Charney swam the final lap of the girls 200 medley relay great and touched the wall in time to give Jersey Shore the win and district gold by just beating out Meg Mitchell of Lewisburg.

And just like that, the Bulldogs qualified for states.

The team of Kate Butzler, Reese Charney, Aaralynn Kimble and Brooke Charney won in 1:54.21, just edging out Lewisburg’s foursome who finished in 1:55.96, on Day 1 of the District 4 swimming championships.

“I was scared. It’s a lot of pressure,” Jersey Shore’s Brooke Charney said about the final lap. “At that point in the race we had a good enough lead, but it still feels like it’s all right there. If I screw up, then it screws it up for everyone.”

MARK NANCE/For The Express Jersey Shore's Reese Charney, right is congratulated by Bloomsburg's Samantha Fagan in the Girls 50 Yard Freestyle duirng the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.

The two schools were in adjacent lanes and pushed one another to swim their best. Butlzer and Lewisburg’s Jillian Muchler swam the first lap and were neck-and-neck after touching the wall. It was similar for Shore’s Reese Charney and Lewisburg’s Jillie Donner.

It wouldn’t be until the third lap where the Bulldogs started to get some slight separation thanks to Aralynn Kimble, a freshman, giving the Bulldogs a one-second lead after she touched the wall to let Charney dive in.

“It definitely helps a lot (racing Lewisburg). I couldn’t be more proud of Brooke,” Jersey Shore’s Reese Charney said. “It’s really, really awesome to be getting to go to states with her and it means more than the world.”

“I’m in the back stroke, so I couldn’t really see, I just went out as fast as I could,” Butzler said about her leg of the race.

Danville’s Leah Hasenbalg, Tessa Ross, Maya Hasenbalg and Cleo Hummel took third in 1:55.97 and Central Columbia’s Charlotte Monahon, Leyna Beishline, Madelyn Kepner and Sherry Oh finished fourth in 2:01.91.

MARK NANCE/For The Express Jersey Shore's Reese Charney holds the lead for the win in the Girls 50 Yard Freestyle duirng the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.

The Shore foursome is more than happy to be heading to states together as a relay team. It’s the Bulldogs’ first relay team to qualify for states since 2019 when Butzler’s sister Emma did so.

“I’m happy to be part of this relay as a freshman,” Kimble said.

“I’m just super happy to go out with a bang my senior year,” Butzler added.

Jersey Shore’s boys 200 medley relay team of Nathan Grant, Nathan Klugh, Jayden Passetti and Ezra Paulhamus finished sixth in 2:09.17, shaving four seconds off their seeded time. Athens won the event in 1:40.17, nearly breaking the District 4 record set in 2015 (1:39.39).

For Reese Charney, she left Williamsport on Day 1 of the competition with two gold medals as she claimed a title in the girls 50 free. Charney swam a time of 24.85 to win the race, beating out Athens’ Evelyn Panek (25.73) who took silver and Bloomsburg standout Samantha Fagan (26.01), who took third.

MARK NANCE/For The Express Jersey Shore's Kate Butzler compets in the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle during the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.

“What I swam I think is good, I’m hoping to drop maybe half a second more for states, maybe a little more for that, with my taper,” Charney said of her performance, noting it was her best time of the season, but not a career PR. “I think I’m sitting at a really good spot.”

Charney knew she was in a tough heat of the 50 free race with Panek, Fagan, Warrior Run’s Larissa Rovenolt and Athens’ Olivia Thompson competing with her. But the District 4 meet helped her gauge how she is as a performer and what she possibly needs to work on against tough competitors.

“It definitely helps a lot. It’s one of those things that kind of gives you an idea of where you’re at,” Charney said. “Whenever you’re swimming, you’re going and whenever you have that person next to you pushing you, it helps you go ‘do I need to give it that last little bit?'”

Butzler was a silver medalist in the 200 free with a time of 2:03.07, just roughly half a second behind Fagan who won in 2:02.66 to claim gold. Brooke Charney took seventh in the 50 fre as she swam alongside her sister in the race.

Jersey Shore’s 200 free relay team finished in fifth place in 1:58.28 with the foursome of Lila Nestlerode, Macy Wilton, Makayla Wrench and Brooke Charney.

MARK NANCE/For The Express Jersey Shore's Lila Nestlerode competes in the first heat of the Girls 200 Yard Relay during the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.

GIRLS RESULTS

TEAM RESULTS THROUGH DAY 1 (top 6): 1. Danville 207; 2. Mount Carmel 133; 3. Jersey Shore 131; 4. Athens 106; 5. Central Columbia 105; 6. Bloomsburg 93

(Top 6 finishers listed for individual events)

