PIAA Swimming: Schuylkill League to send large contingent to states

The Schuylkill Haven girls' 400 freestyle relay team was third at Saturday's District 11 Class AA Swimming Championships at Parkland High School. Team members include, clockwise from lower left: Nikki Domermuth, Teagan Wehr, Cali Stauffer and Hope Stauffer (Photo by Leroy Boyer).

Editor’s Note: Original version of this story was edited to include Tamaqua’s Vinny Valentine, who received an at-large berth in boys’ Class AA diving.

Schuylkill Haven’s Hope Stauffer didn’t garner any gold medals at this weekend’s District 11 Swimming Championships at Parkland High School.

Neither did teammate Ethan Miller nor North Schuylkill’s Gavin Mentzer.

But that doesn’t mean their swim seasons are over. In fact, they have a reason to celebrate.

They’re going to states.

Stauffer, Miller and Mentzer were among seven Schuylkill League swimmers and divers and four relay teams to earn at-large berths to the PIAA Class AA Swimming Championships set for March 12-13 at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium when the PIAA unveiled its psych sheets Sunday afternoon.

The District 11 champions in each event qualify for states as part of 10 automatic qualifiers. The remainder of the 32-swimmer field for each event is then filled by the swimmers with the next fastest times posted at district meets across the state.

The Schuylkill League collected 12 gold medals at this weekend’s District 11 meet, with Blue Mountain’s Noah Powers (50 free, 100 free), Marian’s Michael Strucko (200 free, 100 back) and Marian’s Lydia Strucko (200 IM, 100 back) each winning two.

Tamaqua’s Savannah Wilson (100 breast) and Blue Mountain’s Porter Sarnes (500 free) also captured individual titles, while the Tamaqua girls’ 200 medley relay, Blue Mountain girls’ 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays and the Blue Mountain boys’ 200 freestyle relay also won gold.

Divers Adam Klinger of Pottsville and Hailey Scheuer of Blue Mountain won District 11 championships Feb. 22 and also automatically qualified for states. Tamaqua’s Vinny Valentine earned at at-large bid to the 24-diver boys’ Class AA competition Sunday.

Stauffer, a freshman, qualified for states in four events Sunday based on time. She earned at-large bids in her two individual events, the 50 freestyle (10th, 24.78) and 100 freestyle (10th, 54.38), and as part of Haven’s 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relays.

Stauffer teamed with Teagan Wehr, Nikki Domermuth and sister Cali Stauffer to earn the 12th at-large bid in the 200 free relay (1:43.30) and the 21st at-large bid in the 400 freestyle relay (3:50.61).

Blue Mountain senior Sage Kaplafka also earned at-large bids in two individual events Sunday, heading to Bucknell in the 50 free (5th, 24.32) and 100 free (8th, 54.05).

On the boys’ side, Miller earned an at-large berth in the 200 IM after the freshman placing second in the event at districts in 2:02.32. Mentzer, a senior, qualified in the 100 freestyle after placing fourth at districts in 49.87.

Other boys’ swimmers earning individual at-large berths were Blue Mountain’s Brody Moyer in both the 100 fly (16th, 54.93) and 100 back (11th, 55.14) and Eagles’ teammate Sarnes in the 200 free (15th, 1:50.00).

Blue Mountain’s boys’ 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays also earned time berths to states, meaning the Eagles will compete in all three relays at Bucknell.

Counting the participants on the relay teams and the three divers, the Schuylkill League will send 26 swimmers to Bucknell, and that number could rise.

Several Schuylkill League swimmers and three Pottsville boys’ relay teams were listed as alternates in their respective events, meaning they could compete at states if swimmers or relay teams decide not to compete in those events.

Listed as alternates were Pottsville’s Noah Bevan (50 free), Haven’s Miller in the 100 breaststroke, Blue Mountain’s Alayna Hensel (100 breaststroke), Marian’s Zoe Katona (100 breaststroke) and the Pottsville boys’ 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle relay teams.

For a complete list of state swimming qualifiers and other information regarding the PIAA Swimming Championships, visit www.piaa.org.