Marcus Papanikolaou splashed his way to two individual medals at the PIAA Class 3A boys swimming championships, hosted by Kinney Natatorium at Bucknell University on Friday and Saturday.
The Central Bucks East junior touched in 45.20 to capture the bronze medal in the 100 freestyle. He also reached the podium in the 50 freestyle, taking fourth (20.61).
“It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t the worst,” he said. “You win some, you lose some. I was hoping to do better, but I’m happy to reach the podium.
“I’m back next year, and I have some things I know I can work on to improve and hopefully do better. This year is going to be very motivating for me. Next year is my last year, so I have to work on the things I need to fix.”
Teammate Zachary LeMay also reached the podium in an individual event, taking sixth in the 200 freestyle (1:40.82).
“I was really thrilled with the 200,” said LeMay, a senior. “To switch up an event and do so well in it was great.”
LeMay dropped the 200 individual medley in favor of the 200 freestyle.
“Obviously that was a good decision,” he said. “Jake (Wang of Conestoga, the champion) is quick. But this was the culmination of everything I’ve been working for over the past four years.
LeMay was also 17th in the100 breaststroke (57.66), just missing the night swim.
The 400 freestyle relay of Papanikolaou, LeMay, Owen Lever and Brady Scott took the podium in seventh place (3:09.29). The same foursome was 11th in the 200 freestyle relay (1:26.02).
“That was really exciting,” LeMay said. “Especially the 400.”
Papanikolaou agreed.
“That was a good race,” he said.
Connor Thurston brought home the fourth-place medal in diving for the Patriots with his score of 268.40 points.
“I was just hoping to get seventh,” said Thurston, a senior. “That was my goal, because that’s what I got last year.”
The state diving format changed from 11 dives to six.
“Honestly, that was kind of weird,” he said. “Me and Marcos (Terroba-Rivera, a teammate) have just been drilling our same exact six dives in the three or four weeks since districts so we felt well-prepared for this.
“I think my last dive (a front double twist) was good. I liked that one a lot, and my reverse and a half had the second highest dd (degree of difficulty) of the meet and that one was fun do to.
“This was my last high school meet and it definitely feels good to go out on a high note.”
Terroba-Rivera, a senior, was 13th (222.65 points).
CB East was eighth in team scoring with 99 points.
Connor McClurkin made waves for Neshaminy, reaching the final of the 100 breaststroke and taking home fourth place in a school record time of 56.29. He is the first person from Neshaminy to earn a state medal at this meet since diver Brian Gemberling in 2008.
“This is a big moment for me,” said McClurkin, a senior.
McClurkin was also 19th in the 200 individual medley (1:57.21).
“I’m really disappointed in my IM time,” he said. “But I was able to brush that off and come back with the breaststroke.”
He was at the 2022 state meet as a member of a relay.
“That was like a preview of this meet for me,” he said. “I’d never done anything like this, coming back for both days of the meet, but it was a little easier coming back now knowing what it was like and what to expect.
“For me, it’s very exciting to bring this attention to our program and I hope it encourages more kids to swim and to join our team. I really enjoyed my time with this team and that’s an opportunity I’d like to see others take advantage of.”
Central Bucks West sent a large team to the meet.
Sophomore Blaise Hofmann reached the consolation heat of the 100 backstroke, finishing 11th (51.12).
Connor Mangan, a junior, competed in two individual events. He was 14th in the 200 individual medley (1:56.08) and 21st in the 100 backstroke (53.09).
Derek Feldman also swam two individual events for the Bucks. The sophomore was 25th in the 200 individual medley (1:58.11) and 31st in the 100 breaststroke (1:00.82).
CB West’s 400 freestyle relay of Austin Wakefield, Mangan, Hofmann and Feldman made the consolation heat, taking 14th (3:11.16) while the 200 freestyle relay of Wakefield, Kade Cimakasky, Max McCloskey and Hofmann finished 24th (1:28.24).
In Class 2A on Thursday, New Hope-Solebury senior Teddy Devaney, competing as an independent, finished 24th in the 100 freestyle (49.83).
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