200 medley relay: 1. Jersey Shore (Kate Butzler, Reese Charney, Aaralynn Kimble, Brooke Charney), 1:54.21; 2. Lewisburg (Jillian Muchler, Jillie Donner, Emma Hopkinson, Meg Mitchell), 1:55.96; 3. Danville (Leah hasenbalg, Tessa Ross, Maya Hasenbalg, Cleo Hummel), 1:55.97; 4. Central Columbia (Charlotte Monahon, Leyna Beishline, Madelyn Kepner, Sherry Oh), 2:01.91. 200 free: 1. Samantha Fagan, Bloomsburg, 2:02.66; 2. Kate Butzler, Jersey Shore, 2:03.07; 3. Cleo Hummel, Danville, 2:05.14; 4. Piper Anderegg, Wellsboor, 2:05.56. 5. Zoe Czech, Danville, 2:06.63; 6. Elizabeth Denlinger, Athens, 2:08.36. 200 IM: 1. Lucy DIehl, Bloomsburg, 2:16.79; 2. Leyna Beishline, Central Columbia, 2:24.30; 3. Charlotte Monahon, Central Columbia, 2:26.62; 4. Maya Hasenbalg, Danville, 2:29.36; 5. Makenna Robbins, Wellsboro, 2:31.70; 6.Emma Whitebread, Central Columbia, 2:32.79. 50 free: 1. Reese Charney, Jersey Shore, 24.85; 2. Evelyn Panek, Athens, 25.63; 3. Samantha Fagan, Bloomsburg, 26.01; 4. Larissa Rovenolt, Warrior Run, 26.27; 5. Olivia Thompson, Athens, 26.36; 6. Olivia Hummel, Danville, 26.41. 100 fly: 1. Emma Hopkinson, Lewisburg, 59.98; 2. Izy Marks, Danville, 1:02.80; 3. Aralynn Kimble, Jersey Shore, 1:04.26; 4. Madelyn Kepner, Central Columbia, 1:06.76; 5. Jillian Muchler, Lewisburg, 1:07.33; 6. Anna Yancoskie, Bloomsburg, 1:08.39. 200 free relay: 1. Danville (Izzy Marks, Maya Hasenbalg, Zoe Czech, Olivia Hummel), 1:42.82; 2. Bloomsburg (Audrey Reuter, Taylor Frey, Natalie Baker, Rylee Bobrowsky), 1:45.41; 3. Athens (Kaitlyn Leonard, Olivia Thompson, Evelyn Panek, Elizabeth Denlinger), 1:46.78; 4. Central Columbia (Charlotte Monahon, Madelyn Kepner, Leyna Beishline, Sherry OH), 1:47.63.

BOYS RESULTS

MARK NANCE/For The Express Jersey Shore's Reese Charney stands on the awards stand after receiving her gold medal for the Girls 50 Yard Freestyle duirng the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.

TEAM RESULTS THROUGH DAY 1 (top 6): 1. Athens 173; 2. Bloomsburg 113; 3. Danville 111; 4. Central Columbia 94; 5. Shamokin 73; 6. Mount Carmel 56.

(Top 6 finishers listed for individual events)

200 medley relay: 1. Athens (Eli Hicks, Brayden Pettitt, Ethan Hicks, Ryan Gorman), 1:40.17; 2. Bloomsburg (Hunter O’Neal, Chase Moore, Grayson Reck, Olivia Petters), 1:43.78; 3. Danville (Jackson Blansfield, Jimmy Zhang, Julian hardin, Briar Treibley), 1:46.41; 4. Central Columbia (Calvin Kehres, Martin Chen, Connor Morgan, Joshua Thompson), 1:51.17. 200 free: 1. Grayson Reck, Bloomsburg, 1:48.62; 2. Colin Shannon, Lewisburg, 1:50.84; 3. Briar Treibly, Danville, 1:55.11; 4. Jacob Shores, Athens, 1:57.18; 5. Logan Diehl, Muncy, 1:58.90; 6. Ronel Ankam, Athens, 2:00.21. 200 IM: 1. Chase Moore, Bloomsburg, 1:56.97; 2. Brayden Pettitt, Athens, 1:59.19; 3. Connor Morgan, Central Columbia, 2:02.01; 4. Miles Fassero, Lewisburg, 2:14.72; 5. Mason Cohoon, Warrior Run, 2:20.06; 6. Hunter O’Neal, Bloomsburg, 2:23.54. 50 free: 1. Ethan Hicks, Athens, 22.38; 2. Oskar Moraski, Shamokin, 23.89; 3. Matthew Robbins, Wellsboor, 24.12; 4. Ryan Gorman, Athens, 24.22; 5. Oliver Peters, Bloomsburg, 24.75; 6. Jack Tamkus, Shamokin, 24.82. 100 fly: 1. Malachi Moyer, Mifflinburg, 52.56; 2. Jimy Zhang, Danville, 52.58; 3. Eliott Deluca, Mifflinburg, 55.25; 4. Connor Treas, Shikellamy, 56.85; 5. Josh leonard, Athens, 56.85; 6. Julian Hardin, Danville, 59.14. 200 free relay: 1. Athens (Eli Hicks, Ryan Gorman, Ronel Ankam, Ethan hicks), 1:31.12; 2. Bloomsburg (Hunter O’Neal, Oliver Petters, Chase Moore, Grayson Reck), 1:33.96; 3. Shamokin (Jack Tamkus, Westin Mutchler, Caleb Neiman, Oskar MOraski), 1:38.07; 4. Lewisburg (Miles Fassero, Ethan Zeh, Blake Gulden-Luthi, Colin Shannon), 1:40.22.

MARK NANCE/For The Express Jersey Shore's Kate Butzler stands on the awards podium after placing second in the Girls 200 Yard Freestyle in the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.

MARK NANCE/For The Express Aaralynn Kimble of Jersey Shore placed third in the Girls 100 Yard Butterfly duirng the District IV Class AA Swimming Championships at Williamsport High School Wednesday.