Shore Girls Take Bald Eagle Swim League Championships (Saturday July 30)

One year winning does not establish a trend, but with Wellsboro winning the Bald Eagle Swim League Championships two years in a row, a new powerhouse may be emerging. Team Wellsboro scored 1447 points whereas Jersey Shore once again took second accumulating 1220.5 points. However, the Jersey Shore girls continue to dominate in several age groups and won overall in the girl’s team score over Wellsboro by 873 to 691. This point difference was a result of three dominating age groups who went undefeated this season. The 8 and 12-and-under girls and the 15-and-over girls remained unbeaten going into Championships and posted individual wins in several events.

The 100 yard freestyle for the 12-and-under girl’s best illustrated their ability to be competitive and swim fast. Shore teammates Emma Butzler, Olivia Edler, Hannah Stemler, Briar Lehman, Shawnell Fenstermacher, and Timber Merryman accumulated 62 points (compared to Wellsboro’s 18 points) as they captured 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 10th respectively. Butzler also went on to win the 100 individual medley and 50 fly where Edler secured a win in the 50 yard freestyle. The two later teamed up with Gabbie Moore and Kendra White to win the final 200 freestyle relay by almost 14 seconds over Wellsboro.

The 8-and-under girls didn’t capture as many of the top spots compared to the 12-and-unders but were still able to rack up points for the girls. The only individual winner was Isabelle Griswold in the 25 yard breaststroke but her teammates helped her pick up 34 points to Wellsboro’s 22 in that event. Griswold’s teammate’s Allison Moore, Sarah Misquitta, and Josie Gansell finished 3rd, 9th, and 11th respectively. Griswold and Moore did finish off their competition with a win over Wellsboro in the 100 yard freestyle relay with assistance from Courtney Lehman and Meaghan Keegan.

The majority of the 15-and-over girl’s individual events were won by Shore swimmers. Maddi Thompson won all three of her events; the 50 and 100 yard freestyle plus the 100 yard IM and Jamie Mason pulled into first over Tri-Town’s Ashley Mahaffey in the 100 butterfly. Loyalsock pushed Thompson and Mason plus Addison Crawley and Kortnee Blair in the 200 yard medley relay as Shore went onto win that race by 2.5 seconds.

Above, 15-and-over Jersey Shore swimmer, Kortnee Blair (foreground)
charges down the lane in the breaststroke leg of her
100 yard IM. Teammate Sophie Hatalsky is trailing behind.  Below, 15-and-over
 Jersey Shore swimmer, Maddi Thompson(foreground) moves down the lane
 in the breaststroke leg of her 100 yard IM. Loyalscok swimmer, Karen
 Shulte is trailing behind.

Jersey Shore 10-and-under swimmer
Sam Keegan in the breaststroke leg
 of her 100 IM. She would go on to
eventually capture second place.

Shore’s only first place in the 10-and-under girls came when Sam Keegan out-touched Wellsboro’s Catherin Craig in the 25 fly. On the boys side, their only win was the 200 freestyle relay with Mac Thompson, Steve Smeltzer, Derrick McPherson, and Evan Moore).

Lock Haven had a good showing with several of their younger age groups. The 8-and-under girls 100 medley relay with Evie Jane Rembold, Madison Bair, Makayla Sampson, and Haley Shadle finished ahead of Loyalsock and Jersey Shore. The 10-and-under boys of Jordan Sheets, Jonas Tomalonis, Thomas Cygan, and Logan Williams were able to capture both the 100 medley and freestyle relays. Williams also went on to win the 25 yard breaststroke over Jersey Shore’s Nash Berfield.



Above and below, Jersey Shore 15-and-over swimmer Steve
Smeltzer in the butterfly and breaststroke leg of his 100 IM.