Schuylkill Valley Girls Win First-Ever PIAA Class AA Title as Villa Maria’s 10-Year Reign Ends

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Schuylkill Valley Girls Win First-Ever PIAA Class AA Title as Villa Maria’s 10-Year Reign Ends

The Schuylkill Valley girls swimming and diving team created history earlier this month as it fended off a close challenge from Mount Pleasant to capture its first-ever Class AA state championship. The Panthers totaled 177 points to finish just eight points ahead of runnerup Mount Pleasant (169). Villa Maria, which had won 10 consecutive championships leading into the 2022 edition of the meet, finished third with 134 points.

Drexel commit Megan Ehrnfeldt was the standout performer for Schuylkill Valley, having a hand in three of the four medals the team won at the meet. The senior split a 23.98 on the anchor leg of the 200 free relay to secure the team’s only gold medal. The team of Emily Gao (24.73), Katie Eisenhofer (24.32), Annie Gao (24.29), and Ehrnfeldt stopped the clock in 1:37.32, finishing almost a second ahead of Blue Mountain (1:38.23).

Ehrnfeldt and the Gao sisters then teamed up with sophomore Jenna Kirby to grab silver in the 400 free relay (3:33.48). Mount Pleasant took gold in that event, buoyed by a blistering 48.55 anchor split from freshman Lily King. Individually, Ehrnfeldt was second in the 100 fly in 55.28 behind Bedford sophomore Leah Schackley who won in 53.98, and fourth in the 100 free (51.75) in which King took gold in 49.78.

King and Schackley were the two standout performers of the meet, winning two events apiece.

In addition to winning the 100, King took almost three-tenths off Sarah Hichens’ 22.91 Class AA state record from 2013, stopping the clock at 22.66 for the win. Her time is identical to what Texas commit Alexa Fulton swam to win the 3A meet.

After storming to victory in the 100 fly on the first day, Schackley added the 100 back championship for her second gold of the meet. The sophomore used an incredible back half to pull away from Mapletown junior Ella Menear to win in 52.42, almost a second ahead of Menear’s 53.37.

Menear had a win of her own earlier in the meet, winning the 200 IM in 2:00.50, touching just ahead of Lewisburg sophomore Kimberly Shannon (2:01.20). Shannon was another swimmer in top form. In addition to her silver in the 200IM, the sophomore took the win in the 500 free with a personal best 4:51.98.

Other event winners were Villa Maria in the 200-yard medley relay (1:46.65), Northgate sophomore Elise Nardozzi in the 200 free (1:49.09), Marple Newtown senior Alexandra Pastris, who won diving with a score of 431.65, and Trinity junior Kari Powell in the 100 breast (1:02.65).

Final Team Scores:

Schuylkill Valley – 177
Mount Pleasant – 169
Villa Maria – 134
East Pennsboro – 122
Boiling Springs – 120

Friday Finals

Saturday Finals

Full results and team scores can be found here.

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