Swimmers from Council Rock South, Pennridge and Wissahickon are featured in this week’s notebook.
National Conference
Swimming a family affair for Harman - Council Rock South sophomore Andrew Harman is following in the 
footsteps of his older brothers Chris and Tim, who both were swimmers.
“Pretty much everything they did, I did,” Harman said. “But I don’t think it was a mistake for me to follow them into swimming. I really enjoy it.”
Chris, who graduated from CR South in 2011, swam mostly freestyle while Tim, a 2013 alum, made a name for himself in the breaststroke. Andrew takes more after his oldest brother, swimming the 100 and 200-yard freestyle events.
“I am kind of striking out and being my own swimmer,” he said.
He is eying breaking a 50 in the 100 freestyle, and his goal time in the 200 freestyle is 1:56.
“I’d love to do those things this year,” he said. “I did not go to districts as an individual last year and that’s a goal for me this year. I know it’s going to be hard to do, but I feel like I have a shot.”
Being in the balcony watching his older brothers swim was educational for him.
“I knew a lot about the team before I was on it from watching them,” he said. “I knew we’d gone a stretch where we’d lost some really close meets to William Tennent even though I wasn’t in them because I was watching. And even though I’ve never been in a district meet I’ve been to them as a spectator so I think I know what to expect.”
Harman feels good about the Golden Hawks this year.
“We’ve been working so hard together all the time, so I’m not too surprised that we’re having such a good year,” he said. “I think this year we’re going to give (Council Rock) North a run for the money.”
Continental Conference
Bland stepping up for Rams - Being a freshman who contributes a lot to a team can have its pressures.
But Nick Bland is able to handle them.
The freshman is a key member of the program at Pennridge, where he typically swims two individual events, the 500-yard freestyle and 100 backstroke, and competes in the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.
“There are times when I really feel the pressure, but then I listen to my teammates cheering for me and it really does help,” Bland said. “Everyone encourages each other on our team. When I first got here I felt very welcomed and I think our seniors do a great job of getting everyone up for the meets.”
This year he also went out for the water polo team at Pennridge.
“A lot of the same guys are on the water polo team and the swim team so water polo flows right into swimming,” he said. “It helped me create a bond with some of the guys so when the swim season started I already knew a lot of people.”
While he is new to the varsity program, Bland is a veteran competitive swimmer, having started at age nine.
“My mom swam competitively and when I was younger I always had an attraction to water so swimming was just a logical thing for me,” he said.
He is looking forward to his first conference championship meet.
“I think that’s going to be a great experience,” he said. “We have a very good, very competitive conference, and I’m looking forward to swimming in a heat with a lot of good swimmers at the same time. Those close races are the ones that really drive you and that’s when you get your best time.
“This whole season has really been a lot of fun and I’m really excited to see what the future brings for me.”
American Conference
Danny Knoll has come so far, so fast.
The senior captain for Wissahickon did not start swimming competitively until eighth grade.
“My friends were doing summer swimming at our club and they told me to try it,” he said.
It didn’t take him long to realize he had a natural talent for swimming, and by the time he got to Wissahickon, he had gotten more serious about it, dropping the basketball he’d played in middle school and joining the water polo team to complement his swimming.
“I feel like swimming is where I belong,” he said.
He took his first trip to the PIAA Class AAA meet last year, making it back to the consolation final in the 100-yard freestyle where he ended up 14th with his school record time of 46.65.
Last year he also swam the 200 freestyle at the District One meet but this year is looking more at the 50 freestyle.
“In the past, we’ve had other swimmers who could do the 50 but they all graduated, so this year I wanted to do more sprinting,” he said. “I’ve been lifting a lot and that really helps sprinting so that’s been my focus this year.”
He is leaning toward entering the 50 and 100 freestyles at districts this year.
“I know those are tough races with a lot of really good swimmers, but I’ve been working really hard and I think those are the events I’m going for,” he said.
He has not chosen a college yet but would like to continue swimming competitively while majoring in history.
“I’d love to teach history and be a coach,” he said. “That sounds like a good career to me.”
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