When the PIAA Class AA boys' swimming team title was about to be decided at Bucknell University Saturday evening, Trinity was leading in the team scoring. However, the Shamrocks were standing helplessly on the pool deck without a competitor in the water.
Although Trinity had a lead of 134-113 over Mars, the Shamrocks did not have a team in the 400-yard relay finals. They had false started in the morning preliminaries, knocking them out of the competition, and preventing them from scoring any team points in the event.
Since eighth place in a relay is worth 22 points, all Mars need to do was finish the 400 freestyle relay to finish ahead of Trinity. Mars finished first with a 3:12.57 to finish with 153 team points and the team title.
Trinity's relay team entered the meet with the No. 6 seed. Had the Shamrocks qualified for finals, they would have clinched the team title before the race began.
However, there was good news for Trinity. Had Salisbury won the 400 freestyle relay, the Shamrocks could have been leaving Bucknell without any trophies for their effort. So when Salisbury finished third with a 3:13.12, it meant the Shamrocks held on to the silver runner-up trophy with their 134 points. Salisbury was third with 126.
Trinity medalists
Despite the DQed relay, two Trinity swimmers did win medals.
Henry Tanguay placed third in the 100 breaststroke with a 59.02. At the 50-yard mark, he was leading with a 26.81.
"My first 50 is always something I can get out on," Tanguay said. "I decided I'd swim the 50 breaststroke, then swim another 50 breaststroke."
Tanguay entered the event as the No. 13 seed. Just by qualifying for the finals instead of the consolations, he boosted the Shamrocks' chances of staying in the top two in the team standings.
"I needed that top eight spot for my team and for myself," Tanguay said.
Also medaling for Trinity was Ian DiCarlo, who was sixth in the 100 freestyle with a 45.65.
Backstroke record for Benedict
Brent Benedict of Corry Area won the 100 backstroke with a record time of 48.69, breaking the mark set by Hershey's David Nolan of 49.41 in 2009. He was named the Swimmer of the Meet.
Brandywine Heights' Dillon Lancenese was third with a 51.75. Northern Lebanon's Ethan Gehenio was fifth with a 52.62.
Around the pool
Jarod Kehl of West Allegheny won the 500 freestyle with a 4:28.80. Manheim Central's Matthew Daniel was fourth with a 4:35.98, and Fleetwood's Matthew Leenhouts was fifth with a 4:36.98.
Noah Crawford of Bloomsburg won the 100 breaststroke with a 57.61. Luke Raudenbush of Schuylkill Valley was fifth with a 59.87.
Phil Emerson of Franklin Area won the 100 freestyle with a 45.65.
In the 400 freestyle relay, York Suburban was seventh with a 3:17.88. Alex Fridman, Matt Spinello, Will Massey and Diego Herrera swam for York Suburban.
Consolation results
District 3 entries
(Places are overall. A ninth-place finish was first in the consolation final, and a 16th place finish was eighth in the consolation final.)
100 freestyle
12. Zack Miklos, Lancaster Catholic, 48.68.
500 freestyle
12. Cole Davis, Millersburg, 4:50.90.
100 backstroke
11. Nathan Elzer, Wyomissing, 54.25.