PIAA Swimming: Garnet Valley finds mostly luck in state psychs release

When the psych sheets for the PIAA Swimming and Diving Championships come out every year, some schools will have a brush or two with the cut line for the last at-large.

Garnet Valley pitched a tent and camped out there.

But for the final score, in four instances that the Jaguars hovered near the cut line for the 24th and final at-large, twice it fell Garnet Valley’s way.

In all, 11 Delco schools will be represented at the state meet. The Class 3A championships are March 11-12, with the 2A meet to follow March 13-14 at Bucknell. The top eight in each event are chosen based on the winners of select district meets. The other 24 berths are given to the fastest times state-wide.

Back to Garnet Valley and its hopscotching of the final at-large line. Things didn’t work out for Matthew Hurford, who is the first alternate in the 200 freestyle, his time of 1:43.78 from districts missing the cut by .23. The final at-large was 1.04 seconds faster this year than in 2019, to Hurford’s detriment. The Jaguars’ boys 200 free relay is also the first alternate, .36 behind Seneca Valley for the 24th spot.

But Hurford made it into states in the 500 free, getting the 18th seed. And the boys 400 free relay landed 17th.

The Garnet Valley girls relays lived a charmed life – they earned the 23rd at-large in both the 200 free relay and 400 free relay, one of 17 and 16 District 1 schools, respectively, to get to Bucknell. Amy Townend also snuck a surprising at-large to states in the 500 free, getting the 17th at-large after dropping more than four seconds at districts.

The Radnor boys medley relay got some at-large luck by finishing 22nd and getting to states. But Mia Yancey of Strath Haven is the first alternate in the girls 200 free, finishing .37 back of the last states trip.

In Class 2A, the Cardinal O’Hara boys 200 free relay is the first alternate, .19 seconds behind Holy Ghost Prep. And the Lions’ Henry Schueren is the second alternate in the 100 breaststroke, .48 seconds shy.

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Garnet Valley’s Amy Townend, seen in a meet against Conestoga, earned an at-large berth to states in the 500 freestyle Sunday. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)