Yes, it is true after so many years of covering the sport, I am called a “swimming geek” by my fellow sports reporters here at the Daily Record/Sunday News.
But, York Catholic girls’ basketball aside, it is hard to imagine a sport where there has been so much recent success.
Last week, York Suburban’ boys became three-time state champs and the Trojans earned a hoard of gold medals, including two by Lauren Schmittle.
Yet another factor of YAIAA swimming (and diving) is how many of those athletes go on to the next level.
While none stand out as much as Spring Grove grad Michele King, who on Thursday, March 20 placed second in the nation in the 50 freestyle at the NCAA championships swimming for Tennessee, there are others who are noteworthy.
Other big college swimmers and divers include: Cookie McIntyre of West York, Dallastown diver Zane McLain at Pitt and brother Zach McLain is diving at Army. Dover’s Jon Rubritz is swimming at Florida State and Leah Krout of Dallastown swam is with Youngstown State.
And those are just the NCAA Division I schools.
Current Division II PSAC swimmers are: Rodney King (West York), Danielle Ierely (Dallastown) and Kate Jones (Spring Grove) at West Chester … The Northeastern duo of Katy Motter and Lauren Sopp, along with Amy Leiphart of William Penn at Millersville … Clarion boasts Margaret Bentley (Dallastown), Jamie Maloney (Dallastown) and Morgan Berkowitz (York Suburban) … California if Pa. has Spring Grove’s Miranda King, Shippensburg features Anna Kinard of Dallastown and Bloomsburg is the new water home of Suburban grad Joe Bentz …
Also swimming in college: Central York grad Chelsea Mummert at Chatham University … Angie Hammond of Suburban at Salisbury University and fellow former-Trojans Jess McInerney at Dennison College and Alex Grubbs at Rider … Ithaca College has the Dallastown pair of Steve Croucher and Lauren Botterbusch … York College has Clark Arnold (Northeastern), Garrett Wampler (West York), Molly Wasik (Spring Grove) and Maggie Tate (Northestern).
With 28 swimming in college, the sport has got to rank high in terms of local alums participating, although please let me know if I left someone off this list.
Sport shorts: Let’s hope Duke basketball fans aren’t celebrating the Blue Devils’ close victory over Belmont, 72-71 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.
From the looks of it, Belmont beat itselfs down the stretch much more than Duke taking it to them.
I predict a short run for the normally dominant Blue Devils.
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