Blue Mountain's Sage Kaplafka competes in the 100 freestyle during the Schuylkill League Swimming Championships at the Ned Hampford Natatorium (Photo by David McKeown)

POTTSVILLE — Blue Mountain swimmer Sage Kaplafka and Schuylkill Haven’s Hope Stauffer are really close friends.

It made their battle in the girls’ 50-yard freestyle at Saturday’s Schuylkill League Swimming Championships even better.

Kaplafka edged Stauffer by four-hundreths of a second (25.37-25.41) to grab the gold. It was the race of the day in a very competitive league meet at the Ned Hampford Natatorium.

“It’s fun,” Kaplafka said. “I like swimming against people I know because it’s very light-hearted and we don’t go at each other. It was close. I was excited to swim against her again. She did really good today.

“It was really close. I was getting nervous. It was fun. It was a good race.”

Kaplafka (25.14) and Stauffer (25.54) came into the race seeded 1-2 and they were neck-and-neck throughout before Kaplafka gained the advantage late.

Both swimmers were all smiles when talking about the race, commenting how fun it was to compete against each other.

“That was definitely a very nerve-racking race. It was very close,” Stauffer said. “Me and Sage are really close, best friends. It’s just so much fun to swim against your friends.”

The gold in the 50 freestyle was one of three Kaplafka earned on the day. The senior standout dominated the 100 freestyle, winning in 56.29. North Schuylkill’s Kamryn Wolfe (58.01) and Schuylkill Haven’s Nikki Domermuth (58.33) were second and third, respectively.

Kaplafka then teamed with Alayna Hensel, Julia Crossen and Isabella Lafko to win the 400 freestyle relay in 3:54.11. Blue Mountain coach Pete Sarnes experimented with his relays on both the boys’ and girls’ sides and it was only the second or third time, Kaplafka said, she competed in the 400 free relay all season.

“I don’t know … you never know what he’s going to do,” Kaplafka said of Sarnes’ relay plans moving forward. “I was excited. We dropped four seconds from (their seed time). That’s super exciting. We’ve only done it two or three times.”

Stauffer also had a strong day, winning her first Schuylkill League gold in the 200 freestyle in 2:02.92, knocking nearly 3 seconds off her seed time of 2:05.63. She then teamed with Teagan Wehr, sister Cali Stauffer and Domermuth to win the 200 freestyle relay in a season-best 1:46.45.

“It’s pretty nice. I dropped a lot of time,” Stauffer said of winning the 200 freestyle. “That’s the fastest I’ve ever did it and it really shocked me the time I got.

“Our 200 free relay is definitely one of our best relays. I’m super excited to see how that goes (at districts) and hopefully we make it to states.”

Marian sophomore Lydia Strucko also captured two golds Saturday, winning the 200 IM and 100 backstroke.

A state qualifier in both events last season, Strucko (2:13.90) won the IM by 5 seconds over second-place Savannah Wilson of Tamaqua (2:19.03). She took first in the backstroke in 59.41, winning by nearly 4 seconds over Mahanoy Area’s Lillian Brown (1:03.29).

“I came into this with an open mind,” Strucko said. “I’ve been training hard for the last two months. It’s been a lot of practicing. I’m definitely feeling the effects … I’m pretty tired.

“I’m not super happy with the times, but it was a really nice experience. I love swimming with these other fast girls.”

Wilson and Brown also had gold-medal winning performances.

Wilson, a junior, repeated as Schuylkill League champion in the 100 breaststroke, winning in 1:07.34. She also teamed with Kate Behun, Audrey Nattress and Ava Jones to take first in the 200 medley relay in 1:55.73.

A freshman, Brown captured her first-ever Schuylkill League gold by winning the 500 freestyle in 5:39.58.

Blue Mountain’s Hensel secured the other individual gold of the day, taking first in the 100 butterfly in 1:04.34.

“It feels nice to win,” Brown said. “All the time and effort I put into it comes out in the races. I wanted to go faster, but I did good.”

