On Jan. 9, the State College Lions Swim Team competed against the Central Dauphin Rams. The State High Girls blew the Rams out of the water, 133-50, and the boys squeaked by, 90-86.
State High started strong with senior Inhye Sung claiming first place in the Girls 200m Individual Medley with a time of 2:22, while junior Leo Garlicki took first in the same event for the boys.
Shortly after, the boys teams competed in the 100m Fly event. The two schools fought aggressively to maintain speed for the number one spot. In the end, junior Emerson Gratz on the girl’s team came in one second shorter than the opponent with a time of 1:06. Sophomore Luke Flickinger on the boys team also came in second place at a time of 56 seconds after competing for a close tie.
Close to halfway through the meet, the teams participated in the 100m Freestyle event. State High’s Sawyer Barshinger gained just enough distance and finished first at 56 seconds while the opponent on her tail finished just a second later. Garlicki easily won the boys event with a time of 49 seconds.
The crowd and teams’ exhilaration could be felt and heard as the State High girls team dominated the 500m Freestyle. Senior Madison Watschke earned first place with a time of 5:20, and Barshinger came in second at 5:55. State College freshman Natalie Trego took third with a time of 6:01.
One of the final events, the Girls 200m Freestyle Relay, was closely watched. Junior Jenna Jones started out strong and allowed her team to hold the lead by two seconds and finish in first place. The teams were ecstatic congratulating each other as State High’s swimmers emerged from the pool.
Annie Horgas, a competitor on the State High team stated that she focuses on “points I need to hit during my race, and what I’ve been working on in practice specifically […] because it’s very hard to drop time.”
As a team, it was important to maintain a positive attitude while competing. However, it was more important to prepare individually. Jones said that to raise her spirit she chooses to, “listen to a lot of music, hydrate and be around my friends because they always get me in a good mood.”
As the meet came to an end, it was clear that State High had dominated the Rams. The Little Lions are back in action on Jan. 15 when they take on Chambersburg on Teacher Appreciation Night.
