Holy Ghost swimmers made a splash at districts, states
Holy Ghost Prep’s swim team turned in impressive performances at both the PIAA district and state championship meets this March.
The Firebirds finished fourth at the 2017 PIAA District One championships back on March 2-3 at La Salle’s University’s Kirk Pool.
Holy Ghost brought home 21 medals and broke two school records as districts. The Firebirds finished the meet with 237 points, narrowly missing third place by 2-1/2 points.
The two new school records were set at districts by Andrew Iannacone, who swam a 1:00.76 in the 100 breaststroke, and the 200-yard freestyle relay team of Bobby McLoughlin, Zach Geiser, Matt Doucette and Erik Fenstermaker, who broke the old school record of 1:34.52 set in 2011 by swimming a time of 1:33.89. Iannacone’s blistering time in the 100 breaststroke shattered HGP’s 15-year-old record in the event, set by Mike Williams (1:01.43).
“We are truly proud of the accomplishments by our swimmers at the 2017 District One Championships! Everyone stepped up,” said Holy Ghost Prep athletic director Jim Stewart. “To have two school records broken during the most important event of the season is remarkable. Congratulations to our hard-working swimming athletes and coaches Sheree Marsh, Ed Roussell and TJ Farrell.”
With their record-setting swims, Iannacone and the 200-yard freestyle relay team of McLoughlin, Geiser, Doucette and Fenstermaker qualified to swim in the PIAA state championships at Bucknell University. The 200 medley relay team also qualified to swim at Bucknell in 1:41.74.
Iannacone continued his record-setting ways in the 100-yard breaststroke at the PIAA Class AA state championships at Bucknell in mid-March. The Holy Ghost Prep sophomore clocked a 59.89 to finish 11th in the 100 breaststroke at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium. The 59.89 shattered his school record that he had set a few weeks earlier at districts.
“My goal was to go under a minute, and it’s very exciting that I was able to do that,” Iannacone says. “The whole (state) meet was such a great experience, and I feel like I set myself up with a good foundation for the next couple of years. It was a fun meet, and I really want to get back here again.”
The 200-yard medley relay team of senior Bobby McLoughlin, sophomore Andrew Iannacone, junior Matthew Doucette, and senior Erik Fenstermaker finished 15th at the PIAA Class AA state championships in a time of 1:41.64, just off the school record time of 1:41.24.