Williamsport’s Sydney Kelley qualifies as individual at states for first time

Sydney Kelley has been at the state meet twice in her career, but both times it was part of one of Williamsport's relay teams. And while Kelley had success with those relay teams both those years, she wasn't able to qualify for states individually.

She can now check that box off as accomplished.

Kelley won two individual events at the District 6 Class AAA championships at Hollidaysburg and, in the process, not only set PRs but qualified for the state meet in both the 200 free and 500 free races.

"I think it has a big thing to do with my training before districts," Kelley said regarding hitting PRs in both events on a big stage. "We tapered for districts and I think that had a big impact on the district times."

Kelley, a junior, swam the 500 free in a time of 5:19.31, taking first place by 18 seconds to beat State College's Nora Hein. In the 200 free, Kelley swam a time of 1:58.25 to secure gold, and more impressively, break the school record in the event.

Of the two events, Kelley considers the 200 free her best. Fitting, given she just broke the school record. And while she's swam the 500 free in regular-season meets the past three years, she never attempted it at districts.

Winning gold in your first year attempting an event at districts? Not a bad milestone.

"I think it was definitely a lot (to win 500 free). In practice, we're pushing each other and I had good teammates in my lane and we'd be always competing and cheering each other on in practice, and I think that helped," Kelley said.

The Williamsport junior knows that the competition in Class AAA is tough and knows she's going to have to swim her best times in order to advance out of the preliminaries.

"I'm hoping to drop time definitely, but I feel it's still the same (expectations as with relays) because I got some people with me and we're going together. It's still that same sense of camaraderie," Kelley said.

"There's definitely a bunch of great competitors in Class AAA. I feel like Williamsport just does a good job of staying in there and competing as best we can."

Kelley is seeded in the first of four heats in both preliminaries of the 500 free and 200 free. Kelley admitted that the 500 free is an event she likes to go out in front a little faster so she has a speed to keep up.

Kelley is one of five Williamsport swimmers/divers to qualify for the state meet. Her, Mallory Pardoe (100 fly, 100 free) and Keller Griswold (100 fly) are all in the swimming portion at states in Class AAA, and Lyndie Peters and Dominick Horning both are competing in the diving competition.

And for Kelley, the district meet helped bring the team closer together.

"I just felt like at districts we all got closer as a team just cheering each other on. I like cheering people on and watching other people race as a team," Kelley said. "Just having us all cheer was great. They'd say the Williamsport swimmers and the crowd would go crazy because we were all there cheering."

And to have five representatives from Williamsport heading to Bucknell this week is something Kelley is happy about.

"I think it's really exciting. I think it's going to be really fun and I'm very excited for next year too with all the people," the junior said. "It's just very exciting."