The Council Rock North boys and girls swim teams headed into the holiday break on a high note.
The Indians hosted a double dual meet Dec. 21 against Suburban One League crossover rival Pennridge and triumphed in both meets, with the girls winning by a score of 102-84 and the boys, 106-72.
Kaitlyn Landers won two individual events for the CR North girls, taking first in the 200-yard individual medley, touching in 2:11.51 and the 100 freestyle (53.31).
“The expectations are higher this year but we have a really good group of girls,” said Landers, a junior. “We’re really close, and we’re really motivated.
“We lost this meet by a few points last year so that was part of our motivation, to win it this year, and we did it. We gave it our best effort and it showed in our times and in the result.
“This was a good step for us. I’d like to see us win the SOL again. We did it last year and I think with the girls we have this year, we have a really good chance.”
Other event winners for the CR North girls were Lillian Tetreault, who won diving (2-1.60 points) and Meghan Landers, the victor in the 500 freestyle (5:44.07).
Cymberly Tsai, Meghan Landers, Elizabeth Maltby and Kaitlyn Landers ended the meet with a win in the 400 freestyle relay (3:53.78).
The CR North boys had two swimmers win a pair of individual events each.
Sean Brush placed first in the 200 freestyle (1:50.86) and 500 freestyle (5:02.21) and Sebastian Vradinskiy won the 200 individual medley (2:05.46) and 100 breaststroke (1:01.85).
Also for the Indians, Alex Genetti was the winner of diving (124.50 points) and Connor Williams was first in the 100 freestyle (50.33).
Brush, Vradinskiy, Nigel Lukomski-Pizzo and Williams opened the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay (1:42.39) and Mark Cai, Ryan Wittmer, Tristan Davis and Felix Peng won the 400 freestyle relay (3:47.62).
“It’s important for us to just get in the water, swim well and win the meets that we need to win and compete as a team,” said Lukomski-Pizzo, a senior. “Here at North, we have a jar that we use for personal records and we try to fill that jar as much as we can. If we do that, then the wins will just follow.
“I want us to win the SOL again. That’s our goal as a team and I think we can do it. We just have to stick together as a team and cheer each other on. It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to have to win races and make sure we’re getting those second, third and fourth places and get as many points as we can.
“For myself, I’d like to make districts in a couple of individual events. I’m looking at the 200 IM and the 100 fly and our medley and 400 free relays. I think those are reachable goals for me if I train hard.”
Anjali Verma won two individual events for Pennridge; the 200 freestyle (2:06.26) and 100 butterfly (1:03.64).
Also for Pennridge, Ally Ricciardi won the 50 freestyle (25.36), Sadie Hogan was first in the 100 backstroke (1:02.40) and Honora Kelly touched first in the 100 breaststroke (1:13.29).
Kelly is a freshman this year.
“It’s been very stressful,” she said of her first season of high school swimming. “I did water polo and that was a lot, and high school practices are so different from club. They’re a lot harder.
“This was my first year of water polo. I was the JV goalie and it was a lot of fun. It’s more of a team sport than swimming, but I definitely think playing water polo helped my swimming.
“At the beginning of the season I kind of lost my breaststroke but I was still getting good times because I was stronger from doing water polo. My goal is to just keep improving and hopefully that will happen this year.”
The Rams fared well in the relays. They began the meet with a victory in the 200 medley relay as the foursome of Ricciardi, Kelly, Hogan and Ava Vesey touched in 1:57.42 while Ricciardi, Verma, Vesey and Hogan won the 200 freestyle relay (1:45.69).
Ethan Whitehurst was the lone individual winner for the Pennridge boys, taking first in both the 100 butterfly (57.46) and 100 backstroke (58.73).
“This year I’m a lot more comfortable,” said Whitehurst, a sophomore who also plays water polo for the Rams. “I’m a lot more used to the regimen. Last year the morning practices were a killer but this year it’s not as bad.
“We didn’t win but this was a good meet for us because it’s important for us to just swim well. It’s important for both teams, really, to just get out here and get swimming. We’re more about the individual races and times and less about the score.
“I feel that if my teammate drops time then they absolutely did better. If I drop time, then I absolutely did better. I don’t look at the scoreboard much. All I look at is, did I beat me?”
He is 0.2 seconds off the District One Class 3A consideration time in the 100 backstroke and has consideration times for the 100 and 200 freestyles and 100 butterfly.
“I’d like to go to districts this year and I think I have a chance,” he said. “For our team, I’d like to see us continue to improve individually because then we’ll improve as a team. It’s good for us to go into the holiday break feeling good about ourselves and about the team and I think we do.”
Whitehurst, Timonthy Hong, Michael Timm and Colin Jones won the 200 freestyle relay (1:37.48) for the Rams.
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