Swimmers/divers from Abington, North Penn and Upper Moreland are featured in this week’s notebook.
National Conference
O'Neill bound for states - Emma O’Neill is excited for the PIAA championships.
The Abington junior will compete in the girls Class AAA 500-yard freestyle.
She earned an at-large spot at the state meet by virtue of her time of 5:08.10 at the District One meet. She finished sixth at districts, one spot shy of an automatic spot.
“It wasn’t my best swim,” she said. “But I’m really just trying to get up and go do my best. I put a lot of work into it, just like everyone else.”
She competed at states last year in the 500.
“It was awesome,” she said. “I had a lot of fun. That experience definitely is going to help me. My goal was always to get to states and last year I accomplished it and being there is all the more reason to want to make it back again.”
Last year she made it to the consolation heat of the 500 freestyle, finishing 14th.
“I’m hoping to have more success this year,” she said.
O’Neill is involved in an organization called Build On.
“We have fund raisers and go on a trek to Haiti at the end of the year,” she said. “I’m very excited to be going on the trip. The goal is to start a school there.”
She has not chosen a college yet.
“I’m just starting to look,” she said. “I’m testing the waters but I also want to see how this season plays out for me. I’m not sure of a major yet, but I’m thinking pre-med or a science.”
At the district meet she was also 14th in the 100 butterfly (58.80).
Continental Conference
Friel & Knights excel at districts - Harrison Friel can thank his mother for his swimming career.
“She didn’t make me go but she asked me if I wanted to do it and I said ‘yes’ so that was how I started swimming,” said Friel, a junior at North Penn.
“I was 10 years old at the time, and at the beginning I hated it. I used to cry before practice when I was around 11, but then I got to high school and it all changed and now I enjoy it.”
Friel and his teammates had a standout showing at the District One Class AAA meet, winning the team title with 399 points.
Friel anchored the winning 200-yard freestyle relay for teammates Ryan Yocum, Liam Kelly and Mike Kern (1:26.07) and made it to the podium as an individual in the 100 breaststroke, finishing seventh (59.87). He was also 11th in the 200 individual medley (1:58.18).
“I’m happy with the way I swam,” said Friel, who also plays water polo for the Knights. “I dropped a lot of time, especially in the IM and the relay.”
He will swim two events at the PIAA Class AAA meet. The 200 freestyle relay received an automatic bid and is seeded sixth and he earned an at-large spot in the 100 breaststroke, where he is the 30th seed.
He is not sure where he is going to college yet but would like to major in astrophysics.
“I want to be an astronaut, but I might be too tall so I might end up changing my major,” he said. “I’m not sure if I’ll swim in college. If I go to a school where that would work out then I would do it, but I wouldn’t choose a college just for swimming. Academics are first.”
American Conference
Rorigues on the rise - Colleen Rodrigues finished the season on a high note.
The Upper Moreland sophomore ended up 20th in Class AA girls diving at the PIAA meet on Wednesday.
Rodrigues posted a score of 206.95 points over eight dives, making it to the semifinals this year.
Last year as a freshman she competed as this meet but did not make it out of the preliminaries.
“I did better than last year. Even though my first dive was a little off, I just kept giving 100 percent to try to make it through,” she said. “I definitely see a progression in my diving.
“Last year (teammate) Shannon (Chambers) and I weren’t that close in our scores but this year we were only a point apart, so hopefully I’ll continue to improve over the next two years. It was a good experience to make it last year because I was familiar with everything.”
Upper Moreland sent four divers to the meet this year. In addition to Rodrigues and Chambers, Dan Wilcox and Dylan Walker round out the team.
“We have a nice group and Mr. Iz (coach Bob Israel) is a great coach,” she said. “This whole season was so much fun. It was serious, but we had fun.”
Rodrigues also plays softball.
“I played for Upper Moreland last year but this year I think I’m just going to play for the township,” she said. “My focus is diving.”
She is not sure if she is going to dive in college.
“That’s not something I’m thinking about right now,” she said. “But I am very excited for next year.”
- Log in to post comments
