MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Lewisburg’s Girls 200 Yard Medley Relay team celebrates after placing second place in the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday. The team Jillian Muchler, Jillie Donner, Emma Hopkinson, and Meg Mitchell.
Wednesday was a culmination of three long years for Lewisburg junior Emma Hopkinson. She’s seen her former teammates the last few years reach the state meet with standouts Kimmy Shannon and Emma Gerlinski.
But on Wednesday at Williamsport’s natatorium, it was Hopkinson’s time to break through.
The Green Dragon swam an outstanding race in the girls 100 fly competition, recording a sub-minute time to win a gold medal.
A gold medal, PR and trip to Bucknell for the PIAA Class AA championships all in one moment? Not a bad way to start your junior year postseason swimming championships.
“Honestly it’s amazing. I’ve been waiting honestly three years for this moment and all of my work has just paid off,” Hopkinson said. “Everything that I dreamed of has come true, just keeping my head up and keep working hard.”
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Lewisburg’s Emma Hopkinson celebrates her win for the district championship in the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly duirng the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.
Hopkinson’s time in the 100 fly was a 59.98 and she shaved two seconds off her seeded time. Hopkinson also beat out Danville standout Izzy Marks by three seconds as Marks took silver. Shore’s Aaralynn Kimble took third in 1:04.26 and Central Columbia’s Madelyn Kepner took fourth (1:06.76).
“I was (surprised to break a minute),” Hopkinson said, noting it was a PR for her. “I’ve been trying to break it for a little bit now and honestly, I just looked up and saw that I had broken it and it was amazing.
“It’s just incredible, honestly,” Hopkinson continued. “All of my hard work has paid off and I couldn’t describe a better feeling.”
Hopkinson also helped Lewisburg’s 200 medley relay team take home a silver medal alongside Jillian Muchler, Jillie Donner and Meg Mitchell in 1:55.96, a second behind Jersey Shore’s Kate Butzler, Reese Charney, Aaralynn Kimble and Broke Charney (1:54.21) in a great race down to the final stretch.
“I was scared. It’s a lot of pressure,” Jersey Shore’s Brooke Charney said of the final lap against Lewisburg in the race. “At that point in the race we had a good enough lead, but it still feels like it’s all right there. If I screw up, then it screws it up for everyone.”
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Lewisburg’s Colin Shannon celebates after finishing the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle in the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.
This will be Hopkinson’s first-ever trip to the state meet individually. She’s been on relay teams which have headed to Bucknell, but never representing herself. It’s something she’s happy to be experiencing this season.
“It’s surreal. Honestly I’ve always seen my older teammates go, like Kimmy Shannon and Emma Gerlinski, and it’s just amazing to finally have that moment myself,” Hopkinson said.
Swimming alongside standouts like Marks of Danville, Shore’s Aralynn Kimble, Hughesville’s Ashlynn Barlett and Bloomsburg’s Anna Yancoskie helped push Hopkinson to her gold-medal winning time.
“Obviously there’s that competition aspect of like you want to get to the wall first,” Hopkinson said. “I knew that I was leading by the 50 and I just put my head down and I kept going. I knew that I had to finish strong.”
Hopkinson was one of three Lewisburg swimmers to medal and take a top-4 podium spot. Colin Shannon, a freshman, swam a time of 1:50.84 to take silver in the boys 200 free, just two seconds behind Bloomsburg’s Grayson Reck who won in 1:48.62. Miles Fassero finished fourth in the boys 200 IM race in 2:14.72 as Chase Moore of Bloomsburg took gold in 1:56.97.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Lewisburg’s Colin Shannon stands on the awards podium after placing second in the Boys 200 Yard Freestyle in the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.
The only other Lewisburg swimmer to finish sixth or better was Jillian Muchler who finished fifth in the 100 fly in 1:07.33.
Warrior Run’s Mason Cohooon took fifth in the boys 200 IM in 2:20.06 and was an eighth-place finisher in the boys 100 fly. Warrior Run’s Larissa Rovenolt, a junior, reached the podium in the girls 50 free in 26.27 for a fourth-place finish.
Lewisburg’s girls 200 free relay team of Jillie Donner, Meg Mitchell, Jillian Muchler and Hopkinson were sixth-place finishers in 2:19.90. Danville’s Izzy Marks, Maya Hasenbalg, Zoe Czech and Olivia Hummel won gold in the event in 1:42.82.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Lewisburg’s Emma Hopkinson celebrates her win for the district championship in the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly duirng the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.
MARK NANCE/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Lewisburg’s Miles Fassero placed 4th in the Boys 200 Yard IM duirng the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.
