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SR girls 400 relay team enters states after breaking school record

Full head of steam
Slippery Rock’s girls 400 freestyle relay team of, from left: Season Grant, Maddy Gauselmann, Mollie Massella and Raely FaJohn recently broke the school record in the event and will compete at this week’s state championship meet.Submitted Photo3/12/24

SLIPPERY ROCK — Raely FaJohn did not know what Slippery Rock’s record time was in the girls 400-yard freestyle relay, but she knew the effort she and her three teammates turned in — three minutes, 39.71 seconds — at the recent District 10 Class 2A championship meet was really good.

“She said, ‘I think that’s a school record,’” said Mollie Massella, another member of the relay. Luckily for FaJohn, it was a school record, beating the previous standard by more than seven seconds and earning for Slippery Rock a district title in the event.

“We all had to be in the zone to swim a time like that,” said Massella.

Cathedral Prep was a distant second, 3.06 seconds behind.

“And we knocked 10 seconds off our entry time,” said Rockets coach Cindy Johnston. “We were so excited. The place was going wild.”

The record-setting quartet, which includes, in order, Season Grant, Maddy Gauselmann, Massella and FaJohn, is ranked ninth in the state ahead of the PIAA Class 2A championship meet, scheduled Friday and Saturday at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium.

“It’s hard to maintain your time from districts to states, but hopefully, we can swim at least as well this week,” Johnston said.

Massella won a pair of individual district titles, in the 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly, and is seeded seventh and eighth, respectively, in the events.

Last year, she entered states ranked 13th in both events.

“I’m focused on my technique,” said Massella, a junior who owns school records in both the 200 free and butterfly. “If my technique is good, my times should drop. I’m hoping to medal (top eight) in both events.”

FaJohn, another junior, did not come out for the varsity girls team until this year, but gained a lot of experience swimming club for the Slippery Rock Eels since she was 8-years old.

She will compete in the 50 and 100 freestyle this week.

“At the start of the season, I swam the 50 in 25.2 (seconds) and the 100 in 55.8,” said FaJohn. “I’ve dropped a good amount of time in both.

“My friends had been bugging me the last couple of years to swim varsity and I decided to come out this season.”

Grant, Gauselmann, Massella and FaJohn will also swim the 200 freestyle relay.

Following are Butler County's Class 2A swimmers who will be competing in the PIAA championship meet, scheduled Friday and Saturday at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium.

Girls

Freeport, Knoch,

Slippery Rock

200 medley relay: 2-Freeport (Kasey Schrecongost, Kira Schrecongost, Caitlyn Brennan, Mary Anne Altman) 1:47.84 ; 24-Knoch (Olivia Walewski, Giona Lavorini, Lindsay Mack, Allison Smith) 1:55.71

200 freestyle: 7-Mollie Massella (SR) 1:56.79

200 individual medley: 5-Giona Lavorini (K) 2:06.80; 7-Kira Schrecongost (F) 2:07.81

50 freestyle: 19-Raely FaJohn (SR) 24.68; 30-Mary Anne Altman (F) 25.01

100 butterfly: 2-Kira Schrecongost (F) 55.37; 8-Mollie Massella (SR) 58.81; 28-Caitlyn Brennan (F) 1:01.27

200 freestyle relay: 21-Slippery Rock (Season Grant, Maddie Gauselmann, Mollie Massella and Raely FaJohn) 1:42.60

100 freestyle: 13-Kasey Schrecongost (F) 53.91; 15-Raely FaJohn (SR) 54.07; 25-Mary Anne Altman (F) 55.22

100 backstroke: 10-Kasey Schrecongost (F) 58.44; 28-Caitlyn Brennan (F) 1:01.89

100 breaststroke: 1-Giona Lavorini (K) 1:01.90

400 freestyle relay: 9-Slippery Rock (Season Grant, Maddie Gauselmann, Mollie Massella and Raely FaJohn) 3:39.71; 11-Freeport (Kira Schrecongost, Mary Anne Altman, Danielle Parke, Kasey Schrecongost) 3:40.09

Boys

Freeport, Knoch, Mars,

Moniteau, North Catholic

200 freestyle: 25-Preston Heynes (Mars) 1:49.74; 26-Nathaniel Tarbi (F) 1:49.74

200 individual medley: 10-Adrian Lavorini (K) 1:59.71

50 freestyle: 1-Luke Lamb (NC) 20.50

200 freestyle relay: 30-North Catholic (Luke Lamb, Sam West, Jonah LaPietra, Brandon Szuch) 1:33.34

500 freestyle: 15-Adrian Lavorini (K) 4:53.43; 26-Mason Birckbichler (Mon) 4:59.84

100 backstroke: 1-Luke Lamb (NC) 48.68

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