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By Scott Franco
sfranco@altoonamirror.com
The past two years, the Huntingdon Area High School swim team has had a few individuals qualify for the PIAA state meet at Bucknell University. This year, when the Class 2A event gets underway on Thursday, there will be more of a Bearcat feel to the event.
Coach Melanie Varner is sending five swimmers at one time, the most in school history. Going for the girls is Haley Goldstone, a sophomore who went to states a year ago. Zeb Fowler went two years ago and is going again this year, along with Ben Atherton, Andrew Edwards and Matias Berger.
"Last year it was extremely nervewracking. I was not prepared," said Goldstone, who will swim in the 50 freestyle and 100 freestyle this year. "I think I will be better because I will be used to everything."
Fowler is also swimming in the 50 and 100 freestyle as well as the 200 freestyle relay with Atherton, Berger and Edwards. Atherton is also swimming in the 200 freestyle.
"A lot of how you do down there is how you mentally prepare yourself for your events," Fowler said. "You have to make sure you warm up the right way and not psych yourself out too much."
Varner's team will compete on Thursday and Friday, and coming off of last week's district meet at Penn State, she said the workouts will be a "small taper coming off the district meet."
"We don't have a lot of time to prepare, and since we do most of preparation for the district meet, the prep for the state meet will be to maintain the level of competition that we had at the district meet," Varner said.
Going into states, Goldstone is seeded 15th in the 50 free at 24.59. The top time is Taylor Petrak from Ellwood City (23.43). She is seeded 26th in the 100 free at 54.13. Again, Petrak is the No. 1 seed at 50.33.
"I am just hoping to make the finals in the 50 freestyle," Goldstone said. "I haven't placed very well in the 100 so I am just hoping that I can drop time in that."
In the 200 free, Atherton is seeded 31st at 1:53.54. The top seed is Mahlon Reihman from Salisbury at 1:41.25. Fowler is seeded 32nd in the 50 free at 23.30 with Gabe Castano of Allentown Central Catholic No. 1 at 20.93. He is seeded 31st in the 100 free at 50.68. Reihman is No. 1 at 46.24.
"Honestly, I just want to try and break a 22 in the 50. I don't care what place I get, as long as I can get that time," Fowler said.
The 200 freestyle relay team of Fowler, Atherton, Berger and Edwards are seeded 22nd out of 24 teams at 1:32.51. The No. 1 seed is Grove City at 1:25.64.
"My expectations for all of them is that they swim their best," Varner said. "We are at least hoping to maintain the level they had at the district meet. Haley has the best opportunity to make it to the finals. It is probably a tougher road for the boys who are not seeded as well. Plus, we are dealing with some illness with the boys, which will make it tougher."
One of the things Varner likes about this group is their youthful appearance. Only Fowler is a senior. The rest are juniors and sophomores.
"They have put in the work in the pool in practices for their efforts to pay off," she said. "They can have the talent and ability to compete at this level, but they have to have the work ethic, drive and desire to want to compete at this level in order to make it here. I can train them from the neck down, but it's what they do inside their own heads that can make the difference."