Swimmers

Andrew Kosic isn't aiming to break his 100-yard butterfly record at the District 1 Class AAA swimming championships Friday and Saturday at La Salle University, but don't be surprised if the West Chester Henderson senior makes a run at it. "I'm not fully resting [for the district meet]," said Kosic, the top seed in both the Class AAA butterfly and 100 freestyle events at the district meet. He's aiming, instead, for a big splash at the PIAA meet March 16-19 at Bucknell University. Already committed to swim for Georgia Tech next season, Kosic set the District 1 butterfly record of 48.87 seconds two years ago. He will swim in the district 100 freestyle for the first time in his high school career.

The Downingtown West girls' swimming team has turned its sights toward the District 1 Class AAA championships coming up March 4-5, now that it has completed another unbeaten dual-meet season. With a 10-0 mark this season, the Whippets have pushed their dual-meet win streak to 49 over the last four-plus seasons. The last time the Whippets lost was on Jan. 19, 2007. As history would have it, the last team to beat West was district rival Downingtown East. The Cougars won their meeting that season, 103.5 to 82.5, and went on to win the Ches-Mont League National Division championship.

The other swimmers had completed the 50-yard freestyle heat. Lily Asadullina, blind since she was 4, in her first season of competitive swimming, was still at it, stroking and kicking as fast as she could. As she neared the finish, spectators and fellow competitors stood and applauded. The ovation for the Archbishop Ryan High School senior filled the pool earlier this month at Widener University. It was the Catholic League title meet, where champions were made, and the fans and swimmers knew they were watching a winner, no matter what the score sheet said.

Mike Lorback has announced that he is stepping down as West Chester Henderson boys' soccer coach after 24 years, during which the Warriors won a PIAA Class AAAA championship in 2002 and four times reached the state's final four. "I haven't been thinking too awfully long [about retiring], but I always said when you do start thinking about it, it's time to go," said Lorback, 54, who played for West Chester High before it became Henderson. Lorback, a self-described "fiery and competitive coach," won 308 games, lost 157, and tied 48 in his tenure at Henderson.

Germantown Academy senior swimmer Arthur Frayler says that every time he steps in the pool, he thinks of Fran Crippen, the 26-year-old GA alumnus who died in October during a long-distance swim in the United Arab Emirates. "It's affected every one here. For me personally, it was a real setback," said Frayler, who had trained with Crippen to become a long-distance swimmer. Crippen recently served as a volunteer coach at the school. Crippen was hoping to make the U.S. Olympic team for the 2012 Games.

Senior Amy Stelmaszyk has helped the Cherry Hill West girls' swimming team to a 3-0 record as the Lions prepare for the Jan. 4 showdown with crosstown rival Cherry Hill East. A versatile swimmer who also competes for the high-level Jersey Wahoos swim club, Stelmaszyk usually focuses on the 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly for the Lions. She also swims in both freestyle relays. Stelmaszyk has not decided on college but hopes to swim at the Division I level. Question: What is your weekly schedule like with the Jersey Wahoos?

Villa Maria Academy swimming coach Cathy Hay has high expectations for her team, but there is a sad note to this campaign. Hay, whose Hurricanes again look to be the class of PIAA District 1 Class AA, is without her husband and sidekick, John, a highly respected track and cross-country coach who also coached swimming at West Chester Henderson for several seasons. He died Aug. 15 of respiratory failure at age 66. The two met at West Chester State Teachers College, now West Chester University.

Ryan Lochte's bid to match Michael Phelps with eight golds at the short-course world championships was derailed when the United States' 400-meter freestyle relay failed to medal on the opening night of the meet in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. France won, followed by Russia and Brazil. The U.S. team was fourth. Earlier, Lochte won the 200 freestyle. China set swimming's first world record of 2010 in the women's 800 freestyle relay. All U.S. swimmers are wearing the initials of Fran Crippen on their warmup suits.

An hour before Fran Crippen's funeral was set to start at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Conshohocken on Saturday, the receiving line stretched 21/2 blocks. The church, which holds 750 people, was already full, and people were standing along the sides and back. It was a testament to the charisma of a young athlete who, speakers said, touched people with both his competitive spirit and his infectious friendliness. "The incredible ability to befriend anybody regardless of age was Fran's greatest asset," said Mark Bernardino, head coach of swimming and diving at the University of Virginia.

Funeral services have been set for Saturday, Oct. 30, for Francis E. Crippen, 26, of Conshohocken, a medalist in international swimming competitions from Rome to Rio who died Saturday, Oct. 23, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates during a 10-kilometer open-water swimming competition. A 9 a.m. visitation at St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church, 219 Fayette St., Conshohocken, is to be followed by a 10:30 a.m. Funeral Mass there, with burial in Calvary Cemetery in West Conshohocken. Mr. Crippen's mother, Patricia, said Monday that "Fran's friends are in the process of setting up a fund" in his honor.