Lady Mounts sink Cocalico

Ephrata senior swimmer Sydney Dundon couldn’t contain her excitement on the pool deck at the Ephrata Recreation Center. After all, it had been four years coming.

She and the Mountaineer girls team had finally defeated neighbor Cocalico, ending a five-year run for the Eagles in the annual Lancaster-Lebanon League rivalry meet.

Dundon was a huge part of it as she won the 200-yard freestyle and the 500 free, and anchored the 200 and 400 free relays, helping the Ephrata girls to a 96-74 victory Thursday.

“A lot of us have been swimming together as a solid unit for a period of six years, and I think that really helped us progress and grow,” Dundon said. “This was something we wanted.

“This year is just the right lineup. We have the right amount of depth. We have the right numbers and we have the same heart. All those things went together.”

The meet also helped the Mounts remain atop the Section Two standings with a 3-0 league record. They’re 3-3 overall.

“It’s awesome. The fact they had the streak for so long makes it even better,” Mounts coach Mickey Molchany said. “That was the goal since this meet last year. We were confident coming in.”

The Eagles won the opening race of the evening, taking the 200 medley relay. But Dundon helped close the six-point deficit to two when she won the 200 free.

Teammate Sydney Morgan won the next event, the 200 individual medley, and when the Mounts took third and fourth in that race, they took the lead for good, 25-21.

Ashley Zimmerman won the 50 free, and Morgan grabbed another first when she took the 100 butterfly, which, combined with Zimmerman’s second-place finish, helped Ephrata open a 46-32 lead.

Later, Dundon took the 500 free. The Mounts also won the next two races, the 200 free relay, and the 100 backstroke behind Leah Weaver.

Although Ephrata clinched the victory by placing second and third in the breaststroke, Zimmerman, Morgan and Mary Campbell combined with Dundon to win the 400 free relay. Dundon’s anchor swim closed the meet in style when she posted her first-ever sub 55-second 100 free split.

“All season we have said to (Dundon), ‘You are training to be great,’” Molchany said. “What she’s going now is better that what she did at districts.”

Cocalico boys dominate: The Eagles improved to 2-0 in Section Two and 3-2 overall after a 110-60 victory, as Cocalico won the first four races, plus grabbed important depth points.

The opening 200 medley relay set the tone when anchor Hunter Keck trailed upon hitting the water, before flying past the competition to touch the wall first.

“We’ve got some good sprinters this year,” Eagles coach Matt Woods said. “Some people swim better with the lead, some prefer to chase. I really like when our guys are chasing.”

Michael White and Jacob Musselman went one-two, respectively, in the 200 free. Keck captured the individual medley, and when Colin Higinbotham and Zach Shirk were first and second in the 500 free for a huge 45-17 lead.

Later, Shirk, Keck and Kyle Rupp swept the top three spots in the 100 breaststroke.

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