Following the Kennett High School boys swim team’s 120-43 win against Oxford Saturday at the Kennett YMCA, which clinched the Ches-Mont American Division title for the Blue Demons, Kennett head coach Cindy Millison reflected on what qualities made this team special.
Following the Unionville-Kennett swim meet Friday in front of a standing room only crowd at the Kennett YMCA, Longhorn head coach Mike Mangan reflected on the long rivalry between these two talented neighboring teams. “It’s like a sibling rivalry,” said Mangan. “It’s like an extended family, there’s a family aspect to it. I have a certain fondness for the Kennett senior class Gabe Summa and Julia Banker taught my twin daughters how to swim.” If Friday’s meet was a family gathering, then there was joy on both sides of the family the Longhorn girls won 108-62 and the Blue Demon boys prevailed 96-73.
The Chester County high school swimming season has begun, and the local scene looks strong again. Downingtown East, which finished 9-0 last winter, returns a strong group of swimmers, and Conestoga also returns a strong crop, led by senior Jake Wang, who was the Daily Local News 2022-23 Boys Swimmer of the Year.
Last winter, the Chester County high school swimming scene featured a District 1 champion in Conestoga and the Daily Local News Girls Swimmer of the Year in Downingtown East senior Alexa Fulton. The Pioneers lost four All-American swimmers to graduation, and Fulton is now swimming for the University of Texas, but there are plenty of other fine swimmers to watch in Chester County this winter.
January 22, 2021
The Malvern Prep swimming team is preparing to dive into the pool for the winter 2021 season, led by All-American junior diver Nick Harris, who was the Inter-Ac, National Catholic and Easterns 1-meter diving champion in 2020.
Harris won by a comfortable margin at Easterns, compiling 567.25 points, comfortably ahead of second-place finisher Rowland Lawver of Hun School (442.45). His favorite memory of the 2019-20 Malvern Prep swimming season was at National Catholics.
Malvern, PA. Jan.13. : Malvern Prep’s Nick Harris performs a back somersault with a tuck Wednesday during practice. (PETE BANNAN – MNG)
“I really enjoy that meet because the diving is at the same place as the swimming, and I’m with my teammates,” said Harris. “I also faced good competition there.”