On the first day of the District 4 swimming championships on Wednesday at Williamsport, Charney raced hard and strong in the 50 free competition to secure a gold medal, edging out Bloomsburg freshman Lucy Diehl in a tight race by just 0.27 seconds.

“I definitely think my start could have been a little faster, but after my turn I felt I did a pretty strong race,” Charney said with a gold medal around her neck.

Charney finished the race with a time of 24.58 while Diehl swam a 24.85 for second. Athens’ Evelyn Panek was third in 26.05, Liela Bellis of Shamokin was fourth in 26.976 and Danville’s Cleo Hummel took fifth in 27.08.

Charney admitted she could feel Diehl on her tail in the final leg of the race after she touched the wall.

NESTLERODE

“A little bit. Definitely going into the turn I could feel her there, and I knew I had to pick it up a little,” Charney said.

Charney picked it up when she needed to down the stretch to earn the win.

Charney was Jersey Shore’s only gold medalist on the first day of competition at districts, but the Bulldogs performed well overall.

In the 200 free relay, the Bulldogs took bronze with the team of Kate Butzler, Reese Charney, Macy Wilton and Brooke Charney. For Reese, it was special being able to swim a relay with her little sister Brooke, who’s just a freshman.

“I’m really, really proud of everyone. This is my sister’s first year swimming and it was really great to be on a relay and on podium with her,” Charney said. “It was really special. I only have two years to swim with her for being on a relay with her was really great.”

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Lila Nestlerode swims in the 200 yard IM during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

Shore’s four relay members all have strengths they bring to the table, and that overall strength as a team is what allowed them to swim 1:59.24 and be behind only Lewisburg (1:52.79) and Danville (1:54.70).

“I think we all kind of have different strengths. We all work off each other really well,” Charney said. “I think we balance each other out the whole way through the race.”

Jersey Shore’s Caitlin Ross swam a 2:44.50 in the second heat of the 200 IM competition. And while she didn’t reach the podium, the result was impressive in that Ross shaved 14 seconds off her time, something that caught Charney’s attention when she saw her time.

“Absolutely (we all did well). Caitlin had a 14-second time drop in her 200 IM, which is really awesome,” Charney said. “A bunch of other girls did really great today. We’re all really proud of everyone.”

Also in the 200 IM, Lila Nestlerode swam a 2:42.97, dropping two seconds. In the 100 fly, Macy Wilton of Shore swam a 1:10.75, dropping eight seconds off her time.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Lila Nestlerode swims in the 200 yard IM during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

Brooke Charney also dropped time with a 27.95 in the 50 free, which was good enough for 10th.

Jersey Shore’s 200 free relay team finished fourth with Butzler, Wilton, Nestlerode and Reese Charney with a time of 1:47.38, just 0.02 seconds from taking bronze behind Danville’s Hannah Bartholomew, Maya Hasenbalg, Victoria Bartholomew and Alivia Shen.

“(The competition here) helps a lot. You now, there’s really great competition here and it really pushes you to be your best,” Reese Charney said.

And being her best resulted in another gold medal and a trip to the state meet for the Bulldog.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Lila Nestlerode swims in the 200 yard IM during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Brooke Charney swims in the 200 yard Medley Relay during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Macy Wilton swims in the 200 yard Medley Relay during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Macy Wilton swims in the 200 yard Medley Relay during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Kate Butzler swims in the 200 yard Medley Relay during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Jersey Shore's Reese Charney swims in the 200 yard Medley Relay during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.