Ephrata’s boys, girls top Elizabethtown to take control In L-L League Section 2 swimming

Ephrata took control of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Section Two race in both boys and girls swimming by sweeping Elizabethtown at the Ephrata recCenter on Tuesday afternoon.

The Mounts (3-2, 3-0) won the boys meet 91-77, and while that did not quite come down to the final event, the 400-yard freestyle relay still provided drama.

Ephrata’s team of Ethan Lloyd, Peter Suhrbier, Dominic Mentzer and Jack Martin won with a time of 3:19.77. Elizabethtown had a 3:20.06, turned in by Everett Rachael, Reid Gilmore, Carter Ketchum and Jack Ketchum. The difference was Martin’s anchor split of 48.62 to come from behind.

Martin won two solo events, taking the 200 freestyle in 1:45.81 and the 500 freestyle in 5:02.15.

“I don’t want to say it was a surprise, but Jack’s win in the 200 was a momentum changer for us when it happened,” Ephrata head coach Mickey Molchany said.

Martin was also part of the winning 200 freestyle relay, along with Joey Myer, Leo Tolstoy and Caleb Zimmerman. The combined for a 1:32.75.

The Mounts swept the relays, also winning the 200 medley in 1:42.90. Lloyd, Myer, Suhrbier and Tolstoy posted that time.

Other winners for Ephrata were Lloyd with a 2:00.65 in the 200 IM, Suhrbier with a 22.78 in the 50 freestyle and Myer with a 1:03.42 in the 100 breaststroke.

Jack Ketchum had two wins for Elizabethtown (6-1, 2-1). He claimed the 100 butterfly in 54.14 and the 100 backstroke in 56.84.

Rachael added another win for the Bears with a 49.24 in the 100 freestyle.

“I’d say we prepared well and had our best lineup,” Elizabethtown head coach Chad Houck said. “Depth is super big in a high school meet and we didn’t have enough depth to get over the top with them.”

Girls

Ephrata took the girls meet 99-71, with both Allie Ludwig and Ava Knopsnyder winning two solo events and being a part of two relay wins.

Ludwig won the 50 freestyle in 25.49 and the 100 freestyle in 56.12.

Knopsnyder took the 200 IM with a 2:10.21 and the 100 breaststroke with a 1:08.21.

They were together on the 200 freestyle relay, with Knopsnyder taking the lead leg and Ludwig the anchor, along with Megan Martin and Kauri Parsons for a 1:47.01. Cali Burkholder, Knopsnyder, Bria Burkholder and Martin had a 1:54.35 to win the 200 medley. Ludwig, Parsons and both Burkholders put together a 3:59.61 for a 400 freestyle victory.

“We can do those turnarounds without exhausting ourselves,” Molchany said.

Ephrata (3-2, 3-0) actually won 10 of the 11 events, but Elizabethtown’s depth on the girls side kept the score competitive. For example, in the three relay races, the Bears (6-1, 2-1) had nine total teams in the pool, while the Mounts had five.

Bria Burkholder won the 100 butterfly with a 1:02.41. She finished in second in the 100 backstroke by 0.7 seconds to Cali, who touched the wall at 1:04.72.

Megan Martin won the 500 freestyle in 5:57.51.

The lone win for Elizabethtown was turned in by Morgan Conway, who recorded a 2:05.97 in 200 freestyle.