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Stoner reaches goal of PIAA swim medal


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LEWISBURG –  When Dallastown’s Jacob Stoner finished his 100-yard butterfly swim at Saturday's PIAA Class AAA championships he looked up at his family in the stands and gave a subtle fist pump.

Stoner did what he set out to do – won a PIAA medal. He swam a 50.01 to win a fourth-place medal at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium on Saturday night.

It was a goal Stoner and his teammate and training partner, junior Logan Brockway, set for him.

“I made it,” Stoner said. “Logan and I on dryland (training) when we had to push us, was think ‘top five in the state.’ ”

Wildcats coach Rich Howley remembered a few short years ago, when Stoner was a decent freshman who was able to help the Wildcats complete at a high level in a couple of relays.

Safe to say, Stoner has come a long way.

“And now I am putting a medal around his neck,” Howley said.

“Looking back on it, looking at that race it was my last 100 fly ever, it’s been really great,” Stoner said. “If I could do it all over again, I wouldn’t change it. Swimming has taught me so much and I have grown so much since I was a freshman with the help of my coaches and the older swimmers.”

Brockway also had an individual swim and notched a 12th-place finish in 1:53.76 in the 200 individual medley.

Still, even with the individual success, which included a District 3 championship, Stoner wouldn’t trade being a part of the team and swimming on relays. On Saturday, he and Brockway teamed with Joel Dunnigan and Seth Schuler to swim a 1:27.38 in the 200 free relay to cap the day by finishing 19th.

“No way,” Stoner exclaimed if he would trade his teammates for an individual state gold. “We just got 19th in the state. If I had the choice between wining individual gold and not swimming that race, or getting fourth like I did? No, I had a blast swimming with those guys.”

“He’s a true team player and a great captain,” Howley said.

Stoner and Brockway will swim in Sunday’s final day of the PIAA championships that were pushed back a day because of Winter Storm Stella. Stoner will compete in the 100 freestyle and Brockway in the 100 backstroke.

Northeastern junior Drew Wilson swam the 200 free at the state meet and finished 25th in 1:44.00.