The Hanover Stingrays summer swim team won the battle of undefeated teams in the Suburban Swim League of the Lehigh Valley when the Stingrays defeated the Macungie Bears, 296-285, on July 8 at Liberty High School.

The meet was conducted indoors due to rain in the forecast.

“They’re undefeated. We’re undefeated. Should be fun,” said Stingrays head coach Evan Kocon the day before the meet. “I don’t downplay it, but I don’t make it all about winning. My big thing is to be sportsmanlike. Our focus, as a team, is Silver Champs, to see a lot of time drops from all the kids, and to see time drops at Gold Championships.”

Individual event winners for the Hanover girls were Ashlyn Cepin in 8 & Under 25 breaststroke (23.27) and the 25 butterfly (18.43), Lillian Molchany in 8 & Under 25 backstroke (22.22) and 25 free (18.59), Alexandra Yerk in 11-12 50 breaststroke (33.03), 100 IM (1:08.44), and the 50 free (26.38), Abigail Aguilar in 11-12 50 butterfly (35.40), and the 50 backstroke (34.76), Beatrice Kelly in 13-14 50 breaststroke (34.53), Leah Onia in 15 & Over 50 breaststroke (34.53), Katie Bruno in 15 & Over 50 butterfly (29.70), and Lilah McClarin in 15 & Over 50 backstroke (31.06).

Ashlyn Cepin, Quinn Sebia, Rowan Gerencser, and Lillian Molchany won the 8 & Under 100 free relay (1:21.84), Abigail Aguilar, Alexandra Yerk, Evelyn Gould, and Natalie Harding won the 11-12 100 medley relay (1:06.97), and the crescendo relay team of Ashlyn Cepin, Evelyn Gould, Amelia Paxton, Abigail Kelly, and Mia Torres came in first (2:02.56).

“We have a very balanced team this year,” Kocon said. “We’re strong in almost every age group. We have a lot of kids who are older in their age groups, which helps us a lot. We roster 150 kids, so we’re big. (Bethlehem) Tides has 120, so Bethlehem swimming is getting strong again, and it’s really good to see that on both sides.”

Individual event winners for the Hanover boys were Landon Black in 9-10 25 breaststroke (21.20), Liam Powers in 11-12 50 breaststroke (38.37) and the 100 IM (1:10.53), Greyson Geiger in 11-12 50 backstroke (32.89), Darren Nguyen in 13-14 100 IM (1:01.34), 50 butterfly (25.18), and 100 free (51.95), Charles Wilson in 13-14 50 breaststroke (37.10), Jonah Korpics in 13-14 50 backstroke (29.00) and the 50 free (26.09), David Gabrielle in 15 & Over 50 backstroke (26.90), and Adam Barlow in 15 & Over breaststroke (28.21) and 100 IM (55.59).

Greyson Geiger, Dominic Pellegrino, Liam Powers, and Harrison Geiger won the 11-12 100 medley relay (1:05.19), and Jonah Korpics, Adam Barlow, David Gabrielle, and Darren Nguyen won the 13 & Over 200 medley relay (1:41.93).

“I’m really lucky to have my high school kids, so our 15 & Overs are loaded, 13-14 are very much loaded, and I have a lot of 12 & Unders,” said Kocon. “I’m lucky that a lot of them are year-round swimmers at the Bethlehem Y in the winter, and in the summer, they’re with me.”

Kocon is also appreciative of the high schoolers who spend time teaching some of the younger swimmers after practice.

Silver Championships are scheduled for July 16 at Macungie, and Gold Championships are scheduled for July 19 at Quakertown.