CR North Seniors Add to Swimming Program's Legacy of Excellence

Council Rock North – led by a strong senior class - continued its legacy of excellence in the pool. (Article sponsored by Council Rock North swimming)

By Karen Sangillo

NEWTOWN TWP - It was the final dual meet for the ‘Fishies.’

That’s what seniors Jacqueline Rounsavill, Caroline Erlandsen, Emily Booth, Julia Goroshko, Parker Galley, Davis Wojnovich, Blake Eshelman and Zach Birkbeck on the Council Rock North swim team call themselves.

CR North hosted Council Rock South at North’s pool, which both teams share, in Friday’s annual Suburban One League National Conference dual meet season finale.

CR North won the girls meet 104-82 and the boys meet 105-75. Both teams finished the conference dual meet season undefeated at 6-0.

It is the 17th meeting between the two programs since the school split in the fall of 2002. CR North girls have won every time while CR North boys has a 14-3 all-time lead, winning the last two in a row.   

“The Fishies are the best people ever,” said Rounsavill, a captain. “Ever since freshman year we’ve had a group of people and we’ve been super close throughout all four years. I feel like our friendship has grown so much.

“It’s crazy to look back at freshman year when we all first came on to the team and then looking at this meet and knowing that we’re all graduating soon. We’ve been friends for so long and it’s a really close group. Next year it will be really weird not having them around especially at swim meets.”

Rounsavill won the 50 freestyle in 24.57 and 100 breaststroke (1:07.87). She was also a member of both the winning 200 medley relay along with Abigail Henderson, Ellie Brandbergh and Goroshko (1:48.04) and 200 freestyle relay along with Brandbergh, Callie Haggerty and Cristina Calibeo (1:41.79).

“I can’t believe it’s over,” Rounsavill said. “I feel like all the dual meets were leading up to South and then south happened and now it’s over and it’s so quick. It’s really crazy. I remember when I was a freshman and we were watching the seniors and now that was us.”

The same medley relay finished third at the PIAA Class 3A championships last year.

“We’re really excited coming off of last year going to states and doing well there, so we’re hoping to do that again and hopefully place there and beat our time from last year,” Rounsavill said. “We’ve been working a lot on our relay starts and trying to cut down some time there so hopefully it will all come together.

“Everyone is back from that relay from last year and that’s really big to have everyone back. We know each other and we’ve been racing the same for the past two years and that’s so important.”

Booth is also a captain.

“This team is like my family,” she said. “I look forward to coming to practice every day. They make me so happy and they can make me laugh no matter how I’m feeling that day. They all just mean so much to me. It’s definitely been one of the best parts of my high school experience.

“When I was a freshman watching the senior recognition it seemed so far away for me but even today I was saying this doesn’t feel real and it still doesn’t feel real that I’m leaving. Every year the underclassmen are looking forward to senior recognition and then the week that it is - all the seniors and I were talking, and we don’t want it to happen. It’s such a bittersweet moment for all of us.”

This was the 11th year in a row that the girls’ team was undefeated in conference dual meets.

“We definitely wanted to keep that streak going,” Booth said.

A third girls’ captain, Caroline Erlandsen, is primarily a soccer player.

“Swimming was my second sport,” she said. “It was something I did in the off season to stay in shape for soccer so I wasn’t ever really super into swimming but I’d been doing it since second grade and I didn’t want to quit.

“When I got to high school I wasn’t sure about it, but I went for it anyway and I’m so glad I did. It was the best experience I ever had so I’m so glad I didn’t quit. Everyone was so accepting and we grew into a family and that’s so rare and so special to have people like that in my life.

“Unlike a lot of the other people here, my swim career is going to be over at the end of this season and it was so worth it. The nine practices a week sounds overwhelming on paper but once you get into it and start doing the practices and being with people you love it’s worth it. It all just fits into place and waking up early every day just becomes natural. I don’t regret any of it.”

Henderson won the 200 individual medley (2:09.00) and 500 freestyle (5:10.75), Brandbergh won the 100 butterfly (59.41) and 100 backstroke (58.04), Cristina Calibeo topped the field in the 200 freestyle (2:01.78) while Goroshko took first in the 100 freestyle (54.09) to round out the event winners for the CR North girls.

Birkbeck is one of the boys’ team captains.

“It went by so fast,” he said. “I didn’t want this meet to end.

“I’m going to miss it so much. We had a great team this year and this was a great way to end the dual meet season.

“We have a really strong team. We’re expecting to do really well at the SOL championship and hopefully have a lot of people going to districts and states. I’m looking forward to districts. It’s different this year, only first place gets the automatic to states this year but I think we’ll do well.”

Birkbeck won the 200 freestyle (1:51.35) and 100 backstroke (54.97).

“It’s going to be hard to get away from this,” he said of his team. “I’m going to miss it so much. I hope they’ll continue this trend of having great seasons. It’s been up and down but it’s good to be ending on an up.”

He was part of the winning 400 freestyle relay along with Wojnovich, Dominic Edwards and Eshelman (3:19.41).

“We’re going for the school record in the 400 free relay,” he said. “Those guys have had it for awhile and we’d like to see our names on the board.”

The current school record is 3:07.19 set by Jake Goroshko, Steve Sekula, Geoff Boodey and Brandon McCredie in 2013.  

Eshelman won the 50 freestyle (22.08) and 100 freestyle (48.11).

“It’s been the best experience of my life,” he said. “These are absolutely my best friends. I knew a lot of them beforehand but you really get to know them in four years. We’re all one big group. We practice together, we hang out together, we cheer for each other. We’re one big team.

