16-Year-Old Sophomore Rick Mihm Posts 1:46.09 200 IM at PIAA 3A Day 1

2018 PIAA 3A Swimming and Diving Championships

TEAM SCORES THROUGH DAY 1 (TOP 10)

GIRLS

  1. North Penn – 134
  2. Governor Mifflin – 114
  3. Avon Grove – 101
  4. Hershey – 92
  5. Upper Dublin – 84.5
  6. Council Rock North – 56.5
  7. Unionville – 53
  8. North Allegheny – 48
  9. Wilson – 47
  10. Mt. Lebanon – 41

BOYS

  1. North Allegheny – 165
  2. North Penn – 113
  3. Liberty – 72
  4. Hatboro Horsham/Upper Dublin – 70
  5.  –
  6. State College – 60
  7. Lasalle College -59
  8. Conestoga – 54.5
  9. Wilson – 52.5
  10. Radnor – 49

The PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) 3A boys and girls state meet kicked off on Wednesday, March 14th. The meet is held over the course of 2 days, with prelims and finals being held today in the 200 medley relay, 200 free, 200 IM, 50 free, 100 fly, and 200 free relay. There were PIAA state records broken in the boys 100 fly and boys 200 free relay, and the record was tied in the girls 50 free.

The North Allegheny boys team of Andrew Zhang (22.69), Jerry Chen (25.95), Tolik Borisov (22.32), and Joel Songer (20.18) took the 200 medley relay with a final time of 1:31.14. Brendan Burns, a Conestoga junior, threw down a 21.80 back split, which is one of the fastest 50 backs from a high school swimmer this season. Sean Faikish, a Northern Penn sophomore, went the fastest breast split in the field, posting a 25.27. Alex Flynn, a senior from Upper Dublin, went 21.85 for the fastest fly split in the field, while North penn junior Riley Fein went 20.09 for the fastest free split.

Jack Wright, a North Allegheny junior, dropped a 1:34.77 200 free to win the event by 1 second over Hatboro Horsham senior Andy Thomas. Thomas was out really fast, hitting the 100 wall at 45.61 compared to Wright’s 46.45. Wright dropped 3 seconds from his lifetime best of 1:37.55, while Thomas dropped about half a second from his best of 1:36.47. Wright’s time lands him 31st on the USA Swimming all-time rankings for 17-18 boys, while Thomas’ time comes in a tie for 88th.

16-year-old North Allegheny sophomore, Rick Mihm blasted a 1:46.09 200 IM to win by almost 2 seconds over runner-up Emils Jurcik (1:47.91). Mihm dropped over 3 seconds from his previous best of 1:49.23, and he has made his way up to 11th in the all-time rankings for 15-16 boys. Mihm blasted a 26.28 on the backstroke leg and a 31.20 breaststroke, for an impressive 57.48 in the middle 100.

North Allegheny senior Mason Gonzalez posted a 19.99 to win the boys 50 free, out-touching State College sophomore Matt Brownstead, who went 20.08. Gonzalez tied his personal best, which he swam at this meet last year, while Brownstead dropped .4 seconds from his previous best of 20.48, which he set less than 2 weeks ago. Gonzalez, who will swim for Stanford next season, came into a tie for 97th in the all-time rankings for 17-18 boys. Brownstead, who is 15, rocketed all the way up to 11th in the all-time 15-16 rankings.

Brandan Burns came back after the medley relay to also win the 100 fly, narrowly missing his best time, but still breaking the PIAA record of 47.26. Burns toughed in 47.04, barely off his best of 46.97, which is 5th in the all-time rankings for 15-16s. He was out incredibly fast, posting a 21.87 on the first 50.

The North Allegheny boys 200 free relay team then broke their own national public school record from this year. Jack Wright led it off in 20.24, followed by Joel Songer (20.40), Rick Mihm (19.57), and Mason Gonzalez (19.39), finishing in a record-shattering time of 1:19.60. Their previous national record of 1:20.46 was set back in December, and the previous PIAA state meet record stood at 1:20.95. The only non-returning swimmer to this relay next year is Gonzalez, who went an incredibly fast split of 19.39. There was another swimmer to go a mid-19 in the field, Andy Thomas, who threw down a 19.42 on the 3rd leg of the Hatboro Horsham relay.

Morgan Scott, a Pennridge senior and Indiana University recruit, put up a lifetime best 1:46.34 to win the girls 200 free. Scott was out really fast, hitting the 100 mark at 51.06, and then posting 50 splits of 27.3 and 27.9 coming home. That time would have been the 4th fastest on the team for IU this year, and was faster than the anchor split of the IU relay tonight at the NCAAs, which came in 16th place.

Olivia Paoletti, an Avon Grove senior, posted a 1:59.72 to win the girls 200 IM. She had a great middle 100, going 30.53 on the back split, and 33.53 on the breast split to combine for a 1:04.06 middle 100. Olivia Livingston, a sophomore from Gateway, tied her own PIAA record from last year, posting a 22.73 on the 50 free. That time was just off her lifetime best of 22.71, which she swam less than 2 weeks ago at her district meet. Fellow sophomore, Emma Steckiel (Governor Mifflin), came in 2nd with a 23.02, a lifetime best. Steckiel then anchored the Governor Mifflin 200 free relay in 22.60.

 

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bccswimmer
5 years ago

I went against Mihm in butterfly during the medley and got destroyed. I mean, I was the youngest there at thirteen and the person closest to my age was 15 on my medley. Most of the kids I swim against swim year round and I only swim in the summer. We still won that meet somehow though.

A$AP Pocky
6 years ago

dirty rick and the boys.

LPman
6 years ago

Pretty cool, especially considering that is over 1.5 seconds faster than David Nolan’s sophomore IM time.

Swimmer!
6 years ago

Serious question: how did NA get all of this talent? Are they a school of choice? Not sure how a public school can have this many top tier swimmers

Swimmer!
Reply to  Swimmer!
6 years ago

I should elaborate. I am not sure how this school seemingly overnight has a ton of top tier talent.

Swim mom
Reply to  Swimmer!
6 years ago

These kids have grown up swimming for the strong club team (ANSC) that feeds into the high school team. Nothing overnight about it. Look at last year’s PIAA results. They have won the PA District 7 title for the past 7 years.

Swimmer!
Reply to  Swim mom
6 years ago

thank you. By no means was I knocking them. I was just curious if families moved there specifically for swimming, or if the school was a school of choice. NA high school isn’t a huge high school like Carmel

Swim mom
Reply to  Swimmer!
6 years ago

I understand. The club team and the high school team have the same head coach, too. And he also swam for ANSC and NA when he was younger. Long proud swimming tradition at North Allegheny.

Swammer
Reply to  Swimmer!
6 years ago

We work hard