BY ED GOTWALS, THE SPORTS PAGE BLOG
NEW KINGSTOWN — On the first day of the District 3 swimming championships, Franklin County athletes earned several medals, including one gold, and Shippensburg's girls are in contention in the team race.
Chambersburg's C.J. Pong, who held the No. 1 time coming in, also posted the best time Friday (50.44), to win the 100 butterfly in Class 3A boys. He beat Dallastown's Joel Dunnigan, who posted 50.58.
Trojan coach Chad White said, "C.J. was mentally strong in the fly to get the victory. He really had to be tough in the last 25 yards to hold off the other boys. He decided to do a few extra underwater dolphin kicks off the last wall, even though it really hurt, and I think that was the difference between first and second."
Also for the Chambersburg boys, the 200 medley relay team of C.J. Pong, Michael Johnson, Robert Pong and Aidan McMillen scored a third-place finish in the 200 medley relay. They shaved more than 2 1/2 seconds off their qualifying time, which was the sixth-best coming in. The effort qualifies them for states.
"The boys did an amazing job in the medley relay," White said. "They were aggressive, had great transitions and put everything they had into it for their teammates. It was a great team record and should get them a seed for states."
Shippensburg's girls had a fine first session in Class 2A, and finished the day in second place in the team standings, behind only Schuylkill Valley.
The 200 medley relay team set a school record time of 1:47.45 to place second behind Schuylkill Valley (1:46.83). The Ship team included Madison Osanitsch, Julia Strine, Makenna Morris and Jillian Strine.
The same quartet, this time Julia Strine, Osanitsch, Morris and Jillian Strine, also were the runners-up in the 200 free relay with a time of 1:38.39.
The Greyhounds also picked up a pair of third-place finishes — Osanitsch in the 500 freestyle in 1:56.84, and Jillian Strine in the 50 free in a personal best 24.77.
Morris also hit a personal best time (2:13.54) to tie for fifth in the 200 IM.
In Class 3A girls, Waynesboro's Lauren Wetzel placed second in the 200 IM with a time of 2:07.46.
District 3 Swimming Championships
Friday's Results
CLASS 2A GIRLS
200 medley relay — 2.Shippensburg (Madison Osanitsch, Julia Strine, Makenna Morris, Jillian Strine) 1:47.45; 9.James Buchanan (Madison Price, Kortny Green, Sarah Kimmel, Sadie Garbinski) 1:57.79
200 freestyle — 3.Osanitsch (Ship) 1:56.84; 15.Price (JB) 2:10.83; 19.Alexa Myers (JB) 2:13.17
200 IM — 5.(tie) Morris (Ship), Sara Turner (East Pennsboro), 2:13.54; 12.Mia Estep (Ship) 2:24.86; 13.Rhiannin Peterson (JB) 2:26.20; 14.Green (JB) 2:26.74
50 free — 3.Jillian Strine (Ship) 24.77; 11.Garbinski (JB) 26.36
100 butterfly — 13.Kimmel (JB) 1:04.90; 17.Rachel Connor (Ship) 1:06.09
200 freestyle relay — 2.Shippensburg (Ju.Strine, Osanitsch, Morris, Ji.Strine) 1:38.39; 9.James Buchanan (Price, Garbinski, Green, Kimmel) 1:48.26
CLASS 2A BOYS
200 medley relay — 13.James Buchanan (Connor Slemp, Macen Wilt, Paul Dzieciol, Clinton Junkins) 1:54.55
200 freestyle — 10.Andrew Jackson (G-A) 1:54.02
200 IM — 16.Dylan Hervioux (G-A) 2:09.04
50 freestyle — 13.Brady Jackson (G-A) 23.14
100 butterfly — 12.Diego Gonzalez (G-A) 57.15; 17.Dzieciol (JB) 58.20
CLASS 3A BOYS
200 medley relay — 3.Chambersburg (C.J. Pong, Michael Johnson, Robert Pong, Aidan McMillen), 1:36.06
200 freestyle — 12.McMillen (Chbg) 1:46.20; 20.Colby Estep (Chbg) 1:50.76
200 IM — 21.Gavin Vink (Chbg) 2:06.21; 22.R.Pong (Chbg) 2:06.30
100 butterfly — 1.C.J. Pong (Chbg) 50.44; 14.R.Pong (Chbg) 54.51; 20.Johnson (Chbg) 55.35
CLASS 3A GIRLS
200 IM — 2.Lauren Wetzel (Way) 2:07.46; 30.Layne Rydbom (Chbg) 2:21.48
