Conestoga junior Jake Wang, multiple gold medal winner at States, is DLN Boys Swimmer of the Year

On the biggest stage of the 2022-23 high school swimming season, the PIAA Class 3A Swimming and Diving Championships at Bucknell University, Conestoga junior Jake Wang gave his best performance of the year, winning two individual gold medals with PR clockings and contributing to the Pioneers’ first-place 400 free relay team.
Wang was named PIAA 3A Boys Swimmer of the Meet, becoming the first Conestoga swimmer to receive that honor at States since Brendan Burns in 2019.
Three weeks earlier, at the PIAA District 1 3A Championships, Wang was named the Boys Swimmer of the Meet for the second year in a row, winning both the 100 ****** and the 200 IM.
For his dominance both in the postseason and throughout the season, Wang has been named the 2022-23 Daily Local News Boys Swimmer of the Year.
Wang’s best swim at States was the 200 IM, in which he posted a PR of 1:46.
“I was super excited just after the race when I saw the time, since it was my first time dipping under 1:48, completely skipping over 1:47 as well,” said Wang. “To drop that much is always exciting, and being able to celebrate and splash the water is all fun and the most amazing part of it all.
“The most important aspect of my 200 IM swim was definitely going faster in backstroke and hanging on as much as possible in the freestyle. I really focused on utilizing my underwaters as much as possible so I didn’t use so much energy on swimming.”
One day later, he won the gold medal in the 100 ****** at States with a PR 53.92.
“Going under 54 was my goal this season, and what a perfect way to do so, at the big audience of States,” said Wang.
The same day that he won the 100 ******, Wang led off the Pioneers’ first-place 400 free relay (3:04.51).
“Leading off is always my favorite thing in a relay, since I’m much more of a lead-getter than a catcher-upper,” said Wang. “Also, once you’re done leading off, it is super fun to be able to cheer on your teammates for the rest of the race, which was my favorite part of the relay.”
“Jake gave a phenomenal effort at States, he left no business unfinished,” said Conestoga boys swimming coach Mark Tirone.
Wang does not know Burns, who won the Boys Swimmer of the Meet at States in 2019, but said, “I am joining amazing company (in Burns), and it’s just such an honor to even be mentioned in the same breath as him. I have heard of all of his accomplishments and great swimming for Conestoga.”
Wang started competitive swimming when he was 6 years old at the Lionville Community YMCA and then moved to the Suburban Swim Club when he was 10. Wang still swims there today, and he said his most influential swimming center has been the renowned coach Charlie Kennedy.

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