Lewisburg’s Hopkinson brings state experience back | News, Sports, Jobs

Last year was no different, and more than likely, this year will be more of the same. It speaks to the talent that the Lewisburg swim program constantly has coming up through its youth levels and the Green Dragons return a number of talented swimmers who swam at districts last year.

Emma Hopkinson is a junior this year and is Lewisburg’s lone gold medalist from districts back. Hopkinson won a district medal in the 100 fly with a time of 59.98, shaving off two seconds and she was the only swimmer to break a minute in the event.

Hopkinson also was a silver-medalist in the 100 free after she swam a time of 54.87, shaving two seconds off her seeded time. She trailed only Bloomsburg’s Lucy Diehl by just 0.30 seconds in a great race that came down to the wire.

Lewisburg brings back silver medalist Colin Shannon from last year. Shannon was just a freshman and had a great first year of varsity competition. Shannon finished with a time of 1:50.84 and was behind only Bloomsburg’s Grayson Reck, a then-sophomore, who swam a 1:48.62.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Morgan Shannon competes for Lewisburg in the girls 50 Freestyle during a high school swim tri-meet at Williamsport on Tuesday.

Shannon also took silver in the 500 free in 4:58.63 and was behind only Central Columbia’s Connor Morgan by roughly half a second.

Both Hopkinson and Shannon are among Lewisburg’s swimmers who bring back a ton of valuable experience and will be a swimmer who numerous teammates look up to as a leader this winter.

Jillian Muchler, Hopkinson and Meg Mitchell swam on Lewisburg’s 200 medley relay team last year which took home a silver medal in 1:55.96 along with then-senior Jillie Donner. That foursome was behind only Jersey Shore’s team that won gold in 1:54.21.

Donner, Mitchell, Muchler and Hopkinson competed in the 200 free relay as well and swam a 2:19.90. The Green Dragons have a pair of 200 free relay competitors on the boys side in Blake Gulden-Luthi and Shannon, both freshmen last season.

Mutchler took fourth in the 100 back as well.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Colin Shannon competes for Lewisburg in the boys 200 IM during a high school swim tri-meet at Williamsport on Tuesday.

While Lewisburg does return quite a handful of qualifiers from districts, the Green Dragons do have some holes to fill with talented swimmers.

That includes Donner, who was a silver medalist last year in the 200 medley relay in 1:55.96 alongside Muchler, Hopkinson and Mitchell. Miles Fasero also graduated after taking fourth in the 200 IM last year. Fassero was part of Lewisburg’s 200 free relay team with Zeh, Gulden-Luthi and Shannon. The Dragons graduated Zeh, an eighth-place finisher in the boys 200 free. Zeh, Gulden-Luthi, Shannon and Fassero were part of the 400 free relay team which took fourth.

Fassero will leave big shoes to fill as well as he was a third-place medalist in the 100 breast last winter and was behind only Athens’ Brayden Pettitt (silver, 1:00.17) and Bloomsburg’s Chase Moore (gold, 57.70).

There’s little doubt that Lewisbrug will have a number of district medalists this winter with a few trips high on the podium. And needless to say, both Hopkinson and Shannon are among those eyeing gold this winter.