By Dave Yohe
Highlands swimming coach Beth Brancato isn’t ready to give up competing. She’s been like a fish out of water for years. “Every time I step …
Oakland Catholic swimmer breaks record twice, wins 500 freestyle By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Oakland Catholic senior Leah Smith wanted to end her high school career by setting the National Federation of High Schools record in the 500-yard freestyle. Instead, she had to settle for breaking her own record at the PIAA Class AAA finals. Twice. Smith, a Virginia recruit, broke her …
Damich wins gold at PIAA championships By Nathan Smith6:29 a.m.
Drew Damich knew what to expect at the PIAA Class AA swimming championships. It was the Chartiers Valley sophomore’s second trip to the campus of …
Pine-Richland diver Giordano takes PIAA gold By Jerry Clark
There was little left to accomplish this season for Pine-Richland diver Dominic Giordano after breaking the WPIAL championship diving record a few weeks ago. The senior wanted to take the state gold, too, and when he did last weekend with a score of 584.45, the effort was simply, “the icing …
Caprara caps junior season with seventh in 100 breast By Michael Love
Last year at the PIAA Class AAA swimming championships, Gateway’s Alex Caprara finished outside of the top 16 swimmers who competed in the consolation and championship heats of the 100 breaststroke. He wasn’t going to let that happen again this year. In the preliminaries Saturday morning at Bucknell University, the …
Adamski ends season with swim at PIAA meet By Michael Love
Hannah Adamski put her Plum spring softball season on hold for a week or two as she prepared for her first trip to the PIAA Class AAA swimming championships at Bucknell University. The Mustangs freshman fared well in the 50 free at WPIALs on Feb. 28, but she originally didn’t …
Medley relay takes third place at states By Matt Grubba
Franklin Regional’s girls swim team started off the WPIAL meet with a bang, and the state meet turned out to be no different. The Panthers’ …
Latrobe swimmers prove they belong with strong PIAA showing By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Latrobe didn’t win any individual titles in the PIAA Class AAA swim meet Friday and Saturday at Bucknell University’s Kinney Natatorium. Nor did the team capture gold medals in either of its two relays. Wildcats coach Grey Arrigonie still couldn’t have been more pleased. Despite going against some …
Fox Chapel junior Beasley medals at PIAA swimming By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Fox Chapel junior Sia Beasley only qualified for the state in one event, the 100-yard backstroke, so she had a lot of time to put all her energy into making it pay off. She couldn’t have done it much better. Beasley moved up six spots from her 13th …
Fox Chapel’s Sterrett takes 11th in 200 IM at PIAA meet By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Fox Chapel’s Scott Sterrett had some cautious optimism about his shot at bringing home a medal on the first day of the PIAA Class AAA swimming finals. After all, he had a solid fourth-place showing in the 200-yard individual medley at the WPIAL Class AAA championships at Pitt’s …
St. Joseph senior wins bronze at PIAA meet By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Holly Stein could not have dreamed of a better way to end her high school swimming career. Stein, a senior at St. Joseph, …
Elizabeth Forward swimmer takes 5th at PIAA meet By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Elizabeth Forward’s Braelyn Tracy needed to lean on the people around her after she finished what was, in her mind, a disappointing and …
Mars’ Gruber wins fourth PIAA 100 fly title By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Margaret Gruber did what every swimmer does when she touched the wall at the end of the 100-yard butterfly at the PIAA Class AA championships at Bucknell. She looked at the clock. And though she wasn’t completely pleased with the time staring back at her, the Mars senior …
Geibel’s Zimcosky settles for victory in consolation finals By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Geibel freshman Emily Zimcosky was hoping to win a heat at the PIAA Class AA championship meet. Only she was kind of hoping to do it way before it actually happened. Zimcosky took first place in the consolation finals of the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 …
Connellsville freshman Zimcosky struggles with nerves By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Geibel freshman Emily Zimcosky was hoping to win a heat at the PIAA Class AA championship meet. Only she was kind of hoping to do it way before she did. Zimcosky took first place in the consolation finals of the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1 minute, …
Freeport’s Otwell struggles, fails to medal By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — Bria Otwell thought for sure she would walk out of the first day of the PIAA Class AA meet with a medal around her neck. There even was the possibility it could be a gold medal. After all, the Freeport sophomore came into the day as the reigning …
West Mifflin’s Kolesar takes fifth in 100 butterfly By Keith Barnes
LEWISBURG — West Mifflin junior Brad Kolesar scouted the competition at the PIAA Class AA meet by looking through the 2012 finishers to see who was coming back and compare his times with what won a year ago. It’s a sound theory and one that made sense as he prepared …
Ligonier Valley swimmers capture medals By Sharon L. Davis
Ligonier Valley High School swim team members competed in the District 6 diving and swimming championships March 1 and 2 at Penn State’s McCoy Natatorium. …
Carlynton swimming finishes season strong By Nathan Smith
Carlynton swim coach Caitlin McManus said she couldn’t be happier with the effort her athletes put in at the WPIAL Class AA swimming and diving …
Chartiers Valley sophomore Damich making a splash By Nathan Smith
For some athletes, reaching the WPIAL swimming and diving championships can be a nerve-racking experience. For Chartiers Valley’s Drew Damich, it was business as usual. …
Local swimmers set for PIAA AAA meet By Michael Love
Members of the Gateway varsity boys swim team are putting the final touches on preparations for the PIAA Class AAA championships Friday and Saturday at Bucknell University. Senior Drew Nosbisch and juniors Alex Caprara, Alex Bolen and Jake Beley will swim in individual and relay events. Nosbisch, Caprara and Beley …
Kittanning swimmer takes aim at even more history By Bill West
During one of her busiest months of swimming, a stretch that includes preparation for the Age Group Championships in Pittsburgh and for a regional competition …
Derry Flip and Twist divers set for PIAA meet By Karen Kadilak
Ligonier Valley sophomore Bethanie Meharey made school history twice at the PIAA District 6 Class AA girls diving championship this month at Penn State University. …
Alle-Kiski Valley state swimming preview capsule By Tribune-Review
PIAA swimming & diving championships e_SBlt Wednesday-Saturday e_SBlt Kinney Natatorium at Bucknell e_SBlt Making waves: After last year, Freeport’s Bria Otwell is ready to pass …
Pine-Richland’s Giordano breaks WPIAL diving record By Jerry Clark
As if winning the WPIAL diving championship last week was not awesome in and of itself, Pine-Richland’s Dom Giordano set a WPIAL record with a …
Pine-Richland swimmers advance to PIAAs By Jerry Clark
It’s back to the state championship swimming meet for Pine-Richland’s Kristen and Allison Murslack. Kristen qualified to swim in the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke by capturing the gold medal in the WPIAL championships, and Allison took silver in the 500 freestyle event. “The wins shows how far I have …
