Once again, Conestoga swimmers set fastest pace at Central League Meet

Ridley >> The Conestoga High School boys and girls swimming teams, who went through the dual meet season undefeated in the Central League, gave a top-grade performance at the Central League Meet at Ridley High School Feb. 9-10.

The Pioneer boys (9-0 overall, 6-0 league) finished in first place with 602 team points, followed by Haverford (405), Ridley (297) and Springfield (246) and Radnor (230). The Conestoga girls won the meet and the league title for the ninth year in a row, with 541.5 team points, followed by Lower Merion (426.5), Radnor (272) and Garnet Valley (218).

The Conestoga boys earned six first-place finishes and set a number of pool records.

Conestoga senior Jake Wang won two individual events (200 yard IM and 100 yard breaststroke), and set pool and meet records in the 100 ****** (53.43). He also was the leadoff swimmer for two freestyle relays that set pool and meet records.

Pioneer senior Can Yeniay won two individual events (200 yard freestyle and 500 yard freestyle) and was part of two freestyle relays that set pool and meet records.

In the boys 200 yard freestyle relay, the quartet of Wang, senior Brock Whitaker, freshman Liam Haas and Yeniay finished first in the 200 yard freestyle relay with a pool record time of 1:23.53. Wang got the foursome off to a fantastic start with a 19.97 split.

“It’s not really my best time but it’s pretty close,” said Wang. “It was really a fun swim, as I got to race Shane Eckler.”

Eckler, a Ridley senior who won the 50 yard freestyle with a pool record and meet record time of 20.08 Feb. 9, led off the 200 free relay with a 20.07 clocking.

Wang, the PIAA defending champion in the boys 200 yard IM, posted a winning time of 1:50.72 in the 200 IM Feb. 9; and Yeniay set a pool record with a season-best 1:38.84 in the 200 free..

“I didn’t feel great today, but I swam a better time than I did at States last year, so now I feel great,” said Yeniay after the race. He clocked 1:38.87 for a second-place finish at States in the 200 free last winter.

Whitaker, who finished second in the 100 yard butterfly (49.52) and 100 yard freestyle (45.33), said, “The highlight for me (Feb. 9) was the 200 free relay, where we swam and won as a team. Without Jake’s 19.97, we wouldn’t have been able to break the pool record.”

Conestoga also finished first in the boys 400 yard freestyle relay with a quartet of Wang, Whitaker, sophomore David Ivory and Yeniay. They posted a time of 3:04.93, setting both a pool and meet record.

In the boys 200 yard medley relay, the Conestoga quartet of junior James Oken, junior Stanley Cui, junior Hutch Wood and Haas finished third (1:39.23) and the Pioneer foursome of junior Aru Nayak, freshman Austin Zhang, senior Weston Clark and junior Justin Cuevas Reigo de Dios placed fifth (1:41.98).

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Jake Wang