Skip to main content

Schmittle, Hunt, Gross and Devaney cap great PIAA girls' meet for York Suburban


Related: Thursday's results from PIAA swimming

LEWISBURG >> It didn't matter how things finished for York Suburban's Anna Schmittle. The senior looked forward to the last race of her high school career, and she and her teammates made the most of it during the second day of the PIAA Class AA championships.

"I knew no matter what time I did I was going to be happy," she said. "I was giving it all I had because it was my last race. That's all I had in my mind. I wasn't going to be upset."

Schmittle started her final girls' swim on Thursday at Bucknell University, the 400 freestyle relay, and combined with Carson Gross, Madie Devaney and Megan Hunt to win a fourth-place medal in 3:38.27.

It marked the third piece of hardware the Trojans won on the day. Gross swam a 5:05.79 to place seventh in the 500 free, and Hunt was seventh in the 100 breaststroke with her time of 1:06.92.

"(Wednesday) wasn't my best day in the 200 free," Hunt said. "But it was nice to come back the second day, be able to do better and end the year on a good note. It was adrenalin mostly. I was tired after the breaststroke. I wanted to put everything I had into that last race because I knew it was the last race of my season."

Suburban also had Jenna Hufnagle, Cara Zortman and Keelie Walker contribute during the two-day meet, and the group came together to place third in the state as a team with 131 points, the top finish among public schools.

Related: York Suburban boys send off Herrera with bronze medal at PIAA swimming

"It's really amazing, and what makes it even better is knowing that it wasn't just one or two people," Schmittle said. "It was a whole team of people. This year was the most we have had go to states."


On mobile? Click here to view photo gallery

Independent swimmer Madison Nalls of Eastern York won her second medal in as many days with an eighth-place finish in the 500 after a 5:08.82.

While enjoying her first trip to states, Nalls said she might change things up next season, even if she's not sure how that will work out.

"I think I am going to try to do the 50 and the 100. The 500 is too long," the talented freshman said. "I guess we will find out."

Earlier in the day, Schmittle capped her terrific career by placing 26th in the 100 free in 55.65. Hufnagle was 29th in the 100 backstroke (1:03.06).

"I knew my senior year I was going to make it the best I've ever had," said Schmittle, who is the fourth of five siblings. "It's a lot of good memories in the pool and out of the pool. It taught me a lot about myself, how to treat others, how to be a leader, and I am going to take this with me the rest of my life."

HOW FAR HAVE THE BULLDOGS HAVE COME >> West York ended its season by placing 14th in the consolation finals of the 400 free relay in 3:45.40. The swim capped a great day for the Bulldog foursome of Maddi Stoner, Claudia Keller, Maelyn Elder and Taylor Hoover, who broke a school record during the morning preliminaries with a 3:44.58.

"All four of us will be back next year," Hoover said. "I think the biggest part we are proud about is that our squad is the first one to ever make it to states for our school.

"To be that catalyst to begin the next few years is something I am getting choked up about. Seeing our team and how its been improving is amazing to watch. We started from almost nothing, and now we are bringing relays to states. They are making me cry because I am so excited about it."

Hoover's final individual swim of the season was a 54.78 in the 100 free that placed her 18th, only .10 away from reaching the consolations.

AROUND THE STATE >> Lauren Barber was chosen as the girls' Swimmer of the Meet after breaking the 100 breaststroke record twice on Thursday, in addition to her 100 butterfly record on Wednesday. The Wilmington Area senior swam a 1:01.09 to win gold in the breast, dropping more than a second off her preliminary mark.

Villa Maria Academy won the girls' team title after capturing all three relays for the second straight year en route to totaling 267 points. Gwynedd Mercy Academy was second with 155.

Reach Steve Navaroli at 771-2060.