Susquehannock Swims into the Post-Season

The swim team continues strong against the current of competition as they continue to meet success.

The boys finished the regular season with a record of 5-0 in the division and 6-1 overall, while the girls finished 2-3 in the division and 2-5 overall.

Head coach Brian Wingert is not disappointed. 

“I think it was a fantastic season,” Wingert said. “We got to have normal practices at normal times. Everybody [was] coming off of the last two years of modified practices and seasons. It was a real different experience for them, in a good way.”

16 boys and 13 girls from Susquehannock will compete in the postseason, which begins this Friday, Feb. 11. 

In order to qualify for both counties and districts, swimmers have to be elite in the county, as well as the district.

“In [order to qualify for] counties, you have to be top 24 in AA and AAA combined,” Wingert said. “Districts split, so it is only the two divisions.” 

Preparing for the post season is now on the athletes’ minds, as they begin counties so soon.

Junior swimmer Jacob Wade sees the team dynamic benefitting their postseason plans. 

“I think the postseason will be really successful,” Wade said.“We have a really strong team this year that is built for the postseason. We are definitely going to bring a lot of hardware home, and that is something really exciting.”

Throughout both the boys side and girls sides, athletes continue to be successful and break school records. 

During the regular season, senior Garren McKenzie, junior Nick Johns, sophomore Tyler Wright and Wade broke the Dover pool record.

Wade helps make his team successful, as he has his own personal success as well. 

“He is really, really good,” Wingert said. “He is one of the top two, if not top kids in the state, for his events in AA and AAA. Even if you look at all divisions, he is easily one of the top five swimmers in the state.”

At different meets, Wade would compete and bring home the win as he set new meet records and pool records in his events.

Not only did Wade break pool records, sophomore Jackson Hollinger set a new pool record for the 500 yard freestyle. 

In addition to swimmers, senior diver Max Pflieger broke his school record in the 6 dive event as junior diver McKenna Porter broke the school record in the 6 dive event.

Pflieger has been preparing for what is about to come in the postseason. 

“My season has been going really well, and it has been one heck of the time,” Pflieger said. “I couldn’t ask for a better team that I have been with for the past couple of months.This season I have accomplished so much. I have many personal records for diving and swimming. The team has also accomplished so much as well. We won the division outright which we haven’t done in a long time. I am just very proud of everything that I have accomplished personally along with my team.”

As the team works together to be successful in the postseason run, each athlete works on their own events, individually.

As for Pflieger, he takes extra time outside of practice in order to prepare for his upcoming meets. 

“I have prepared for the postseason in many ways. I have been diving at Dover during the regular season which has been great,” Pflieger said. “Another way I have prepared is mentally: I have really worked on being more positive. If I [did poorly] on a dive or a swim, I would try to put it behind me and think about what I have to do next to make up for that mistake.” 

As the swim team finished strong in the regular season, now the 29 athletes have hopes of finishing strong in their postseason run. 

The County tournament will begin Friday Feb. 11 with Districts beginning within the next few weeks.