“The Fishies is an interesting group. It started our freshman year. We’d have picnics during diving. People would bring food and it became a group. We’ve been friends ever since and I think we’ll continue to be friends.”

Edwards won the 200 individual medley (1:57.97) and 100 breaststroke (1:02.69), Luke Dotson won diving (277.75 points), Wojnovich won the 100 butterfly (53.82) and Trevor Johnson finished first in the 500 freestyle (5:06.64) to round out the individual event winners for the Indians.

Birkbeck, Edwards, Wojnovich and Blake Eshelman won the 200 medley relay (1:39.19) and Drake Bayard, Caleb Chryst, Jackson Eshelman and Galley topped the field in the 200 freestyle relay (1:32.31).

The Indians have a total of 16 seniors on this year’s team, all of whom were recognized after the meet along with the seniors from Council Rock South.  

CR South girls’ event winners were Emily Shaya in diving (208.85 points) and the 400 freestyle relay of Miranda Olhasso, Kaitlyn Eastburn, Carolyn Hearn and Kellsey Robinson won in 3:55.74.

Girls

Council Rock North 104, Council Rock South 82

200-yard medley relay: 1. Council Rock North (Abigail Henderson, Jacqueline Rounsavill, Ellie Brandbergh, Julia Goroshko), 1:48.04; 2. Council Rock South, 1:55.36; 3. Council Rock South, 1:59.12;

200 freestyle: 1. Cristina Calibeo, CRN, 2:01.78; 2. Carolyn Hearn, CRS, 2:06.16; 3. Katie Williams, CRN, 2:07.55;

200 individual medley: 1. Henderson, CRN, 2:09.00; 2. Miranda Olhasso, CRS, 2:21.24; 3. Emma Sabalaske, CRS, 2:24.51;  

50 freestyle: 1. Rounsavill, CRN, 24.57; 2. Goroshko, CRN, 24.81; 3. Oleana Polkjovsky, CRS, 26.69;

Diving: 1. Emily Shaya, CRS, 208.85 points; 2. Jamie Traub, CRN, 203.10; 3. Kate Shaya, CRS, 191.55;

100 butterfly: 1. E. Brandbergh, CRN, 59.41; 2. Calibeo, CRN, 1:01.68; 3. Olhasso, CRS, 1:01.90;

100 freestyle: 1. Goroshko, CRN, 54.09; 2. Kellsey Robinson, CRS, 55.69; 3. Polkhovsky, CRS, 58.59;

500 freestyle: 1. Henderson, 5:10.75; 2. Hearn, CRS, 5:30.04; 3. Williams, CRN, 5:37.94;

200 freestyle relay: 1. Council Rock North (E. Brandbergh Callie Haggerty, Calibeo, Goroshko), 1:41.79; 2. Council Rock North, 1:42.56; 3. Council Rock South, 1:49.74;

100 backstroke: 1. E. Brandbergh, CRN, 58.04; 2. Robinson, CRS, 1:02.15; 3. Madison Peifer, CRS, 1:05.28;

100 breaststroke: 1. Rounsavill, CRN, 1:07.87; 2. Emily Nelson, CRN, 1:12.79; 3. Sabalaske, CRS, 1:14.80;  

400 freestyle relay: 1. Council Rock South (Olhasso, Kaitlyn Eastburn, Hearn, Robinson), 3:55.74; 2. Council Rock North, 3:57.64; 3. Council Rock South, 4:07.25.

Boys

Council Rock North 105, Council Rock South 75

200-yard medley relay: 1. Council Rock North (Zach Birkbeck, Dominic Edwards, Davis Wojnovich, Blake Eshelman), 1:39.19; 2. Council Rock South, 1:41.13; 3. Council Rock North, 1:45.31;

200 freestyle: 1. Birkbeck, CRN, 1:51.35; 2. Will Higgins, CRN, 1:53.96; 3. Trevor Johnson, CRN, 1:54.37;

200 individual medley: 1. Edwards, CRN, 1:57.97; 2. Jacob Roytman, CRS, 2:05.10; 3. Martin Vradinskiy, CRN, 2:05.97;

50 freestyle: 1. B. Eshelman, CRN, 22.08; 2. Greg Roytman, CRS, 22.31; 3. Parker Galley, CRN, 22.79;  

Diving: 1. Kuke Dotson, CRN, 277.75 points; 2. Jason Milkovich, CRS, 179.30; 3. Michael Magee, CRS, 165.25;

100 butterfly: 1. Wojnovich, CRN, 53.82; 2. Josh Belder, CRS, 54.05; 3. Drake Bayard, CRN, 56.17;  

100 freestyle: 1. B. Eshelman, CRN, 48.11; 2. G. Roytman, CRS, 48.36; 3. Galley, CRN, 50.79;

500 freestyle: 1. Johnson, CRN, 5:06.64; 2. Higgins, CRN, 5:10.52; 3. Andrew Belder, CRS, 5:22.41;

200 freestyle relay: 1. Council Rock North (Bayard, Caleb Chryst, Jackson Eshelman, Galley), 1:32.31; 2. Council Rock South, 1:38.78; 3. Council Rock North, 1:39.63;

100 backstroke: 1. Birkbeck, 54.97; 2. J. Roytman, CRS, 56.37; 3. Vradinskiy, CRN, 56.73;

100 breaststroke: 1. Edwards, CRN, 1:02.69; 2. J. Belder, CRS, 1:02.89; 3. Daniel Alpert, CRS, 1:07.38;

400 freestyle relay: 1. Council Rock North (Wojnovich, Edwards, Birkbeck, B. Eshelman), 3:19.41; 2. Council Rock South, 3:25.87; 3. Council Rock North, 3:26.74.