the night swims and maybe even the finals.
“I’m not shaved or tapered so I think I’ll swim faster, but I’ll just go to states and see what happens. Honestly, this was not a great year for me. I didn’t swim as well as I wanted to.
“This wasn’t the time I was shooting for. I wanted to go a 42 and I went a 44, but I got the automatic so that’s what I wanted.
“If I swim well at states I’ll be happy with that, no matter where I finish.”
Continental Conference
Santangelo bound for states - Alyssa Santangelo had quite a meet.
The Souderton junior took second in the 100-yard backstroke at the District One Class AAA meet, held March 1-2 at La Salle University.
She finished in 58.02, behind Christina Leander of West Chester East, who won in a meet record time of 54.73.
“I’m really, really happy with my time and I worked hard for it,” she said. “I got to states last year and it was a really good experience. I had some things going on and I didn’t swim my best but I took it as a learning experience.
“Before I swam backstroke I was thinking about what I learned last year and how I was going to apply it this year and it worked out.”
She gets an automatic bid to the PIAA Class AAA championships, as the top four get automatic spots.
Last year she was ninth in the backstroke at districts and had to wait to see if her time would be good enough to earn her an at-large state bid, which it was.
“It’s so nice to have that automatic,” she said. “Last year it was so stressful waiting around.
“I plan on going faster at states. I needed this step, I needed to get to states and that’s where I’m going to let it all out.”
Souderton finished third at the district meet in team scoring with 172 points, behind Upper Dublin (246) and North Penn (191).
“We had a good meet as a team,” Santangelo said. “We’re going to keep that momentum going through states and hopefully do well there.
“Last year we were young but this year we really grew up a lot. We have a nice group going to states and I’m really excited for us.”
Santangelo will also be going to states on all three relays.
She is a member of the 200 medley relay, which finished second (1:50.05) at districts. Santangelo led off the relay for RickiLee Hodges, Megan Furey and Ann Fadden.
She led off both the 400 freestyle relay for Fadden, Erica Witoslawski and Laureanna Zrada, which finished fourth (3:33.92) and the 200 freestyle relay for Witoslawski, Zrada and Fadden, which took fifth (1:38.50).
The 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays qualified for states automatically while the 200 freestyle relay reached states with an at-large bid.
American Conference
Smith brothers excel - When junior Patrick Smith of Upper Moreland won the District One Class AA title in the 100 breaststroke and earned the lone automatic berth at the PIAA meet, he had one wish.
That younger brother Iain would be able to join him.
Iain, a freshman, was the third place finisher in the same event.
The Smiths got what they wanted, as Iain’s time of 1:00.97 was good enough to earn him an at-large bid to the state meet.
“I felt good about Iain’s time,” Patrick said. “I was third at the district meet last year and I got to states so I thought he had a really good shot.
“We only have two years where we can swim together so this is really special.”
He was thrilled to win the district title in the breaststroke.
“I was just trying to get my best time and see if I could push my brother, since he was in the lane next to me,” Patrick said. “He’s shocked me all season. He’s been beating me and we’ve been going back and forth.”
Patrick is the current school record holder in this event with his district-winning time of 1:00.31.
“I feel like I can go faster,” he said. “I think I can get under a minute easy. Right now I have the school record but Iain’s out for it.
“He’s going to kill it but I’m glad I got it first, for however short a time it may be.”
Last year Patrick was the lone boy from Upper Moreland to go to states. This year the boys have a much larger contingency as they will be joined by Petro Sokirniy, Mike Freeman, Kane Nelson and Alex Pronzato, who will compete in the 200 freestyle relay.
They will be joined by three girls; divers Natalee and Syndney Szopo and Anna Hakes, who will swim the 500 freestyle.
“I’m very excited but a little nervous, too,” Iain said. “I’ve never even been there as a spectator so it’s a new experience for me.
“Patrick has been my best competition all year. We practice together and our times are so close. I’m looking forward to seeing what we do at states.”
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