The swimming postseason continues next Saturday, Feb. 22, with the District 11 Diving Championships at Emmaus High School. The District 11 Swimming Championships are slated for Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-March 1, at Parkland High School, with the PIAA Class AA Swimming Championships to be held Wednesday-Thursday, March 12-13, at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.

Schuylkill League Swimming Championships

Saturday, Feb. 15

At the Ned Hampford Natatorium

Teams participating: Blue Mountain (BM), Mahanoy Area (MA), Marian (Mar), North Schuylkill (NS), Panther Valley (PV), Pottsville (Potts), Schuylkill Haven (SH), Tamaqua (Tam)

GIRLS’ RESULTS

200 medley relay — 1. Tamaqua A (Behun, Wilson, Nattress, A. Jones) 1:55.73, 2. Blue Mountain A 1:58.07, 3. Pottsville A 1:58.95, 4. Schuylkill Haven A 2:00.87, 5. Mahanoy Area A 2:04.74, 6. North Schuylkill A 2:14.87

200 freestyle — 1. H. Stauffer (SH) 2:02.92, 2. Wolfe (NS) 2:05.13, 3. G. LaSelva (Potts) 2:08.97, 4. Lafko (BM) 2:10.90, 5. J. Crossen (BM) 2:11.76, 6. Lutz (BM) 2:25.55

200 IM — 1. Strucko (Mar) 2:13.90, 2. Wilson (Tam) 2:19.03, 3. L. Clemson (Tam) 2:43.76, 4. Betz (Tam) 2:48.03, 5. Krall (Tam) 3:03.68

50 freestyle — 1. Kaplafka (BM) 25.37, 2. H. Stauffer (SH) 25.41, 3. T. Salefski (NS) 26.47, 4. A. LaSelva (Potts) 26.50, 5. C. Stauffer (SH) 26.84, 6. Scheuer (BM) 28.80

100 butterfly — 1. Hensel (BM) 1:04.34, 2. Domermuth (SH) 1:05.20, 3. Nattress (Tam) 1:07.34, 4. Chilinskas (MA) 1:10.89, 5. G. Salefski (NS) 1:12.25, 6. E. Crossen (BM) 1:19.20

200 freestyle relay — 1. Schuylkill Haven A (Wehr, C. Stauffer, Domermuth, H. Stauffer) 1:46.45, 2. Blue Mountain A 1:52.11, 3. Tamaqua A 1:52.20, 4. Mahanoy Area A 1:53.75, 5. North Schuylkill A 1:55.55, 6. Marian A 1:56.80

100 freestyle — 1. Kaplafka (BM) 56.29, 2. Wolfe (NS) 58.01, 3. Domermuth (SH) 58.33, 4. A. LaSelva (Potts) 59.22, 5. Katona (Mar) 59.31, 6. Martinko (Potts) 1:00.19

500 freestyle — 1. Brown (MA) 5:38.84, 2. Lafko (BM) 5:52.90, 3. J. Crossen (BM) 5:53.11, 4. Behun (Tam) 5:57.89, 5. K. Zulli (BM) 6:24.55, 6. Lutz (BM) 6:25.38

100 backstroke — 1. Strucko (Mar) 59.41, 2. Brown (MA) 1:03.29, 3. G. LaSelva (Potts) 1:05.78, 4. Behun (Tam) 1:07.70, 5. Nattress (Tam) 1:10.49, 6. Lavas (NS) 1:16.06

100 breaststroke — 1. Wilson (Tam) 1:07.34, 2. Katona (Mar) 1:09.72, 3. Hensel (BM) 1:11.74, 4. Martinko (Potts) 1:12.85, 5. Chilinskas (MA) 1:16.29, 6. Van Orden (Potts) 1:21.60

400 freestyle relay — 1. Blue Mountain A (Hensel, J. Crossen, Lafko, Kaplafka) 3:54.11, 2. Pottsville A 4:03.59, 3. Tamaqua A 4:05.26, 4. Marian A 4:17.63, 5. North Schuylkill A 4:30.18, 6. Schuylkill Haven A 5:38.18