GIRLS SWIMMING: Phantoms’ senior trio bids teary farewell with strong finish

Photo by Craig Himmelwright Phoenixville’s Devonne Moore swims the breaststroke during the 200 individual medley preliminaries.

By Rosemarie Ross
rross@pottsmerc.com

LEWISBURG — It was a bittersweet farewell swim for the Phoenixville girls, the area’s lone AA girls qualifiers, as they placed second in the 200 medley relay with a team record 1:51.18 in the night consolation finals — with Erin McElwee, Devonne Moore, Shawna Moore and Eileen Butler — on Day 1 of the PIAA Class championships at Bucknell University.
McElwee, Devonne Moore and Butler are seniors, and have been swimming together since they were splashing around the Phoenixville YMCA and neighborhood pools in elementary school. After four years on the high school team, this was their final relay.
“I’ve been swimming with these girls since I was 10 years old,” said the teary-eyed McElwee, the relay’s leadoff swimmer. “We’re all really good friends. And it’s really hard, bittersweet because we have all gone through it together for so many years. No one knows how hard we all really work. And now our last time together.
“It’s sad, but it’s also really exciting to reflect on all that we have done. And to set a new record again in our last swim was great.”

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