On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Souderton seniors Will Stanczewski, Jess Burns, Anna Stauffer & Elijah Gehman were recognized for committing to continue their swimming careers at the collegiate level.
Jess Burns – Duquesne University (Swimming)
Major: Nursing
Final list of colleges: Duquesne, James Madison, Delaware
Reasons for choosing Duquesne: “I chose Duquesne because of the campus and the amazing coaching staff.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: My favorite memory would be getting to bring our whole girls’ team my sophomore year at states and getting to hug my mom and sister after my finals race and just getting to race with my sister one last time before she graduated.”
Coach Lou Williams says: “I’ve talked a great deal about Jess, and there’s good reason for that. Jess is certainly the most productive female swimmer to come out of Souderton High School in my coaching career. She scored 971.50 lifetime team points on 227 swims in 58 meets. In 2024, Jess scored 317 team points and made district qualifying times in every high school event. For this reason, she was this year’s most valuable female swimmer.
“Jess is a four-time PIAA state qualifier and multiple time PIAA medal winner. What impressed me the most was in selecting a college program – she found one that would allow her to pursue her desired major while competing on the swim team. Jess is consistently one of the first to arrive for practice every day, and I can’t remember a time when she has missed a practice. Hard work pays off. I’m extremely proud of what she’s accomplished and look forward to seeing what’s next.”
About Jess:
Favorite food: Bagels
Favorite TV show: Gilmore Girls
Favorite artists: George Ezra, Noah Kahan
Anna Stauffer – East Stroudsburg (Swimming)
Major: Nursing
Reasons for choosing East Stroudsburg: “I applied to a bunch of schools and went to visit a bunch of schools, but East Stroudsburg stood out to me because of how personal the coach got with me. She cares a lot about me as an individual person.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “My favorite memory was getting to swim individuals this year at states.”
Coach Lou Williams says: “Talk about a swimmer who has a very high ceiling as it pertains to potential in the sport of swimming – Anna Stauffer has the potential to be a very strong collegiate swimmer in the PSAC next year. I was able to attend PSAC Championships to spectate this year, and my first reaction was an overwhelming feeling that Anna can be a PSAC finalist very quickly in her college career. Anna’s practice effort is excellent, and she did a great job of pushing hard to swim fast at the end of each of her high school seasons.
“This year, Anna swam very well at district champs and made states in both the 50 and 100 free, two of the most fickle events on the schedule. She was second in team points this year, scoring 286.50 in 65 total swims. In her career, Anna scored 749 team points across 56 meets.
“Anna is another swimmer committed to the future of our Souderton Aquatics community. You can catch her working with swim lesson kids in the high school almost every night. Punctuality is one of Anna’s strongest qualities, and I appreciated her being on time throughout her career.
“I look forward to the summer season and expect Anna to lead our Dolphin female relays to podium finishes.”
About Anna:
Favorite food: Spaghetti
Favorite TV show: Grey’s Anatomy
Favorite music: Country
Elijah Gehman – Ithaca College (Swimming)
Major: TV & Digital Media Production
Final list of colleges: Ithaca, Shippensburg, Montclair State
Reasons for choosing Ithaca: “I decided on Ithaca because I really liked the coach, the team, the campus and the program for my major, and also, their mascot is the Bombers, and I thought that was pretty cool.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “My favorite memories were more the practice memories when we were trying to keep ourselves entertained during long swim sets. We have traffic cones and even brought in lawn chairs to sit on one day.”
Coach Lou Williams says: “I’m so excited that Elijah will be able to compete at the collegiate level next year. I’m not sure that was even on the radar a few years ago, but Elijah’s hard work, commitment to improvement and real love for aquatics are going to make him an excellent student-athlete. I’m very familiar with the Ithaca program and can’t wait to come see Elijah and Will (Stanczewski) compete next year.
“Elijah is a four-year letter winner and multiple time District 1 qualifier. In his senior year, he swam a lifetime best 1:59.70 in the 200 at district champs, breaking the two-minute barrier for the first time in his career. He scored 213 points in his senior season, fourth on the boys’ team, and 482 lifetime points, also fourth among graduating seniors.
“Elijah’s heart is what I’ll remember most about him. He swims with such passion and desire and has helped a number of his teammates be successful just by being a great person. Our boys’ team forged a great bond with the boys from CB West, and I believe Elijah and his welcoming personality was a big part of that happening. I looked forward to one last trip around the BuxMont League summer season with Elijah where he is a role model for not only his sisters but for all the little swimmers who look up to him.”
About Elijah:
Favorite food: Spaghetti and meatballs
Favorite TV show: Cav 2
Favorite artist: Bob Marley
Will Stanczewski – Ithaca College (Swimming)
Major: Physical Therapy
Final list of colleges: Ithaca, University Pacific, William & Mary
Reasons for choosing Ithaca: “I chose Ithaca College because of the team environment and the staff, and also, the academics and physical therapy program.”
Favorite Souderton sports memory: “My favorite memory is definitely at leagues. It was all about the team, it wasn’t about us individually, and it really just brought us together, and it was just a fun experience overall.”
Coach Lou Williams says: “There’s never been any doubt that Will had the ability to study and compete at the next level. He is a four-year letter winner, multiple time District 1 and PIAA State qualifier and was the team leader in the water and out during his senior year. In 2023-24, Will led the boys’ team with 282 points in 64 swims in 16 meets. He finished the season with lifetime bests in both the 200 free and 100 breaststroke at the PIAA state meet and swam anchor legs on both our 200 free and 400 free relays that made finals. For that reason, Will was this year’s male most valuable swimmer.
“There might not be a more cerebral athlete on our team as Will really is a student of the sport and more specifically finds ways to technically improve and train smarter. Will has – on occasion – made some set suggestions for himself and others. Those sets will live on in our program long after Will moved on. We’ve had a very productive coach/athlete relationship over Will’s four years but especially in his senior season. We’ve come a long way since I accidentally smashed him in the face with a kickboard at a USA meet. I’m excited to see Will compete in college as I know he will take full advantage of the added resources a great program like Ithaca can provide.”
About Will:
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite movie: Dodgeball
Favorite artist: Rihanna
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