Houtz, MC swimmers have strong showing in D6 meet

By rscaife
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Updated: March 3, 2018

By Kenny Varner

UNIVERSITY PARK – Two for two.
In her second year of representing Juniata High School, sophomore sensation Sydney Houtz penciled her way back to the PIAA State Championships with a thrilling victory over best friend Penns Valley’s Sophia Gearhart in the Girls 100-yard Butterfly.
“She has been swimming against Sophia Gearhart a million times. They’ve roomed together at camp. They are really good friends. It was a fun race,” Juniata coach Amy Houtz said. “It was a really great time. They battle each other and basically every time they get into the pool. It’s amazing to watch. It’s awesome.”
The two were neck and neck going into the last length when Houtz edged Gearhart, finishing in the top spot with a Meet record tying time of 57.10.
“Honestly it’s a remarkable feeling. The girl who had the record, that I tied her with, is probably one my best swimming friends. So it’s awesome that I got that time as well,” Sydney Houtz said. “Going up against Sophia makes it more exciting because you know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and you know how good they actually are. You know everything about her so it just psyches you up more. Knowing her as a person it just makes it more fun to compete because you know you each go back taking First and second places and just have fun with it.”
Houtz will try to reach states Saturday as she will compete in the same event she won last year, the girls AA 100-yard backstroke.
Coincidentally, she will be trying to top her own Meet record of 57.59.
Juniata was also represented by freshman Jimmy Zagurskie who finished fourth in his heat in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:16.93.
Records are made to be broken, just ask the Mifflin County swimmers.
In a year that the team has brought over the most swimmers it’s ever had (16) and all who finished with Personal bests that competed on day one but it also brought home numerous medal winners.
Friday afternoon at the District 6 Swimming Championships,
Kevin Neavling medaled in both events he participated in.
In the 50-yard freestyle, Neavling placed third with a time of 22.65. It was good enough to break a school record. He picked up another third with the 200-yard freestyle medley relay team which also set a new Mifflin County which also set a school record.
“The boys 200-yard medals team at the end there really knew how to get our shaking. But they knew how to pull it out though,” Mifflin County coach Gretchen Seyler said. “They were all under the mentality that they were going to going to attack it and get this. And they did.”
In the Girls AAA 100-yard Butterfly, Macy Becker, who went in the meet as a second seed, finished in second with a personal best of 1.03:35.
“Macy broke the school record. Her race was another close one,” Seyler said. “They were neck in neck at the end and I was terrified. I saw the others close to her but she pulled it out like she always does.”
Rounding out the place winners was Hannah Bonson, who placed third in the Girls AAA 200-yard IM with a final score of 2:19.16.
Day 2 opens at 2pm as Houtz and the Mifflin County team will try to add to their medal counts.