Local Swimmers Post Strong Finishes and Personal Bests at Recent Meet

HALIFAX, PA — Swimmers from Halifax and Upper Dauphin put forth a strong showing at their second competitive meet of the season this past week, at the Blue Jay Invitational held at Bloomsburg Univeristy.

The Halifax boys' team, comprising four swimmers, secured 8th place overall with a total of 91 points. The Halifax girls' team, featuring six competitors, finished closely behind, earning 9th place overall with 86 points.

🌟 Individual Star Power

Halifax's Hannah Reber was the standout performer for the girls, leading her team with 29 individual points. Reber earned a podium finish with a 2nd place in the 100-yard backstroke and added a 7th place in the 200-yard freestyle.

For the boys, Upper Dauphin's Max Smith dominated the score sheet, racking up 24 points. Smith’s top finishes included a 4th place in the 200-yard Individual Medley (IM) and a 9th place in the 100-yard breaststroke, where he also swam a new personal best time of 1:13.74.

Upper Dauphin swimmers also delivered key performances:

• Mena Clark earned 23 points for the girls with a 7th place in the 50-yard freestyle and an 8th place in the 100-yard backstroke.

• Brayden McLenegan was clutch for the boys, contributing 22 points under "fierce competition." McLenegan placed 6th in the 50-yard freestyle and 9th in the 100-yard freestyle.

• Conrad Brown added a point for Upper Dauphin with a 16th place finish in the 100-yard freestyle.

⏱️ Relays and Personal Bests

The teams saw consistent performance in the relays, with the boys' team finishing 8th in both the 200-yard Medley Relay (2:09.85) and the 200-yard Freestyle Relay (1:49.39). The girls' teams were also highly competitive, placing 8th in the 200-yard Free Relay (2:04:31) and 11th in the 200-yard Medley Relay (2:21.86).

Overall, the meet was highlighted by an outstanding six personal bests, a remarkable achievement for only the second meet of the year. Notable PBs included:

• Max Smith (Upper Dauphin) in the 100 yd breast: 1:13.74

• Brianna Spring (Halifax) in the 50 yd free (30.58) and 100 yd back ($1:19.73$)

• Martina Collado Sanchez (Upper Dauphin) in the 50 yd free (38.17) and 100 yd free (1:24.28)

Special recognition also goes to Jocelyn Liddick (Halifax), who powered through her first competitive swim event, setting a PB in the 50-yard freestyle despite a goggle malfunction.

The teams will look to carry this momentum and continued improvement into their next competition.