By Heather Cass

Contributing writer

The regular swim season has come to a close for 2020-21, with the North East High School swim team competing in two final matches against Corry and Iroquois last week. 

The girls team, which included just eight swimmers, finishes this most unusual year with all-virtual meets winless. More female swimmers and divers are needed. 

Meets can be won by larger teams who can score points by filling the pool with three swimmers in each event.  

The boys team was a different story with a dozen boys, including two freshmen, Nathan Ryan and Troy Galbreath, who made impressive gains in the shortened season. The talent and depth of the boys team led to them to a nearly undefeated season, dropping just one meet to Fairview, which has male divers (North East does not) and twice the number of swimmers. 

Several of the North East boys swam district-qualifying times this season, most in several events, but it remains to be seen exactly how many will go to districts given the narrowed down field this year for COVID-19 safety reasons. A smaller group of swimmers will be accepted to move on. The swimmers moving on, along with the final meet versus Iroquois results, were not available at press time. 

North East Vs. Corry 

The N.E. Picker Fish boys scored another win in a virtual swim meet against Corry Area High School on Feb. 15, while the girls team fell to the Beavers. 

The boys relay teams won first and second place in the 200-yard medley relay (first – Evan Kemp, Mason Currier, Grant Girts, Collin Lawry; second – Mitchell Havens, Skyler Theis-Green, Jackson Currier, Troy Galbreath) and the 200-yard freestyle relay (first – Girts, M. Currier, Lawry, Kemp; second – Ben Reider, Brooks Townsend, Nathan Ryan, Theis-Green). They took second place in the 400-freestyle relay (Ryan, Galbreath, Havens, J. Currier). 

Other top boys scores: J. Currier (third in 200 free); M. Currier (second in 200 IM and 100 breast), Girts (first in 200 free); Havens (third in 500 free); Kemp (first in 200 IM and 100 breast); Lawry (second in 100 free and 100 back); Ryan (third in 100 back); Theis-Green (first in 500 free); Townsend (third in 100 breast). 

The girls relay teams took second in the 200 medley (Rachel Gruber, Lauren Cass, Lily Bement, Chelsea Burch) and third in the 200 free (Cass, Allyson Lutz, Bement, Burch) and the 400 free relay (Kaylin Sveda, Gruber, Lutz, Sicily Alcorn). 

Other top girls scores: Alcorn (fourth in 100 back); Bement (second in 500 free); Bostwick (third in 100 breast, fourth in 100 fly); Burch (second in 200 IM and 100 breast); Cass (third in 100 free, fourth in 200 IM); Gruber (third in 100 back) Lutz (fourth in 200 free and 500 free); Sveda (third in 100 fly, fourth in 100 free).