1990, 1991, 1992 Boys Swimming and Diving Teams
The forty year history of North Penn Swimming and Diving is a series of peaks and valleys in District I, PIAA State and National Interscholastic Swimming and Diving. During the 1990, 1991 and 1992 seasons the swimmers, divers, managers and coaches associated with the program believed that great things were possible. As a team they believed in the traditions of the program, believed in themselves and supported each other during challenging times. They embraced the demands of training, managing and coaching with a unity of purpose and pride in what they stood for. It was the dedication and commitment of everyone involved that allowed North Penn Swimming and Diving to establish new peaks in the history of the program.
When the 1990 season started there was speculation about how well the team would do in the championship season. As the season unfolded it became clear that North Penn would be one of the teams in contention for the state title. The 1990 team went 13-0 in dual meet competition, won the Suburban I League and garnered 22 of the 33 available Suburban I All-League awards. In the District I Championships, North Penn scored 240 points and out-scored rival Council Rock by more 170 points. The District results from around the state indicated that the teams in contention for the state title would be Bethel Park, Parkland, Hempfield and North Penn. By the end of the first day of competition it was evident that North Penn’s depth would prove to be too much for any challengers and North Penn’s time had once again arrived. North Penn won the 1990 state meet by scoring 134 points, out distancing second place Parkland by 54 points. Following the1990 season the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association ranked North Penn as the 8th best public high school in the nation. The National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association also recognized the 200 Medley Relay, 400 Free Relay and Dan Dunigan in the 100 Freestyle as All-Americans.
1990 North Penn District I Place Summary
200 Medley Relay Derek Williams, John Raeburn, Kyle Kroberger, Mike Wilkens *1st
200 Freestyle Scott Walker 3rd - Matt Krystopa 5th
200 Ind. Medley Derek Williams 1st Place - Todd Giardinelli 3rd
50 Freestyle John Raeburn 4th - Kyle Kroberger 5th - Mike Wilkins 9th
100 Butterfly Dan Dunigan 1st - Kyle Kroberger 4th
100 Freestyle Dan Dunigan 1st – Matt Krystopa 3rd
500 Freestyle Todd Giardinelli 3rd – Brian Kelly 11th
100 Backstroke Scott Walker 4th – Kevin Faikish 7th - Jamie Tang 11th
100 Breaststroke John Raeburn 4th
400 Freestyle Relay Matt Krystopa, Scott Walker, Derek Williams, Dan Dunigan *1st
* District I Record Dan Dunigan was selected as the District I Outstanding Swimmer
1990 North Penn P.I.A.A. State Championship Place Summary
200 Medley Relay Derek Williams, John Raeburn, Kyle Kroberger, Mike Wilkins 4th
200 Freestyle Matt Krystopa 6th - Scott Walker 7th
200 Ind. Medley Derek Williams 3rd - Todd Giardinelli 6th
100 Butterfly Dan Dunigan 1st
100 Freestyle Dan Dunigan 2nd
500 Freestyle Todd Giardinelli 4th
100 Breaststroke John Raeburn 10th
400 Freestyle Relay Matt Krystopa, Scott Walker, Derek Williams, Dan Dunigan *1st
* PIAA State Record
In the wake of the success of the 1990 season North Penn had become the team to beat. Despite the pressure of these expectations, the 1991 team moved through the season focused on hard training and took nothing for granted. Early in the season the team won the prestigious York Suburban Holiday Swim Tournament and the Wilson Relays by overwhelming margins. The team once again went unchallenged in the Suburban I dual meet season by posting a 12- 0 record and earning 28 of 36 available All-Suburban I League honors. The 1991 season brought with it the addition of the 200 Freestyle Relay as a dual meet and championship meet event. The addition of the third relay in the line up would become critical in both the District and State championship scoring since no other team except North Penn would be able to divide their pool of talent between three relays and score with all three relays. In the District I Championships North Penn scored 256 points to 2nd place West Chester Henderson’s 111 points. The District I Championship title was unprecedented in that the team won 8 of the 11 events, won all three of the relays and set 5 District I records. The 1991 team entered the PIAA State Championship meet as seasoned veterans and would not accept mediocrity as part of winning. In the P.I.A.A. state meet North Penn scored 197 points and outscored York Suburban by 119 to establish a new scoring record for the state meet. North Penn became the first team to win all three relay events and in the process of winning the relays established state records in the 200 freestyle and the 400 freestyle relays. The 400 freestyle relay record remained unbroken for 19 years and was not eclipsed until 2009. In 1991, the National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association ranked North Penn 5th nationally among public high schools. The 200 Medley, 200 Freestyle and 400 Freestyle Relays were recognized as All-Americans, as well as Derek Williams in the 200 Individual Medley and Scott Walker in 100 Freestyle.
