Uniontown girls qualify for WPIAL Swimming Championships
Jim Downey | Herald-Standard
Uniontown’s Valerie Grimes catches a breath during the 100 freestyle in a Section 5-AA meet against visiting Elizabeth Forward. Grimes, Maeve Carei, Rylee Levander and Morgan Metts qualified for the WPIAL Class AA Swimming Championships last Friday at the Section 5-AA Championship held at South Park.
Belle Vernon's Robert Spekis plows through the water in the 100 breaststroke during an earlier Section 5-AA meet at Uniontown. Spekis broke the Section 5-AA Championship meet record in both the 200 IM and 100 breaststroke last Friday at South Park.
The Uniontown girls 200 freestyle relay had one final opportunity to meet the WPIAL qualifying standard, and did so last Friday by finishing second at the Section 5-AA Championship hosted by South Park.
The quartet of Valerie Grimes, Rylee Levander, Morgan Metts and Maeve Carei finished second in a time of 1:51.46, just under the Class AA qualifying time of 1:52.80.
Elizabeth Forward’s Jamie Belding, Molly Stefl, Natasha Trainor and Marleigh Bennett finished first with a time of 1:49.69.
The Belle Vernon boys had quite an afternoon, finishing second as a team and recording a number of record-breaking performances.
Ian Shahan, Robert Spekis, Tucker West and Mason Marchetti opened the season-ending meet by winning the 200 medley relay in a meet and school record time of 1:41.57.
Spekis then set the meet record in the 200 IM with his winning time of 2:02.82. He also broke the meet record in the 100 breaststroke, touching the wall in 59.87 seconds.
Shahan, a freshman, set the school and meet record when he won the 100 butterfly in 52.09 seconds. He then broke the meet record in the 100 backstroke when he touched the wall in 53.19 seconds.
The Leopards then capped the meet when West, Alex Miller, Spekis and Shahan finished first with a meet and school record time of 3:21.32 in the 400 freestyle relay.
Elizabeth Forward’s Kaelyn McClain won the 200 freestyle in 2:00.15 and 500 freestyle in 5:17.48. Teammate Natalie Glessner finished first in the 200 IM with a time of 2:14.11 and then in the 100 breaststroke in 1:10.95. Ashlee Toth took first in the 100 butterfly with a time of 1:01.75, as well as in the 100 backstroke (1:02.16).
McClain, Bennett, Glessner and Toth closed the meet by winning the 400 freestyle relay in 3:45.73.
The Warriors’ Ben Durant won the 50 freestyle in 22.35 seconds and 100 freestyle in 49.46 seconds. Gavin Guern finished first in diving with 182.90 points.
Ringgold’s Anna Vogt won the diving going away, finishing with 215.75 points. Elizabeth Forward’s Jordan Vasko was second with 184.90. Teammate Katrina Wilhelm (4, 151.45) and Uniontown’s Carei (5, 1:49.90) also finished in the top six.
The Rams’ Noah Parsons, Andrew Hrycko, Nathan Ferrence and Jake Niziol finished first in the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 1:39.39.
The top six places in each event made the podium. A team-by-team list of swimmers who also earned all-section honors includes:
Ringgold: girls 200 medley relay (2, 2:03.09), girls 200 medley relay 2 (6, 2:14.74), boys 200 medley relay (3, 1:52.58), Rebecca Noll (200 freestyle, 3, 2:10.41; 100 breaststroke, 2, 1:14.62), Andrea Kassa (200 freestyle, 5, 2:10.75; 500 freestyle, 5:51.57), Jake Niziol (200 freestyle, 4, 1:59.64; 100 breaststroke, 2, 1:02.31), Kaylee Kassa (200 IM, 2, 2:21.71; 100 butterfly, 3, 1:03.99), Autumn Lusk (200 IM, 3, 2:27.05; 100 butterfly, 4, 1:04.49), Nathan Ferrence (200 IM, 5, 2:19.36; 100 butterfly, 3, 1:01.68), Tay Bronson (diving, 3, 163.50), girls 200 freestyle relay (5, 1:56.36), Taylor LaFlash (100 backstroke, 3, 1:08.87), Cole Nickolls (100 backstroke, 6, 1:13.44), girls 400 freestyle relay (2, 4:00.42), girls 400 freestyle relay 2 (6, 4:38.89).
Elizabeth Forward: girls 200 medley relay 2 (3, 2:09.74), boys 200 medley relay (2, 1:44.36), Jalyn Brown (200 freestyle, 2, 2:06.12; 500 freestyle, 2, 5:45.25), Tyler Boden (200 freestyle, 3, 1:58.45; 100 freestyle, 3, 55.07), Carson Tokar (200 freestyle, 6, 2:02.12; 500 freestyle, 4, 5:41.07), Molly Stefl (200 IM, 2:33.08), Rachel Andres (200 IM, 6, 2:37.52), Ryan Kracun (200 IM, 2:09.49; 100 butterfly, 2, 56.83), Seth Andres (200 IM, 2:11.82; 100 breaststroke, 3, 1:06.31), Tanner Faircloth (200 IM, 4, 2:17.02; 100 backstroke, 2, 58.37), Jamie Belding (50 freestyle, 2, 26.45; 100 freestyle, 4, 59.46), Stephanie Hurley (50 freestyle, 6, 29.13), Kole Faychak (50 freestyle, 2, 23.46; 100 breaststroke, 4, 1:08.52), Marleigh Bennett (100 butterfly, 2, 1:03.76), Brooke Himich (100 butterfly, 4, 1:05.77; 100 backstroke, 2, 1:06.21), Natasha Trainor (100 butterfly, 6, 1:06.80; 58.95), Jason Thiry (100 butterfly, 6, 1:07.63), Claire Miles (500 freestyle, 6, 6:23.79), boys 200 freestyle relay (4, 1:40.71), Mallorie Vickers (100 backstroke, 4, 1:10.91), Elizabeth Kotewicz (100 breaststroke, 5, 1:23.40), Gavin Guern (100 breaststroke, 5, 1:10.40), girls 400 freestyle relay (3, 4:06.12), boys 400 freestyle relay (2, 3:26.09), boys 400 freestyle relay 2 (6, 4:01.62).
Uniontown: girls 200 medley relay (5, 2:11.65), boys 200 medley relay (5, 2:01.57), Valerie Grimes (200 IM, 5, 2:34.51), Maeve Carei (50 freestyle, 4, 27.38), Riley Gilleland (50 freestyle, 3, 23.55; 100 freestyle, 2, 51.31), Alex Eitner (diving, 5, 89.10), boys 200 freestyle relay (3, 1:40.20).
Belle Vernon: Tucker West (200 freestyle, 2, 1:55.14; 500 freestyle, 2, 5:26.84), Alex Miller (200 freestyle, 5, 2:00.90; 500 freestyle, 3, 5:33.26), Bryce Haynes (200 IM, 6, 2:19.68), Mason Marchetti (50 freestyle, 6, 25.01), Morgan Susick (100 freestyle, 6, 1:01.63), Alex Kikta (100 freestyle, 6, 55.91), Cody Danto (500 freestyle, 6, 5:48.52), boys 200 freestyle relay (2, 1:40.07), Nick Staller (100 backstroke, 5, 1:12.56), boys 400 freestyle relay 2 (5, 3:59.90).