Clarion County YMCA Riversharks Co-Hosts CENKEY Championships

Photos courtesy of Susanne Fenske

(By Dan Clark)

The Clarion County YMCA Riversharks swim team co-hosted ten teams from across the Central Keystone region along with Brookville, DuBois, and Ridgway, at the 2025 CENKEY League Championships on February 15-16 in Tippin Natatorium at PennWest Clarion.

The Riversharks posted new Meet Records, Club Records, Personal Bests, and additional District Qualifying times. For this meet, individual events were awarded trophies for 1st-3rd place, medals were awarded for 4th-6th place and ribbons for 7th-12th place finishers. Relays were awarded trophies for 1st place, medals for 2nd and 3rd place, and ribbons for 4th-6thplace finishers.

Most importantly, 450 individual athletes from across our region were afforded the opportunity to enjoy their sport and share in the camaraderie of a large, championship-style swim meet.

The Saturday session was for the 12 & Under age groups. Riversharks highlights for the Girls 9-10 group included the team of Hannah Lawrence, Brynn Hunsberger, Addyson Space, Emelia Larson winning the 200 yard freestyle relay; Larson also placed 3rd in the 100 yard freestyle; and Space placed in the 2nd 50 yard breaststroke.

In the Girls 11-12 group Aubree Conticelli placed 2nd in the 50 yard breaststroke; Mya Coradi placed 3rd in the 50 yard breaststroke; and Piper Hoover placed 3rd in the 100 yard butterfly.

For the Boys 9-10 group, Dylan Space led the way with a 2nd place in the 200 yard freestyle and 3rd place finishes in the 100 yard backstroke and 50 yard breaststroke.

The Sunday session was for the 13 & Over age groups. Highlights for the Riversharks performances included Ashlyn Clark’s strong performance in the Girls 13-14 group as a triple winner in the 50 yard & 100 yard freestyle, and 100 yard butterfly events. Her 50 yard freestyle time set a new CENKEY meet record. Clark also placed 2nd in the 200 yard freestyle. In the Girls 15 & Over group, Callie Snodgrass led the way as a double winner in the 100 & 200 yard butterfly events. Her 200 yard butterfly performance set a new CENKEY meet record time.

The 400 yard freestyle relay team of Maggie Snodgrass, Megan Fenske, Callie Snodgrass, and Lila Gourley won the Girls 15 & Over group while setting another CENKEY meet record. Fenske won the 200 yard backstroke, placed 3rd in the 100 yard backstroke, and placed 2nd in the 200 yard freestyle; Gourley won the 200 yard freestyle, and placed 2nd in the 200 yard backstroke; and Maggie Snodgrass won the 400 yard individual medley and took 2nd in the 200 yard breaststroke. For the Boys 15 & over group, Ky Clark took 3rd in the 200 yard individual medley and Kevin Young was a triple winner in the 100 yard breaststroke, 100 & 200 yard freestyle events.

Additionally, a select group of the Riversharks travelled to St. Marys for the Ridgeway YMCA “Last Chance” meet on Tuesday for the purposes of achieving District qualifying times. For the Girls 11-12 group Audrey Oaks earned a qualifying time in the 50 yard backstroke and for the Boys 15 & over group Ky Clark posted a qualifying time in the 50 yard freestyle.

The next action for the Riversharks’ district qualifiers will be at the 2025 Pennsylvania YMCA Swimming West District Championships held at the SPIRE Institute in Geneva, OH March 7-9.

Swimmers who earned CENKEY Championships awards are as follows. District qualifying performances are indicated with a “D”, and CENKEY meet record performances are indicated with a “R”:

Girls 8 & Under: Iylee Walter 9th 25 Free.

100 Yard Free Relay: 5th Iylee Walter, Macie Lawrence, Marin Smith, Aubriana Aaron.

Girls 9-10: Brynn Hunsberger 5th 100 Back, 9th 50 Fly; Amelia Larson 5th 50 FreeD, 3rd 100 FreeD; Hannah Lawrence 8th 50 FreeD, 9th 100 Free, 9th 50 Back; Leona Renninger 7th 50 Back, 6th 100 Back, 12th 100 IM; Addyson Space 2nd 50 BreastD, 6th 100 BreastD, 4th 50 FreeD.

200 Yard Free Relay: 1st Hannah Lawrence, Brynn Hunsberger, Addyson Space, Emelia Larson.D

Girls 11-12: Lorelei Casale 11th 50 Fly; Aubree Conticelli 6th 100 Back, 5th 50 FreeD, 2nd 50 BreastD, 3rd 100 IMD; Mya Coradi 9th 50 Back, 3rd 50 Breast, 4th 100 Breast, 5th 100 IM; Piper Hoover 3rd 100 Fly, 8th 100 IM; Audrey Oakes 12th 50 Back, 11th 100 IM.

Girls 13-14: Ashlyn Clark 1st 100 FlyD, 1st 50 FreeD,R, 1st 100 FreeD, 2nd 200 Free; Samantha Lewis 5th 10 Fly, 6th 100 BackD, 12th 100 Free, 4th 100 IM; Lillian Shifflet 7th 100 Fly, 5th 200 Back.

Girls 15 & Up: Megan Fenske 3rd 100 BackD, 1st 200 BackD, 2nd 200 FreeD; Lila Gourley 2nd 200 BackD, 1st200 FreeD; Callie Snodgrass 1st 100 FlyD, 1st 200 FlyD,R; Maggie Snodgrass 2nd 200 BreastD, 1st 400 IMD.

400 Yard Free Relay: 1st Maggie Snodgrass, Megan Fenske, Callie Snodgrass, and Lila Gourley.D,R

Boys 8 & Under: Sawyer Kirby 8th 25 Back, 4th 25 Breast; Michael Williams 4th 25 Fly, 6th 25 Back, 5th 25 Free, 8th 50 Free.

Boys 9-10: Klayton Bell 4th 50 Fly, 6th 50 Breast, 4th 50 Free, 7th 100 Free; Conner Chesterfield 6th 50 Back, 4th 100 Back, 8th 100 Free, 4th 100 IM; Dylan Space: 4th 50 BackD, 3rd 100 Back, 3rd 50 Breast, 2nd 200 Free; Trevor Shifflet 10th 50 Back, 9th 50 Breast, 5th 100 Breast, 10th 50 Free.

Boys 11-12: Jacob Bohlander 12th 50 Fly, 8th 50 Breast, 12th 50 Free; Declan Kelley 5th 50 BackD, 7th 50 FreeD, 5th 100 FreeD, 5th 200 FreeD; Graeme Smith: 6th 500 Free, 7th 100 IM.

Boys 15 & Up: Kylan Clark 5th 100 Fly, 7th 50 Free, 7th 100 Free, 3rd 200 IM; Kevin Young 1st 100 BreastD, 1st100 FreeD, 1st 200 FreeD.

(Good Work, Riversharks!!!! Thanks to Dan Clark for this article and Susanne Fenske for the photos!!!!)