Tyrone Swimmers Ready for District VI Championship Meet

The meet will take place in State College at the Penn State varsity pool

Allison+Hosko%2C+Emily+Beam%2C+Bryce+Bower%2C+Abby+Luensmann%2C+Gwen+Dougherty+%28Absent+from+photo%3A+Collin+Rhoades+and+Austin+Quinn%29

Allison Hosko, Emily Beam, Bryce Bower, Abby Luensmann, Gwen Dougherty (Absent from photo: Collin Rhoades and Austin Quinn)

The District 6 championship meet will be held at the Penn State Natatorium on Friday and Saturday March 4th and 5th. Five Tyrone, two Bellwood and one Bishop Guilfoyle swimmer will represent the Tyrone team at the meet. 

Top qualifiers for the Golden Eagles are Emily Beam, Ben McConnell and Austin Quinn. All are seeded in the top six in their individual events.

Click below to download the complete list of qualifiers and seed times:

District 6 AA Championship Meet

“I hope the boys or girls finish in the top six [in individuals],” said Assistant Coach Justin Brown. “[I know] they’ll perform well.”

GIRLS

The girls are represented by Tyrone senior Emily Beam, junior Allison Hosko, Bellwood junior Abby Luensmann, and freshman Gwen Dougherty. The four will swim together in the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay.

Individually Beam will swim the 100 butterfly.  Her seed time of 1:09.25 places her fourth out of 21 girls. In the 100 free (1:03.35) Beam is ranked 12th of 25 girls.

I hope we get our personal bests and possibly make podium.

— Allison Hosko

“I hope we get our personal bests and possibly make podium,” said junior Hosko.

Hosko will compete in the 50 free with a time of 36.48 and the 100 breaststroke with 1:27.06. Hosko is ranked 14th out of 22 competing swimmers in the 100 breaststroke.

Luensmann will swim the 50 free (29.57). She is seeded 17th of 25 swimmers. She is also placed 21st of 25 girls in the 100 free with a time of 1:08.73.

“I hope my time in the 50 and my splits in the relays drop due to the tough practices,” Luensmann said. “I also hope that at least someone on the team, boy or girl, places or medals.”

Dougherty will compete in the 100 breast. She is ranked 15th of 22 swimmers with a time of 1:27.27.

“I hope to see dropped times from working hard these past few weeks and some top ten finishes,” said Coach Tom Getz.

BOYS

Tyrone senior Collin Rhoades, Tyrone junior Austin Quinn, Tyrone sophomore Bryce Bauer, and Bishop Guilfoyle senior Ben McConnell will compete at the big meet for the Tyrone team.

Junior Austin Quinn is the highest seeded Tyrone swimmer, entering the meet with the third fastest qualifying time in the 100 free (55.07). In the 50 free, Quinn is seeded sixth of 31 with a time of  24.36.

In the 200 free, Collin Rhoades is seeded tenth of 22 swimmers with a time of 2:08.50. He will also swim the 100 free (57.64) and is placed 11th of 29.

“I think [the team] will do decent even with missing swimmers,” Rhoades said. “I just hope to get through the day.

Blake and Sergio Slobodnik also qualified for districts but will be unable to attend the meet, so the team is a little smaller than expected.

“Both the boys and girls is tough,” said Getz, “but I know [the swimmers] will do fine and swim well.”

Bauer has a seed time of 27.19 in the 50 free. He is ranked 24th out of 31 other competing swimmers.

[Districts is] a chance for swimmers to swim against better competition. It’s rewarding for the swimmers after a tough year.

— Coach Tom Getz

“I hope to do good,” said Bauer. “There will be lots of other swimmers, so it’ll be very competitive.”

McConnell is placed fourth out of 31 boys in the 50 free with a time of 24.04. In the 100 breast, McConnell has a seed time of 1:08.44. He is ranked third out of 20 other swimmers.

“I hope that competing against some better swimmers causes us to work harder to place,” Luensmann said.

“[Districts is] is a chance for swimmers to swim against better competition,” Getz stated. “It’s rewarding for the swimmers after a tough year.”