Local divers vie for WPIAL medals
The WPIAL Swimming & Diving Championships begin today with the Class AA diving competition at North Allegheny.
The girls start at 9:30 a.m. and the boys take to the pool at 1 p.m. The top seven finishers advance to the PIAA Championships.
The Class AA boys field has 29 divers, including Blackhawk’s Brecken Finkbeiner, the defending champion.
West Allegheny’s Caleb Gnoth (356.30), Finkbeiner (317.85), and Derry’s Jake Hauser (295.27) are the top three seeds.
Connellsville sophomore William Gillott is seeded fourth with 259.30 points in his first district championship.
Uniontown junior Wyatt Dean is the eighth seed with 232.75 points.Dean finished 10th last year.
Teammate Judah Bean is seeded 10th with 199.50 points. Ringgold freshman Gavin Brake is the 11th seed with 198.45 points. Connellsville’s Braden Cross is 13th with 193.70 points. All three divers are participating in their first district final.
Elizabeth Forward’s Garrett Vietmeier is seeded 15th with 174.20 points.Vietmeier finished 12th last year.
The girls field features 29 divers seeking to make the medals stand. A new champion will be crowned with the graduation of four-time gold medalist Maggie Foley, of North Catholic.
Mount Pleasant’s Ella Paul is seeded 17th, while teammate Rayna Wisneski is 19th. Elizabeth Forward’s Aliyah Jackson sits in the 28th qualifying position.