PIAA Swimming: Radnor boys come roaring back

LEWISBURG — Wednesday night’s session at the PIAA Class AAA Championships didn’t go well for the Radnor boys. As they left Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium, priority No. 1 for three-quarters of the Raiders’ disqualified medley relay was simple: Close the book on the past and move on to the next day’s challenge.

Thursday, they rose to the occasion.

Eli Avart, Mitchell Gartland and Ryan Freedman all bounced back with resounding, personal-best swims, highlighted by Freedman’s eighth-place finish in the 100 backstroke.

The Johns Hopkins-bound senior recorded a time of 50.97 seconds in the 100 back in prelims, lopping almost a second and a half off his time from districts, to gain the sixth seed. He was even faster in the evening at 50.92, though he dropped a spot to eighth overall.

Instead of using what transpired the previous night as motivation, Freedman knew he’d be faster in the water without that chip on his shoulder, choosing to just forget about it all together.

In doing so, he was able to surpass the goals he set for himself in the preseason, validating a season-long struggle with a shoulder injury and late start to the season as a result of his role as the goalkeeper on Radnor’s districts-qualifying soccer team. He also crushed the school record, set in 2006 by Andrew Criner at 52.20.

“By the end of (Wednesday), we were trying to get over it,” he said. “I knew that I had this swim today. I had no idea I was going to go that fast. I was hoping to go 51-mid. Doing this, it feels incredible. I’m on top of the world.”

Freedman’s meet appeared to have started out on a high note Wednesday, with Radnor’s medley relay of Avart, Gartland and Brian McKeon clocking in a time of 1:33.33, which would’ve been good for fourth and a Delco record. But the team was disqualified for a blatantly premature relay pickup.

From excitement to disappointment, the Raiders had the rest of the night to think about it. But they chose not to stew on it. Instead, Freedman and Gartland elected to put it out of their minds when it came time to atone Thursday morning. That choice made all the difference.

“Yesterday, we were just trying to put that in the past as quickly as we could and just try to look forward to what today was,” Gartland said. “And now, we’re happy. All three of us went our best times, and that’s all you can ask for.”

Gartland played his part in the comeback story, qualifying 14th for the 100 breaststroke finals with a swim that he admitted was far from his best. The Michigan signee found another gear in the final, speeding under the vaunted 58-second mark to go 57.89 and sneak into 12th place.

“All year I’ve been looking to get under a 58 and I was finally able to do that,” he said. “This morning, I was really not happy with my swim. I came back tonight way better prepared mentally.”

Avart added a stellar morning swim, cutting a half second off his personal best to finish the 100 back in 52.49. That missed out on the finals though, finishing 18th, still a sizeable jump from his 25th seed.