Last year, the Council Rock South swim team had a tough time filling the lanes on the girls side of the competition.
This year, that’s not the case as the Golden Hawks have been graced with a significant freshman class including ninth grade swimming sensation Taylor Jiras.
The 2023 season has just gotten underway and already, Jiras has qualified for districts in the 200 and 500 freestyle events. Jiras did so at the First Chance Meet held Dec. 16 at the Council Rock North Natatorium. Jiras turned in a time of 2:01.16 in the 200 and 5:23.24 in the 500.
This season, Jiras and eight other freshmen get their first chance to swim varsity at CR South.
“It’s been really good,” said Golden Hawks head coach Paul Hamnett. “We have a couple of really impactful freshman girls who will really help with the success of the team.”
Swimming against Suburban One League foe Pennridge Dec. 19 at the home of the Rams in Perkasie, Jiras took first place in the 200 free and was less than a tenth of a second behind the winner in the 100 backstroke.
“Girls tend to have a bigger impact at an earlier age. And Taylor Jiras is going to be one of the best swimmers in the Suburban One League,” Hamnett said.
“When you’re doing the 200 (free), you’re not going as fast as you swim in the 100 but almost as fast so it’s a tough event. You have to keep up a really fast pace so it’s a very difficult event.
“The turns are a big part of those events. We really work on the underwater as kids come off the wall and stay streamlined as possible – as efficient as they can.
“In a longer event you want to be taking less strokes so it’s less taxing on your body.”
Four of the girls teamed up to win the 400 free relay.
“Adding nine freshman girls really makes a difference because they help with extra relays, they help fill the lanes, they help a lot with the points,” Hamnett said.
“Last year, we had events where we had only one person in the event. Even if we won the event, we lost points.”
In addition to Jiras, shoring up the ranks for the Golden Hawks this season is Rebecca Geberth. Ironically, Hamnett helped coach Geberth as a youth at Tri-Hampton YMCA where Hamnett guided young swimmers between 2015-2018.
Jiras and Geberth excel in the backstroke so they have the ability to make a significant impact right away, Hamnett added.
Senior captains for the South girls are Elana Rhoge and Gabriella “Ella” Rossi. Rhoge and Rossi are excellent competing in the breast stroke but they also are competent in butterfly, individual medley and freestyle sprints.
In the girls meet won by Pennridge, Rossi took first place in both the 100-yard freestyle and the 100 breast while Rhoge was the first swimmer to touch back in the 100 butterfly event.
“They’re very well-rounded swimmers,” said Hamnett. “They’re not great at the backstroke but the two freshmen girls, that’s their strongest stroke so they’re very complementary in terms of the relays and some of the other events.”
Geberth teamed up with Jiras, Rhoge and Lily Hamnett to touch back first in the 400 free relay in 3:59.32.
On the boys side at CR South, it’s the sophomore class igniting all the energy for the Golden Hawks. Nikita Jenza, Owen Hamnett and Dennis Delenyan – all 10th graders – came through for South at Pennridge. Jenza touched back first in the 100 fly and 100 breast while Owen Hamnett took first place in the 100 free and 100 back to help the Golden Hawks win the boys meet.
Meanwhile, Delenyan was the first to finish in the 500 freestyle swim and the boys took firsts in the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay. The Golden Hawks also grabbed a second-place ribbon in the 200 free relay with Maksym Vinnikov, Steven Belder, Jesse Gassmann and Ryan Wojciechowski teaming up.
Owen Hamnett and Jenza joined up with Nikita Stefanovich and Umid Akmalov in the 200 medley relay, finishing the event in 1:44.37. In the 200 free relay, Akmalov and Stefanovich paired up with Sam Cantwell and Adrian Oreper, finishing the event in 1:37.46. Oreper took second in the 200 free with his time of 1:55.26.
On the girls side, Rossi, Lilly Hamnett and Geberth teamed up with Ella Messmer in taking second place in the 200 free relay. Meanwhile, Rossi and Messmer paired up with Jiras and Rhoge to take second in the 200 medley relay.
Stefanovich grabbed second-place ribbons in the 200 IM and the 100 breast while Geberth (500 free) Akmalov (100 free) and Rhoge (200 IM) also placed second for CR South.
The CR South girls got their first win of the season Dec. 21 against SOL rival Central Bucks East at the Patriots’ pool. Rossi grabbed a pair of firsts in freestyle (100, 200) swims. Jiras won the 500 free and the 200 IM. Rhoge took first in the 100 breast and the Golden Hawks won all three relay events including the final 400 free relay. Jiras, Messmer, Geberth and Rossi teamed up in finishing the relay race in 3:58.23, ensuring CR South a victory in the girls meet. CB East won for the Patriot boys.
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