The Mount St. Joseph Academy swim team opened its season with a non-league dual meet at Wissahickon High School last Tuesday, making a strong showing in a 101-78 victory over the host Trojans.

Within their own Athletic Association of Catholic Academies, the Magic have won the league championship for six years running. Longtime head coach Janet Tompkins remains at the helm, and also returning is assistant coach Dana Zielinski, a former Mount swimmer and rower.

Last week at Wissahickon, the Magic won six of the eight individual events and all three relays, getting significant contributions from a talented freshman class.

Mount St. Joe started with a victory in the 200 yard medley relay, relying on a quartet consisting of sophomore Grace Detwiler, seniors Rose Schmidt and Zoe Truitt, and junior Kelly McDonald. Second place was claimed by a foursome made up entirely of ninth-graders, Natalie Albertelli, Ava DiEnno, Sierra Martin, and Alexa Zochowski.

Freshman Lexi Schoen won both the 50 yard and 100 yard freestyle races, and an MSJ sweep of the individual freestyle races was completed by senior Katie Scanlon in the 200 and freshman Kada McCottrey in the 500.

Schoen is a graduate of Chestnut Hill's Norwood Fontbonne Academy, as is her older sister Charli, a sophomore on the team. Both were members of the Mount's AACA champion cross country team this fall.

McCottrey has two older sisters, Leah and Maya, who both swam and rowed crew for Mount St. Joe's.

Two members of the Magic's victorious medley relay combo would take first in individual races, as well, Detwiler in the 100 yard backstroke, and Schmidt in the 100 yard breaststroke. Another medley relayer, Truitt, took second in the 100 yard butterfly.

Second place finishes in the freestyle events were recorded by Scanlon in the 100, McCottrey in the 200, and junior Ava Downey in the 500 free. Schmidt was the runner-up in the 200 individual medley (this and the individual medley were the two events won by Wissahickon), while sophomore Emma Gladulich placed second in the backstroke.

Two freshmen, DiEnno and Albertelli, finished third in the IM and the backstroke, respectively, while McDonald took third in both the 50 yard and 100 yard freestyle events.

The swimmers took a break in the middle of the meet for the diving competition, which seemed to move along very slowly. This was of little interest to the Mounties, who have no divers on the squad at present.

After this, the swimmers had to go through the warm-up process for a second time, and Mount St. Joseph came back to win the 200 yard freestyle relay with Schmidt, McDonald, Lexi Schoen, and Scanlon.

At the end of the meet, Lexi Schoen, McCottrey, Detwiler, and Scanlon finished first in the 400 yard free relay.