1991 North Penn District I Scoring Summary
200 Medley Relay Kevin Faikish, John Raeburn, Derek Williams, Andrew Serang *1st
200 Freestyle Scott Walker 2nd – Matt Krystopa 3rd
200 Ind. Medley Derek Williams 1st – Jerry Gilbert 3rd - Kevin Faikish 12th
50 Freestyle John Raeburn 1st – Andrew Serang 9th
100 Butterfly Jerry Gilbert 1st
100 Freestyle Scott Walker *1st – Matt Krystopa 2nd
200 Freestyle Relay John Raeburn, Scott Walker, Jerry Gilbert, Matt Krystopa *1st
500 Freestyle Brian McGinty 12th
100 Backstroke Kevin Faikish 5th – Jamie Tang 6th
100 Breaststroke John Raeburn 1st – Chris Lee 12th
400 Freestyle Relay Scott Walker, Jerry Gilbert, Chris Lee, Matt Krystopa *1st
* District I Record
John Raeburn was selected as the District I Outstanding Swimmer
1991 North Penn P.I.A.A. State Championship Scoring Summary
200 Medley Relay Kevin Faikish, John Raeburn, Derek Williams, Andrew Serang *1st
200 Freestyle Matt Krystopa 3rd - Scott Walker 4th
200 Ind. Medley Derek Williams 1st – Jerry Gilbert 6th
100 Butterfly Jerry Gilbert 3rd
100 Freestyle Scott Walker *1st – Matt Krystopa 5th
200 Freestyle Relay Scott Walker, John Raeburn, Jerry Gilbert, Matt Krystopa *1st
100 Backstroke Kevin Faikish 10th
100 Breaststroke John Raeburn 3rd
400 Freestyle Relay Scott Walker, Jerry Gilbert, Derek Williams, Matt Krystopa *1st
* P.I.A.A. State Record
The nucleus of the 1990 and 1991 championship teams had been the freshman class of 1989. Over the course of the previous three years Kevin Faikish, Matt Krystopa, Chris Lee, John Raeburn, Jamie Tang and Derek Williams had each made championship scoring contributions and now as seniors in 1992 it was their time. The 1992 team lacked some of the depth of the 1991 team, but made up for it with talent and competitive maturity. Once again it would be North Penn’s depth and diversity in event talent that would be a key factor in the team’s success. In the Suburban I competition North Penn once again went undefeated and added 16 wins to a four year undefeated dual meet record. The team once again easily won the York Suburban Invitational and Wilson Relay meet. In the District I Championships North Penn won 6 of 11 events and set District records in four events. In the PIAA State Championships, Northhampton had an exceptional team; and although North Penn was the favorite on paper, they needed to swim well and not make any mistakes with disqualifications or false starts. After four years of success the team was undistracted by the hype of the “three-peat” and was all business in getting the points on the scoreboard. In the end North Penn outscored Northampton by 44 points and set new state records in the 200 Medley and 200 Freestyle Relays. The National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association ranked North Penn 3rd nationally among public high schools. The 200 Medley Relay and 200 Free Relay earned All-American status as well as Derek Williams in the 200 Individual Medley and 50 Freestyle.
1992 North Penn District I Scoring Summary
200 Medley Relay Kevin Faikish, John Raeburn, Derek Williams, Andrew Serang *1st
200 Freestyle Matt Krystopa 2nd
200 Ind. Medley Derek Williams *1st – Don Walsh 9th - Kevin Faikish 11th - Jamie Tang 12th
50 Freestyle John Raeburn 3rd – Andrew Serang 4th
Diving Toby Pickersgill 4th – John Schum 12th
100 Butterfly Derek Williams *1st
100 Freestyle Matt Krystopa 2nd – Andrew Serang 11th
200 Freestyle Relay Derek Williams, Andrew Serang, * 1st John Raeburn, Matt Krystopa
100 Backstroke Kevin Faikish 2nd – Jamie Tang 8th
100 Breaststroke John Raeburn 1st – Chris Lee 8th – Travis Raeburn 12th
400 Freestyle Relay Joel Gilbert, Chris Lee, Kevin Faikish, Matt Krystopa 4th
* District I Record
Derek Williams was selected as the District I Outstanding Swimmer
1992 North Penn P.I.A.A. State Championship Scoring Summary
200 Medley Relay Kevin Faikish, John Raeburn, Derek Williams, Andrew Serang *1st
200 Freestyle Matt Krystopa 4th
200 Ind. Medley Derek Williams 2nd
50 Freestyle Andrew Serang 9th – John Raeburn 10th
Diving Toby Pickersgill 11th
100 Butterfly Derek Williams 1st
100 Freestyle Matt Krystopa 6th
200 Freestyle Relay * Derek Williams, Andrew Serang, John Raeburn, Matt Krystopa *1st
100 Backstroke Kevin Faikish 6th
100 Breaststroke John Raeburn 2nd
* P.I.A.A. State Record
Nearly twenty years after the last of the three state championships, the legacy of the 1990, 1991 and 1992 teams is in the character of the individuals who defined themselves as North Penn Swimmers and Divers and made the accomplishments we are celebrating possible. What is not in the record books or inscribed on the championship trophies is the work ethic, dedication, leadership, determination and humility that these individuals demonstrated as competitors. Twenty years after the first state championship these athletes are remembered by a generation of Pennsylvania coaches as “nice kids” who understood the meaning of sportsmanship and were a pleasure to be around.