Aiden McMillen

CHAMBERSBURG — A Chambersburg swim team had never defeated State College in a dual meet … until Tuesday afternoon.

But the Trojan boys continued a strong start to their season by handing the Little Lions an 88-82 loss in a Mid Penn Commonwealth meet at the Chambersburg YMCA.

“We knew it’d be really close, and we knew we had some guys who would win races,” Chambersburg coach Chad White said. “But to beat State College, we were going to need a lot of seconds and thirds.

“And guys like Michael Johnson, Gavin Vink, Sam Vessah, Colby Estep and Aiden McMillen really stepped up to get those places. It was truly a total team effort, or we wouldn’t have gotten the win.”

Jacob Greenwood won the 200 (2:01.13) and 400 freestyle (4:18.98) races and C.J. Pong took first in the 200 IM (2:12.40) and 100 butterfly (59.67) for the Trojans (2-0, 2-0 MPC).

McMillen captured first in the 100 free (56.88) and was second behind Greenwood in the 200 free in 2:03.22.

“Those two times were very close to lifetime bests for him,” White said.

Chambersburg also picked up big points in the relays, winning the 200 medley and 400 free races (3:41.90), and taking second in the 200 free relay.

White said, “We stacked the medley team and won by two seconds with a good time (1:50.37). We needed a second in the 200 free, and we put Brenton Boyd on the A team for the first time and for his first time with them in a big meet, he fit in well and came through.

“We stacked the 400 free team, too. We had to win to clinch the meet, but I felt we had a good chance to win it as long as we didn’t DQ.”

The 200 medley team included Avery Barley, Johnson, Pong and Greenwood, the 200 free had Johnson, Boyd, Vessah and McMillen, and the 400 free team was McMillen, Pong, Barley and Greenwood.

Barley had two seconds (IM, backstroke), Johnson was second in the 50 free and third in the breaststroke, Vessah was second in the 50 free and third in the 100 free, Vink took a third in the 400 free and Estep was third in the fly.

White said, “We’re super excited to get this win, because it sets us up with a chance to compete for the Mid Penn title.”

Emily Stroble

GIRLS SWIMMING
State College 130, Chambersburg 40: The Trojan girls had tough sledding against the powerful Little Lions.

Chambersburg coach Donnie Miller said, “The girls faced a strong contingent from State College that will be one of the top teams in the state this year. Strong efforts on the girls’ side were not enough to overcome the depth and talent in a program the size of State College.”

The Trojans (0-2, 0-2 MPC) did not win a race. Emily Stroble swam 1:19.29 to place second in the 100 backstroke.

Chambersburg also took second in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays. The 200 team was Bree Kratz, Stroble, Kyleigh Ballard and Maddie Kinton, while the 400 team consisted of Kinton, Liv Terrazas, Stroble and Emma Grove.