Ches-Mont swimmers sparkle at 8th Annual Scott Elliott Ches-Mont Invitational

By Bruce Adams

badams@21st-centurymedia.com

WEST CHESTER – The 8th annual Scott Elliott Ches-Mont Invitational featured top swimmers from nearly a dozen Ches-Mont schools who, on Saturday at West Chester University, battled for their final chance to post district qualifying times before the upcoming PIAA District 1 championships.

To the delight of a spirited group of fans at Graham Natatorium, each of the participating schools featured swimmers who posted a district qualifying time Saturday.

West Chester Henderson, who went undefeated in Ches-Mont National boys swim meets this winter, was a standout in the boys segment of the Scott Elliott Invitational Saturday afternoon. Warrior boys who posted district qualifying times Saturday included Sean Dillon (200 free and 500 free), Jeehan Lee (200 individual medley), Eddie Stoltz (100 butterfly and 100 backstroke), Bailey Steimel (100 fly) and Finn Lukens (100 breast). The Warriors also recorded district qualifying times in both the 200 free relay and 400 free relay.

“I thought the boys swam very, very well,” said West Chester Henderson swimming head coach Jeff Bott. “We were focused on the freestyle relays today, and looking just a little bit ahead to the district lineup. What was really encouraging was to see a lot of our kids swim very well in their events, whether they made a district qualifying time or not. We had a lot of best times today.”

Downingtown West, who won the Ches-Mont National girls team title last week, was a notable standout in the girls portion of the Scott Elliott Invitational Saturday morning, as Whippet swimmers posted a half-dozen district qualifying times in individual events – Keira Carmella in the 100 yard freestyle and 100 breaststroke, Mary Kate Johnson in the 50 free, Morgan Harlan in the 200 free and 500 free, and Elizabeth McNamara in the 500 free. The Whippets first-place 400 free relay of Carmella, Abby Harlan, Johnson and McNamara also posted a district qualifying time (3:36.15).

“Our girls had an awesome day,” said Downingtown West girls swimming coach Stacy Tukloff-Vansant. “They’re hard workers. We look forward to more fast times at districts.”

Bott paid tribute to Elliott, who was a long-time coach in the Southern Chester County Swim League and at West Chester University before passing away in July 2017.

“Scott coached a lot of swimmers who had gone to Henderson, and was just a great friend and great mentor to so many people,” said Bott. “People still recall all the things he did for the swimming community.”

In the first event of the boys meet Saturday afternoon, the Downingtown East quartet of Sam Sperling, Matt DiAddezio, Joseph Griffiths and Connor Kiebort won the boys 200 medley relay with a district qualifying time of 1:38.67.

The top three finishers in the boys 200 free posted district qualifying times – West Chester Henderson’s Sean Dillon (1:46.28), Downingtown West’s Henry Dennin (1:47.39) and West Chester Rustin’s Philip Grece (1:48.17).

Four swimmers posted district qualifying times in the boys 200 IM – Unionville’s Grant Fleming (1:54.81), Downingtown West’s Shane Martin (1:59.45), Great Valley’s Patrick Li (2:01.29) and Lee (2:01.92).

Bishop Shanahan’s Landyn Snook finished first in the boys 50 free with a district consideration time of 22.37 (since the Eagles compete in Class AA, this is most likely a district qualifying time).

Five swimmers posted district qualifying times in the boys 100 butterfly – Stoltz (50.50), Sperling (51.34), West Chester Rustin’s George Harkins (52.43), Steimel (52.55) and DiAddezio (53.58).

West Chester Henderson’s first-place boys 200 free relay of Stoltz, Lee, Steimel and Lukens posted a district qualifying time of 1:28.41.

Two swimmers posted district qualifying times in the boys 100 free – Sperling (47.65) and Great Valley’s Patrick Hynes (48.58).

In the boys 500 free, Dillon (4:51.61) and Grece (4:54.21) posted district qualifying times.

In the boys 100 backstroke, three swimmers posted district qualifying times – Fleming (50.86), Stoltz (51.91) and Martin (52.90).

Two swimmers posted district qualifying times in the boys 100 breaststroke – Lukens (58.39) and DiAddezio (58.44).

In the final event of the boys meet, the 400 free relay, two quartets posted district qualifying times – the Downingtown East team of Sperling, Andrew Fulton, DiAddezio and Charles O’Hara (3:16.27) and the Henderson foursome of Stoltz, Lee, Dillon and Lukens (3:16.38).

In the opening event of the girls meet Saturday morning, the 200 medley relay, Downingtown West’s first-place quartet of Morgan Harlan, Carmella, McNamara and Johnson posted a district consideration time of 1:50.86.

The top four finishers in the girls 200 yard freestyle posted district qualifying times – Coatesville’s Sarah McGann (1:53.50), Bishop Shanahan’s Whitney Kane (1:53.88), Kennett’s Alexandra Scime (1:55.55) and D-West’s Morgan Harlan (1:58.31).

In the girls 200 individual medley, the top two posted district qualifying times – West Chester Henderson’s Paige Fisher (2:06.04) and Great Valley’s Grace Curtis (2:11.30).

Johnson posted a district qualifying time in the girls 50 free (24.89) while finishing first.

In the girls 100 fly, the first-place finisher, West Chester Henderson’s Ella Mogck, posted a district consideration time of 1:01.26.

In the girls 200 free relay, the first-place West Chester East quartet of Emily Schwarz, Emma Antczak, Lily Rohrer and Grace Herlihy posted a district consideration time of 1:41.15.

The top four swimmers in the girls 100 free posted district qualifying times – Fisher (52.05), Carmella (52.70), Scime (53.22) and McGann (53.56).

The top four girls in the 500 free posted district qualifying times – Kane (5:01.81), Morgan Harlan (5:04.88), McNamara (5:05.21) and Schwarz (5:17.90).

The top two finishers in the girls 100 backstroke posted district qualifying times – Downingtown East’s Lucille Obenski (59.71) and West Chester Rustin’s Maddie Libke (1:00.60).

The top three girls in the 100 breast recorded district qualifying times – Carmella (1:06.12), West Chester Rustin’s Aoife Speer-Gibson (1:07.87) and Curtis (1:07.96).