This week’s notebook features swimmers from Abington, Pennridge and Upper Merion.
National Conference
Harris aiming high - Abington junior Olivia Harris had a rather startling introduction to swimming.
“When I was really young, about three, I was at the pool and I jumped in the deep end,” she said. “The lifeguard tried to get me out but my mom told him, ‘No, she’s OK’ and I just started swimming.
“After that, my mom wanted me to swim. She used to call me a fish. She just knew this was something I was good at.”
The junior’s times continue to improve in the 200 and 500 freestyles but swimming an individual event at the District One Class AAA meet might not be in the cards for her this year.
“I might make districts on a relay but not sure about individual events and it’s harder this year,” she said. “That’s a goal in the back of my head, maybe for next year.
“This season has gone by really fast. We only have a little bit of time left before champs. It’s been fun and I’m going to miss our seniors.”
Outside of swimming, Harris is a member of the National Art Honor Society, the Garden Club and the Key Club, a service organization, at Abington.
“It’s hard to go to all those meetings and not miss a lot of practices,” she said. “Also with school I take three electives so I have no time but that’s OK. I like to keep busy and it will help me in the long run. If I had spare time I wouldn’t be doing anything better than this anyway.”
She is still considering colleges and what field to study. “I have no idea where I want to go or what I’ll major in but I’ll figure it out,” she said.
Continental Conference
Rams make history - The Pennridge girls team made history on Tuesday, Jan. 29, when the Rams defeated conference powerhouse Souderton, 101-86.
“I knew it was going to be a good dual meet, that it would be really close,” said Pennridge coach Ryan Griffiths. “It came out in our favor.
The Rams won 10 of the 12 events.
“That was a big factor,” Griffith said. “We have a core group of swimmers and we spread them out in different events and they kept picking up points.”
Pennridge swept diving as Katelyn Greene (190.10 points), Carly Files (172.65) and Hayley Frerichs (150.55) went 1-2-3.
“That was a huge momentum swing for us,” Griffiths said.
Hannah Zurmuhl won the 200-yard freestyle and 100 butterfly, Brittany Weiss won the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke and Kristen Shema won the 50 and 100 freestyles for Pennridge.
Chelsea Weiss, Brittany Weiss, Shema and Michelle Blanca won the 200 medley relay, Chelsea Weiss, Jennifer Grasmeder, Erin Finley and Zurmuhl won the 200 freestyle relay and Shema, Blanca, Brittany Weiss and Zurmuhl won the 400 freestyle relay to sweep the relay events for the Rams.
The Pennridge swim program has grown by leaps and bounds since the school got its own pool seven years ago. Prior to that, the Rams were sharing the Quakertown YMCA pool with Quakertown.
“There’s been a real progression,” said Griffiths, who was the coach prior to the new pool. “Back then, the end of our season was the conference meet. Then we would get kids to districts.
“Now we’re thinking about states.”
Laureana Zrada won the 500 freestyle and Alyssa Santangelo won the 100 backstroke for the lone event victories for Souderton.
American Conference
Greene has eyes on districts - Upper Merion effectively got the double whammy this year.
This season, the Vikings moved up from Class AA to Class AAA in District One.
This is also the season that the District One swimming and diving steering committee instituted more stringent standards for entry into the District One championships.
“They’ve both been big issues,” said senior Kyle Greene. “Our relays are really close to making the consideration time but the times are so fast this year that it’s hard to make.”
Last year Upper Merion had a number of district qualifiers in Class AA.
“This year our number could be zero,” Greene said.
Greene, a team captain, is still trying to make his cuts in the 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
“I’m about a second off the consideration time in both of them,” he said.
His plan is to taper for the upcoming conference championships and try to make the cut times there.
“I’ll be in heats with people who are close to me in time so I’ll get pushed,” he said. “Hopefully that’s what I need to get there. I’m not going to shave so I have something left for districts.
“Last year I wasn’t as strong but this year I started lifting and that’s been helpful. It hasn’t all come together for me yet but it’s going to help my swimming in the long run.”
He would like to swim in college and is considering Bloomsburg, Albright and Clarion. He is considering a major in biology with an eye toward becoming a physical therapist.
“I wish we could have stayed in Class AA,” he said. “That would have made it a little easier for us but this is where we are so we just have to do our best.”
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