Jersey Shore YMCA/Bellefonte Meet Synopsis

Two YMCA teams call Lock Haven University's Zimmerli Pool home: The Bellefonte Stingrays and the Lock Haven Loggerheads.

Jersey Shore's schedule had the team traveling there twice in January for dual meets against both. Shore dispatched Lock Haven, 10-0, earlier this month, but had a tougher opponent in Bellefonte escaping with a 5-all tie last Saturday.


Whereas Bellefonte dominated the older age groups, winning both the girls' and boys' 18-and-unders, Jersey Shore was able to claim the middle age group by capturing the girls' and boys' 12-and-unders. The boys won handily, 57-5, while the girls secured a 62-19 win.

The 12-and-under girls made a strong statement from the beginning by going 1-2 in the opening 200 medley relay. Shore's Kendra White, Gabbie Moore, Briar Lehman and Olivia Edler finished the race in 2:23.66. Thirteen seconds later, teammates Anna Zeigler, Olivia Stemler, Cassie Kitchen and Laura Zeigler touched the wall for second.

"We have some great depth in the 12-and-under girls," Jersey Shore head coach Patty Kennelley said. "There have been a few new additions to the age group this season and they have blended in well with our team. When you have such a large number of girls to pick from, it makes preparing for the meet that much easier.

"While the girls definitely compete against each other in the individual races, they come together and support each other in the relays - which is evident by their times which have dropped with each meet."

The girls did not let up as they went on to win the next five events; Laura Zeigler in the 200 freestyle, Moore in the 50 freestyle and butterfly, White in the 100 IM, and Edler in the 100 freestyle.

It wasn't until the last two individual events that Bellefonte's 12-and-under girls picked up wins. Erin Walsh and Amy Seely won the 50 backstroke and breaststroke, respectively. Like the beginning, Shore's 12-and-under girls finished off the evening with a 1-2 finish in the 200 freestyle relay.

Jersey Shore's 8-and-under boys fell four points shy of winning their age group and possibly winning the meet.

"They have been working real hard at practice," Kennelley said. "The last couple of meets, we have been seeing more than a few disqualifications because of their finishes so we have been focusing a lot on their starts, turns and finishes. It was nice to see their hard work pay off in this meet."

Caleb Stemler, Alex Butzler, Tycen Whitman and Aaron Baker clocked a 2:01.70 in their opening 100 medley relay, good for first place. The same foursome cruised to a victory in the closing 100 freestyle relay. It was the middle individual races where Bellefonte offered competition.

Stemler picked up a win in the first individual event, the 25 freestyle, but the Stingrays' Reece Bloom and Nicholas Way were able to accumulate points with a second- and third-place finish, respectively. Teammates Andrew Fedor and Harrison Horner gave Bellefonte its first age-group wins in the 100 individual medley and 25 yard butterfly, respectively.

Shore's Butzler briefly recaptured the momentum by taking the 50 freestyle but Bellefonte's Trenton Butler captured the final two individual events; the 25 backstroke and breaststroke. Bellefonte prevailed with a 36-32 age group win.

Jersey Shore's next swim meet is against East Lycoming on Jan. 29 at the Jersey Shore High School pool.