Emily Gao, Schuylkill Valley girls swimming take control at District 3 Class 2A Swimming Championships
Mar. 3—MECHANICSBURG — The Schuylkill Valley girls swimming team continued its dominance in Class 2A with a strong opening day at the District 3 Swimming Championships at Cumberland Valley High School on Friday.
The six-time defending champion Panthers lead the standings after with 157 points. York Suburban is in second with 144.
Emily Gao, a Schuylkill Valley senior, led the way with a victory in the 50 free in 24.41 for her first individual district gold.
"I'm feeling very happy," Gao said. "I would say the support of my team and the support of my family (got me here). When the people closest to you tell you that you can do it and you finally think to yourself, 'I really can do it,' that helped me out here.".
Gao also swam on the Panthers' winning 200 medley team and second-place 200 free relay team.
The 200 medley relay team of Jenna Kirby, Annie Gao, Nya Solvino and Emily Gao started the meet off in strong fashion by winning gold in 1:49.08. The victory is the seventh straight in the event for Schuylkill Valley, and the team dropped 3.86 seconds off its seed time.
In the 200 free relay, which the Panthers had won the past two seasons, the team of Emily Gao, Solvino, Megan Raifsnider and Paige McKim earned silver in 1:42.01.
Last season, the Panthers set a district record in the 200 free relay at 1:36.76. Though not quite as fast this year, Schuylkill Valley's time dropped 1.34 seconds off of its seed time.
"I think we did the best we could have done because we dropped so much time from what we had in the heat sheet," Emily Gao said. "Everyone behind the block was motivated, no one was like, 'Oh, we're behind.' We all went for it. So I think we did the best."
Additionally, Annie Gao took home silver in the 100 fly in 58.93.
In the 200 free, McKim earned silver in 1:58.53 and Raifsnider came in fifth in 2:01.51 to help the Panthers establish an early lead in the team standings.
York Suburban's 200 free relay team of Sarah Koller, Brynn Neidigh, Lauren Abel and Chloe Moore won gold in 1:41.26.
"We have a rivalry with everyone; everyone is a competitor," Emily Gao said.
While still hoping to take down York Suburban and the rest of the competition first and foremost, Gao said she is proud of how supportive her teammates have been amidst healthy competition.
"I'm just so happy for my team and how supportive they are of everyone here," Emily Gao said.
On the first day of the boys championships, several swimmers from Berks earned medals.
In the 200 free, Daniel Boone's Matthew Ferenz finished sixth in 1:52.02 and Schuylkill Valley's Hunter Moyer came in seventh in 1:52.23. Ferenz dropped 1.39 seconds off his seed time, while Moyer dropped 2.22.
In the 100 fly, Schuylkill Valley's Owen Eisenhofer finished fourth in 53.03 and Kutztown's Gabriel Clauss came in eighth in 57.30. Eisenhofer dropped 1.67 seconds off his seed time and Clauss 1.59.
In the 200 medley relay, Schuylkill Valley's team of Eisenhofer, Ben Bitting, David Kramer and Moyer finished third in 1:45.44, while Daniel Boone's team of Ferenz, Austin Snavely, Nicholas Antolis and Tyler Ferenz finished fourth in 1:46.12.
That same four swimmers for the Blazers finished sixth in the 200 free relay in 1:34.84.
