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.

RALPH WILSON/For The Express 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.

“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/For The Express 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.

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/For The Express 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.

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.

GIRLS SWIMMING

RALPH WILSON/For The Express 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.

Team results after Day 1: 1. Danville 230; 2. Lewisburg 181; 3. Bloomsburg 156; 4. Central Columbia 127; 5. Jersey hore 106; 6. Athens 92; 7. Shamokin 81; t-8. Mount Carmel 29; t-8. Wellsboro 29; 10. Milton 16; 11. Mifflinburg 15; 12. Shikellamy 14; 13. Warrior Run 13; 14. Midd-West 11.

200 medley relay: 1. Lewisburg (Kimmy Shannon, Jilliane Donner, Emma Hopkinson, Emma Gerlinski), 1:52.79; 2. Danville (Alivia Shen, Ava Ross, Hannah Bartholomew, Victoria Bartholomew), 1:54.70; 3. Jersey Shore (Kate Butzler, Reese Charney, Macy Wilton, Brooke Charney), 1:59.24; 4. Bloomsburg (Audrey Reuter, Callie Maclay, Adrianna Howell), Natalie Baker), 2:05.83; 5. Shamokin (Nadia Williams, Kamryn Kramer, Danika Lahr, Kenadie Rowe), 2:15.07; 6. Athens (Kayla Marshall, Madeline Henderson, Kaitlyn Leonard, Elizabeth Talada), 2:16.83. 200 free: 1. Emma Gerlinski, Lewisburg, 1:58.92; 2. Victoria Bartholomew, Danville, 2:04.11; 3. Zoe Czech, Danville, 2:07.41; 4. Natalie Gemberling, Mifflinbrug, 2:07.70; 5. Samantha Fagan, Bloomsburg, 2:07.78; 6. Grace Cobb, Athens, 2:13.61. 200 IM: 1. Kimmy Shannon, Lewisburg, 2:05.05; 2. Alivia Shen, Danville, 2:14.93; 3. Leyna Beishline, Central Columbia, 2:22.69; 4. Jilliane Donner, Lewisburg, 2:25.82; 5. Lea McCormickk, Shikellamy, 2:27.60; 6. Makenna Robbins, Wellsboor, 2:29.17. 50 free: 1. Reese Charney, Jersey Shore, 24.58; 2. Lucy Diehl, BLoomsburg, 24.85; 3. Evelyn Panek, Athens, 26.05; 4. Liela Bellis, Shamokin, 26.96; 5. Cleo Hummel, Danville, 27.08; 6. Brooke Fagan, Bloomsburg, 27.46. 100 fly: 1. Hannah Bartholomew, Danville, 1:00.63; 2. Emma Hopkinson, Lewisburg, 1:04.50; 3. Maria Painter, Milton,1:05.66; 4. Maya Hasenbalg, Danville, 1:06.30; 5. Izzy Marks, Danville, 1:06.99; 6. Jillian Muchler, Leiwsburg, 1:07.19. 200 free relay: 1. Lewisburg (Kimmy Shannon, Jilliane Donner, Emma Hopkinson, Emma Gerlinski), 1:42.02; 2. Bloomsburg (Samantha Fagan, Callie Maclay, Brooke Fagan, Lucy Diehl), 1:45.56; 3. Danville (Hannah Bartholomew, Maya Hasenbalg, Victoria Bartholomew, Alivia Shen), 1:47.36; 4. Jersey Shore (Kate Butzler, Macy Wilton, Lila Nestlerode, Reese Charney), 1:47.38; 5. Athens (Evelyn Panek, Olivia Thompson, Kaitlyn Leonard, Elizabeth Denlinger), 1:49.20; 6. Shamokin (Madalyn Roman, Carly Seedor, Kamryn Kramer, Liela Bellis), 1:53.16.

BOYS SWIMMING

Team results after Day 1: 1. Central Columbia 185; 2. Athens 167; 3. Danville 118; 4. Bloomsburg 115; 5. Lewisburg 113; 6. Milton 67; 7. Shamokin 66; 8. Towanda 54; 9. Shikellamy 50; 10. MIfflinburg 43; 11. Mount Carmel 41; 12. Hughesville 21; 13. Muncy 13; 14. Warrior Run 11; 15. Wellsboro 5.

200 medley relay: 1. Central Columbia (Bryce Rafel, Ethan Robertson, Connor Morgan, Alton Smargassi), 1:40.54; 2. Bloomsburg (Grayson Reck, Chase Moore, Dillyn Reibsome, Oliver Peters), 1:46.09; 3. Lewisburg (Ethan Zeh, Miles Fassero, Mason Ordonez, Kieran Davis), 1:47.31; 4. Athens (Brayden Pettitt, Ty Lezak, Josh Leonard, Ryan Gorman), 1:48.96; 5. Danville (Jackson Blansfield, Connor Fitzgerald, Jimmy Zhang, Briar Treibly), 1:51.04; 6. Towanda (Kenneth Carle, Lake Strickland, Clay Wrisley, Hudson Wheaton), 2:31.03. 200 free: 1. Mason Ordonez, Lewisburg, 1:44.13; 2. Ethan Robertson, Central Columbia, 1:46.72; 3. Trevor Reichner, Shikellamy, 1:55.31; 4. Ethan Zeh, Lewisburg, 2:00.57; 5. Camden Weaver, Milton, 2:01.49; 6. Ronel Ankam, Athens, 2:01.56. 200 IM: 1. Jimmy Zhang, Danville, 2:01.52; 2. Chase Moore, Bloomsbug, 2:02.32; 3. Connor Morgan, Central Columbia, 2:03.22; 4. Brayden Pettitt, Athens, 2:04.22; 5. Mason Cianflon, Shikellamy, 2:04.62; 6. Logan Diehl, Muncy, 2:12.77. 50 free: 1. Grayson Reck, Bloomsburg, 22;42. 2. Ethan Hicks, Athens, 22.67; 3. Bryce Rafel, Central Columbia, 22.78; 4. Malachi Moyer, Mifflinbug, 22.79; 5. Alex Farley, Hughesville, 22.92; 6. Clay Brininger, Mifflinburg, 23.19. 100 fly: 1. Mason Cianflone, Shikellamy, 23.41; 2. Jimmy Zhang, Danville, 54.21; 3. Alton Smargassi, Central Columbia, 55.27; 4. Eliott Deluca, Mifflinbug, 55.94; 5. Josh Leonard, Athens, 59.35; 6. Alton Smargassi, Central Columbia, 55.27. 200 free relay: 1. Central Columbia (Ethan Robertson, Alton Smargassi, Connor Morgan, Bryce Rafel), 1:31.27; 2. Athens (Eli Hicks, Ryan Gorman, Ronel Ankam, Ethan Hicks), 1:32.36; 3. Bloomsburg (Grayson Reck, Chase Moore, Dillyn Reibsome, Oliver Petters), 1:35.72; 4. Lewisburg (Miles Fassero, Ethan Zeh, Kieran Davis, Mason Ordonez), 1:36.48; 5. Mount Carmel (Caleb Gensmer, Lucas Lubinski, Jack Tamkus, Donovan Heller), 1:45.58; 6. Shamokin (Oskar Moraski, Westin Mutchler, Michael Drumheiser, Caleb Neiman), 1:47.21.

RALPH WILSON/For The Express 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/For The Express 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/For The Express 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 Reese Charney reacts at the end of the 50 yard Freestyle during a PIAA District 4 Class AA swim meet at Williamsport Area High School on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024.