| The strength of the 2023-24 Titusville swim team is quite evident. This year records were broken, some that stood for over 40 years. As the boys and girls competed in the District 10 championships this past weekend for a chance to compete in the state championships, they again notched names up on the all-time leader board at their school. Joe Herman smashed his own record set a year ago with a 51.64 swim in the 100 yard butterfly. He broke his record by more than a second. The swim earned him the ninth best time of the year in Pennsylvania where he’ll get a shot at bettering it next week at Bucknell University in the state championships. He is only a couple seconds off the top swimmer. He is hoping for good swims and earning a medal in his junior year. Fellow junior from Franklin, Camden Smith, who has recorded the second best time this year in the state at 50.10 only about a second off the leader. Alex Reynolds also broke into the record books with 1:00.97 in the 100 meter backstroke that was previously held by David Hauptman set in 2022. His swim is the 22nd best time in the state which also qualified him for states. The pair also teamed up with Max Chatham and Aiden Patterson for the 200 meter medley relay to get a state qualifying time that is the 29th best of the year. They have a lot of water to make up, being 10 seconds off the top time this year, but they will be in the pool looking for their best time and if all goes well a medal. Last year only Herman made it to the big dance, so this shows a great improvement for the team. Joining them are a fairly strong contingency of swimmers from Venango County in the Class AA group. Among them is the district's outstanding swimmer, Camden Smith, who is within breathing distance of a state title in the 100 butterfly and freestyle. He set a new school record in the event with his first place win. He broke his own record he set last year. Franklin is also the fourth-seed in the 200 medley relay. Kye Winslow, Nathan Pfennigwerth, Camden Smith, Jordan Stumpf took second with a 1:36.95 which also broke the school record previously held by Mike Hart, BJ Frederick, Andy Frederick, Phil Emerson back in 2011. Jordan Stumpf and Nate Pfenningwerth will also compete in the 200 and 50 freestyle respectively.Pfennigwerth became the first District 10 champion for Franklin in five years. Oil City’s Caleb Stover will also compete in the 50 free. For the girls, Oil City’s Kallie Smith qualified in the 200 individual medley and 100 backstroke. Dani Erdley will swim the 500 freestyle for Franklin. Other Crawford County swimmers are Jaidyn Jordan of Meadville in the 200 freestyle. Fellow bulldog Julianne Gowtetski will be competing in the 100 backstroke and butterfly events. As the weather warms and we turn toward spring sports, there is still some unfinished business in the pool. |       |
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