PIAA swimming: Knoch’s Giona Lavorini misses out on defending 100 breaststroke gold by an eyelash
Silver isn’t the worst thing.
After all, it’ll match better with Giona Lavorini’s style.
The Knoch senior swimmer placed second in the girls 100-yard breaststroke at the PIAA Class 2A Swimming and Diving Championships on Thursday at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium. Lavorini’s time of 1:03.18 was just three-hundreths of a second behind the winner, Indiana’s Peyton Scott.
“I can’t be too upset about that, and I even joked with my teammates. I’m like, ‘I have this silver now for my collection,’” Lavorini said. “I actually like to wear silver jewelry, so I kind of made (that) comment that it kind of fits me better anyways.
“I’ve kind of always been like that. I try to make the best of things and try to stay positive.”
Lavorini’s collection includes a gold medal she won in that same event at least year’s state championships and Wednesday’s seventh-place finish in the 200 individual medley in 2:07.92. She also has two other golds she earned at WPIALs.
As a high schooler, Lavorini estimated she’s earned nine district medals and seven state medals. The future University of Pittsburgh women’s swimmer became Knoch’s first state swimming champion last season and was aiming to repeat this time around.
“When I first touched the wall, I was little frazzled because my last touch, I took a stroke and I really glided into the wall,” Lavorini said. “I don’t know, if I would’ve taken another stroke, if it could’ve been enough to win or not.
“When I touched, I was like, ‘Oh, that was not a great finish.’ And then I looked and, really, I saw I got second first and I was ... actually happy to see I got second. Then, I kind of noticed that it was by .03 and it definitely hurt, but I’ve definitely out-touched Peyton probably at least, like, four times. And I’m sure she’s felt the same way.”
Lavorini touched the wall in 1:03.03 at the district meet at the end of February. Scott (1:03.84) placed third there.
“It’s one of the closer ones, but I actually, surprisingly, have had a couple races where girls would beat me by .01,” Lavorini said of Thursday’s split-second finish. “I can’t remember specifically. I think it’s happened twice to me, though. It definitely hurts, but, you know, it happens.”
Lavorini and Scott, an East Carolina commit, “have raced against each other for years through the YMCA,” Lavorini said. The two talked before they got their medals, sharing a bittersweet moment knowing they’re heading in different directions.
PIAA Class 2A Swimming Championships Results
Local Medalists
Girls
100 breast: 2-Giona Lavorini (K) 1:03.18
100 free: 7-Kasey Schrecongost (F) 53.26
400 free relay: 3-Freeport 3:36.84
Boys
50 free para: 1-Isaac Barton (F) 25.82
100 free para: 1-Isaac Barton (F) 56.98
