PIAA Girls’ Swimming Prelims, Day 2: Wilson to cap career with 2nd state medal
Tamaqua's Savannah Wilson gets set to compete in the girls' 100 breaststroke preliminaries Saturday at Bucknell University (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
Tamaqua senior 4th in 100 breaststroke preliminaries
LEWISBURG — Savannah Wilson made sure all the hard work and effort she’s put in over the last four years paid off Saturday.
The Tamaqua senior clinched a second straight medal in the 100-yard breaststroke during Saturday morning’s girls’ preliminaries at the PIAA Swimming Championships at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.
Wilson won her heat and finished fourth in the 100 breast prelims in a school-record 1:04.85 to advance to tonight’s championship finals. She placed seventh in the event last year and will look to climb higher up the podium when the girls’ finals begin at 7:05 p.m.
Schuylkill Valley’s Mabel Walborn posted the fastest time in 1:03.65, followed by St. Mary’s Maddie Lanzel (1:04.05) and Southmoreland’s Allison Stinnett (1:04.67).
“I’m really glad that this is the way my senior year is going to end for me,” Wilson said. “I’ve swam my entire life. It’s really nice that everything has paid off for it.
“Top four, I’m really proud of myself. It’s an amazing accomplishment. I’m really excited to come back tonight, hopefully drop time, but get one of those medals.”
Wilson was one of four Schuylkill League swimmers to advance to Saturday night’s consolation and championship finals.
Marian’s Lydia Strucko secured her second medal of the weekend and her second straight in the 100 backstroke when she placed second in the preliminaries in 55.89. Only Hampton’s Lainey Sheets was faster in 55.17.
Strucko was second Friday in the 100 butterfly. Last year, Strucko placed sixth in the 100 backstroke in 56.83.
Schuylkill Haven’s Hope Stauffer and Mahanoy Area’s Lily Brown also advanced to tonight’s session, placing in the top 16 of their events in the morning prelims to qualify for the consolation finals.
Stauffer was the Cinderella story of Saturday’s preliminaries, climbing from the 22nd seed to ninth in the 100 freestyle with a time of 53.47.
Her time was 0.80 seconds faster than her District 11 time of 54.27 and broke the Schuylkill Haven team record of 53.83 set by Mary Zimmerman in 2017.
“Coming in ninth out being seeded 22nd is crazy because all of the times are so close, within less than a second apart,” Stauffer said. “I just wanted to beat the school record.”
Mahanoy Area’s Lily Brown also advanced to the consolation finals, placing 11th in the 100 backstroke in 59.77, slightly slower than her silver-medal-winning time of 59.73 at districts.
It’s been a strong weekend for the sophomore, who captured an eighth-place medal Friday in the 200 IM.
For three others, the season ended in the morning prelims:
*** Blue Mountain’s Alayna Hensel was 27th in the 100 breaststroke in 108.95.
*** The Tamaqua 400 freestyle relay team of Janna Brown, Kate Behun, Wilson and Shaylee Gormley was 24th in 3:52.26.
*** In the same race, the Blue Mountain quartet of Anna Kaplafka, Alayna Hensel, Lola Machamer and Isabella Lafko was 31st in 3:57.04.
Both the Blue Raiders (3.61 seconds) and Eagles (3.92 seconds) added substantial time from their 1-2 District 11 finishes.
The girls’ consolation and championship finals get under way at 7:05 p.m. Follow T102 Sports Now on Facebook for live updates.
