Former Tennent head coach Lisa Forlini was remembered at Tuesday’s Pink Out hosted by Central Bucks South.
WARRINGTON Some meets are about so much more than swimming.
The William Tennent-Central Bucks South rivalry is one of them.
This year was the sixth annual Pink Out between the two teams and was hosted by CB South.
The event is held in memory of former Tennent head coach Lisa Forlini, who lost her eight-year battle with breast cancer on Nov. 14, 2015 and was actually started by a Central Bucks South swimmer, Stephanie Nickerson.
The pool was decked out with pink balloons and streamers and both teams had pink caps and pink headbands courtesy of William Tennent. The balcony was teeming with alumni eager to pay their regards. Even the officials got into the act, donning the pink headbands for the meet.
Central Bucks South won the girls meet, 104-74, and the boys 103-69, but at meet’s end people barely knew the score.
“I knew Lisa my entire life,” Tennent’s Ethan Dean said. “This meet is very emotional because we all miss Lisa.
“I’m a senior so this is the fourth one of these meets that I’ve been to and they’ve all been really great. Everyone is always in good spirits at this meet and there were some good races, too.”
This year’s Tennent seniors represent the last group of swimmers who were coached by Lisa Forlini. Her daughter Meghan is now the head coach, assisted by her father and Lisa’s husband, Jamie.
“It brings back a lot of memories about Lisa,” Tennent senior Haleigh Leneghan said. “My freshman year I swam the 500 (freestyle) a lot and I swam it in this meet and that meant a lot to me. I did my best this season so that really felt good so I think maybe Lisa was inspiring me.
“We know a lot of people on their team and it’s nice to swim against them, plus they really started doing this meet as a Pink meet and that’s really special, that they would do that for us.
“We seniors are the last class who was actually coached by Lisa. Me and my friend Mary (Mansfield) talk about that a lot, that this is it. The classes behind us didn’t know Lisa the way we did. So this meet means a lot to us seniors. We always have Lisa in the back of our minds when we’re swimming.
“We mention her a lot in practice. Someone will say, ‘Lisa would have said this’ and we’re to the point now where the younger swimmers don’t know who Lisa is and it’s weird. This event helps to keep her alive for all of us and I really hope that it continues and shows the younger swimmers who she was and what she meant to our team.”
The tradition is just as important to the swimmers on Central Bucks South.
“I didn’t swim for Lisa but this meet still means a lot to me,” CB South senior Maggie Heigl said. “I think it means a lot to both teams. Our coaches were really close with her and this is a nice way to honor her.
“By everyone wearing pink, it just shows how much she was loved and how great of a coach she was. People connect through this. They connect to their relatives or friends who may have breast cancer or survived. It’s important to do that.
“There’s so much camaraderie at this meet. It’s a lot of fun. It’s very energetic. There’s a lot of adrenaline, a lot of coaches running up and down the side of the pool, and everyone is just really excited to swim.
“Also this is a night meet, which adds to the excitement and also lets more parents come to the meet so it’s great. This meet and the meet against CB West, those are our biggest meets.”
Heigl remembers Lisa Forlini from her freshman year as a Titan.
“I swam my freshman year and I remember her,” she said. “She passed away right before the beginning of my sophomore year. My grade is the last to remember her on both sides and I think that makes this even more special.”
