The Emmaus swimming and diving teams will embark for Bucknell University next week for this year’s state championship meet.

The Hornet boys team heads into states coming off its first District 11 title in three years, while the Emmaus girls team is coming off a second-place finish at districts.

The Emmaus boys team, which has a state team made up entirely of juniors and seniors, has all three relays qualified for states, including the fifth-seeded 200-yard medley relay team, along with three-seed in Roman Herman (200 free).

The state meet will be icing on the cake for a group of Hornet seniors that already achieved their primary team goal for the season when it won districts.

“Going from being on top of the league our freshman year then losing some of our heavy hitters sophomore year,” said Emmaus senior Reid Lovett. “We felt like we were a little behind the past two years. It was good motivation to give it one last hurrah for the senior class.

“I couldn’t have asked for anything more. We went in with a plan, executed it and I’m very happy with how everyone swam. It was a great way to end my four years at districts.”

The Hornets will look to execute another plan next Wednesday and Thursday at the state meet.

Herman leads the way with the third seed (1:40.32) in the 200 freestyle. He’s also the ninth seed in 100 free 45.66.

The boys medley relay is seeded fifth at 1:34.59, the district time swam by the foursome of senior Bryce King, junior Carson Mosel, junior Carter Smith and senior Joe Lyons.

Emmaus’ boys 200 free relay, which included Lyons, Lovett, Mosel and Herman at districts, is seeded 12th at 1:26.73. The boys 400 free relay drew the 16th for states with a time of 3:10.73. Junior Brennan Smith, Lovett, Herman and senior Nate Peters swam that relay at districts.

Four other Hornet individuals qualified for states along with Herman, including Smith (15th in 100 butterfly, 50.72), Lovett 23rd in 100 butterfly (4:43.64), junior Graham Lovett (26th in 100 butterfly, 51.57) and King (28th in 100 back in 52.96).

The highest seeded Emmaus athlete at the meet is freshman Kayla Kenner, who holds the No. 3 seed in 50 free at 23.34 and the fourth seed in 100 free (51.26).

Her blazing times in her first year of varsity swimming have impressed her head coach, and many others in the swimming community.

“You don’t have 23-second 50 freestylers and 51 second 100 freestylers,” said O’Connor. “When you have one do that freshman year, that’s not a common thing.

“Kayla has been handling everything in stride. Our schedule is demanding for any freshman to adapt to – how we train, the purpose behind our training and learning how I want to train kids. She’s risen to the occasion each time. She’s really good, but she’s treated like our other teammates.”

While the boys team had a group of upperclassmen this season, the Hornet girls team had just one senior at districts in Sophia Harmon, who was part of the district champion 200 freestyle relay team that is seeded seventh at states (1:37.02).

While Harmon didn’t have the district meet she was looking for individually, she’s had a satisfying senior season swimming with a young, fast group of teammates.

“They help our team a lot,” Harmon said. “I had a good time swimming with them this year. Since it’s my senior year I focused on my relationships and becoming closer with my teammates.

“It’s been a good time hanging out with friends, swimming and trying to have fun.”

Other members of the girls 200 free relay team at districts were Kenner, junior Mabry Krause and sophomore Babs Lyons.

Emmaus freshman diver Addie Cornish took second place at districts and is headed to states as the seventh seed with a score of 422.80.

The Emmaus girls 400 free relay team has the 11th seed at states with a time of 3:34.38. Krause, freshman Ellie Bowen, Kenner and sophomore Sriya Reddy swam that relay at states.

Bowen earned a district title in her first season of high school swimming when she finished first in the 500 free in 5:15.45.

“It felt good because that was my goal for the season,” Bowen said of the district title. “Even though I didn’t go the time I wanted I was still happy with what I did.”

Bowen is seeded 23rd in the event at states.

Krause, a district champ in 200 freestyle, qualified for two individual events at states. She is seeded 23rd in 200 free (1:55.69) and 27th in 100 free (53.18).

This year there is an additional week in between districts and states, giving swimmers seven more days of preparation time.

“It’s different from what we’re used to,” said Lovett. “We were able to fully taper for districts and ramp it right back up.”

The district meet being held one week earlier than normal did cause some stress for Hornet head coach Tim O’Connor.

“It’s new for all of us,” he said. “I hope the results fit what everybody wants. We won’t know for another week.

“Moving up my training, which is essentially a 16-week training program, moving it up a week is nerve-racking.”

CORRECTION

The time listed in last week’s article for Kayla Kenner’s 50-yard freestyle was incorrect. She swam the event in 23.34 seconds to win the District 11 title.