Girls
Central Bucks South 104, William Tennent 74
200-yard medley relay: 1. Central Bucks South (Victoria Peacock, Heidi Scholer, Lizzie Axler, Maggie Heigl), 1:59.67; 2. Central Bucks South, 2:10.34; 3. William Tennent, 2:11.22;
200 freestyle: 1. Kaylin Goodling (CBS), 2:04.66; 2. Kirsten Brasch (WT), 2:05.02; 3. Elizabeth Pluznyk (CBS), 2:10.69;
200 individual medley: 1. Devon Fithian (WT), 2:21.82; 2. Joy Schwedler (CBS), 2:27.33; 3. Victoria Peacock (CBS), 2:30.45;
50 freestyle: 1. Maggie Heigl (CBS), 26.78; 2. Lizzie Axler (CBS), 26.87; 3. Chloe Matsick (CBS), 27.00;
Diving: 1. Vita Shabalow (CBS), 221.55 points; 2. Alexandra Charlton (CBS), 202.95; 3. Nina Lombardi (WT), 198.70;
100 butterfly: 1. Kirsten Brasch (WT), 1:04.91; 2. Joe Schwedler (CBS), 1:05.57; 3. Maggie Heigl (CBS), 1:05.59;
100 freestyle: 1. Heidi Scholer (CBS), 54.89; 2. Kaylin Goodling (CBS), 56.81; 3. Elizabeth Pluznyk (CBS), 1:00.07;
500 freestyle: 1. Ryleigh Rosta (CBS), 6:03.06; 2. Lindsay Hiltpold (CBS), 6:10.25; 3. Claire Chelius (CBS), 6:14.23;
200 freestyle relay: 1. Central Bucks South (Kaylin Goodling, Lizzie Axler, Maggie Heigl, Elizabeth Pluznyk), 1:45.51; 2. Central Bucks South, 1:50.91; 3. William Tennent, 1:52.55;
100 backstroke: 1. Victoria Peacock (CBS), 1:08.08; 2. Allison Damico (CBS), 1:11.86; 3. Brianne Spellman (WT), 1:15.84;
100 breaststroke: 1. Heidi Scholer (CBS), 1:10.51; 2. Devon Fithian (WT), 1:16.27; 3 Lauren Charlton (CBS), 1:21.17;
400 freestyle relay: 1. Central Bucks South (Kaylin Goodling, Lizzie Axler, Elizabeth Pluznyk, Heidi Scholer), 3:53. 86; 2. Central Bucks South, 4:09.68; 3. William Tennent, 4:14.17.
Boys
Central Bucks South 103, William Tennent 69
200-yard medley relay: 1. Central Bucks South (Ben Komita, Tom Khayt, Dan Han, Alex Brogan), 1:42.20; 2. Central Bucks South, 1:47.07; 3. William Tennent, 1:51.79;
200 freestyle: 1. Dan Han (Central Bucks South), 1:48.71; 2. Matt Guo (Central Bucks South), 1:57.86; 3. Martin Cole (CBS), 1:58.43;
200 individual medley: 1. Tom Khayt (CBS), 2:00.94; 2. Caleb Matsick (CBS), 2:08.52; 3. Will Gwynn (WT), 2:17.19;
50 freestyle: 1. Charlie Green (WT), 23.43; 2. (tie) Chip McElrath (CBS) and Alex Brogan (CBS), 23.59;
Diving: 1. Dan Cohen (CBS), 219.90 points; 2. Jack Bowen (CBS), 155.95;
100 butterfly: 1. Ben Komita (CBS), 55.73; 2. Charlie Green (WT), 56.08; 3. Colin Harris (WT), 59.29;
100 freestyle: 1. Dan Han (CBS), 48.43; 2. Chip McElrath (CBS), 51.36; 3. Ryan Kircher (CBS), 51.51;
500 freestyle: 1. Caleb Matsick (CBS), 5:07.12; 2. Matt Guo (CBS), 5:18.06; 3. Martin Cole (CBS), 5:22.75;
200 freestyle relay: 1. Central Bucks South (Dan Cohen, Alex Brogan, Ryan Kircher, Caleb Matsick), 1:35.12; 2. Central Bucks South, 1:40.12; 3. William Tennent, 1:45.51;
100 backstroke: 1. Ben Komita (CBS), 58.39; 2. Chip Gunderman (CBS), 1:03.49; 3. Alexei Havaka (CBS), 1:03.62;
100 breaststroke: 1. Tom Khayt (CBS), 1:02.76; 2. Josh Hiltpold (CBS), 1:07.90; 3. Dan Pohl (CBS), 1:08.00;
400 freestyle relay: 1. Central Bucks South (Tom Khayt, Chip McElrath, Caleb Matsick, Dan Han), 3:21.95; 2. Central Bucks South, 3:34.46; 3. William Tennent, 3:37.91.
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