Ready to roll
Local swimmers begin quest for WPIAL gold
Local swimmers will splash into the water at Joseph C. Trees Pool on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh this morning when action kicks off in the WPIAL Individual Boys and Girls Swimming Championships.
Today’s meet will open with a session in Class 3A with boys and girls competing at 9:45 a.m. Class 2A is scheduled to begin with its opening session at 3 p.m. The same format will follow on Friday.
The amount of qualifiers for the state meet in each event will be determined by finish and time. The lone automatic qualifier for the PIAA meet will be the district champion in each event.
The state championships are scheduled for March 11-14 at Kinney Natatorium on the campus of Bucknell University in Lewisburg.
One local competitor won’t be joined by a team, but she will race in two individual events, as Albert Gallatin sophomore Caylee Psenicska is entered in the 200 and 500 freestyle in Class 2A. She also qualified in the 100 butterfly and backstroke, but swimmers are only allowed to compete in two events.
Psenicska is the sixth seed in the 500 with a time of 5:19.72. She reached the medal stand last year with a sixth-place finish in the event with a time of 5:20.20. Psenicska’s finish in the district meet was enough for her to qualify for the state championships, which she hopes to repeat.
“To qualify for the state meet last year was awesome, and what made it even better was to do it as a freshman,” Psenicska said. “Obviously, I am looking to get back there and improve. It’s really about hitting my PR (personal record). You always want to win, but if you break your PR and don’t come in first, that’s OK because you beat your best performance. I think those types of wins are what make swimming great.”
The reason Psenicska competes as an individual is because Albert Gallatin doesn’t field a swimming team. The Colonials have a qualifier in Class 2A boys, as senior Aaron Moccaldi is in the 200 IM (2:15.17) and 500 freestyle (5:25.72).
Due to Albert Gallatin being unable to compete in dual meets, Psenicska swam most of her meets in the regular season with Laurel Highlands, but she never felt any apprehension with being on her own.
“I did it last year, and I’ve grown up swimming with these kids, so it’s really nothing different,” Psenicska said. “I also know the swimmers from Uniontown because I started my career at the YMCA. I did gymnastics growing up, but only for a year. I am a year-round swimmer, and I’ve always wanted to swim in college. I just need to keep working and improving on my personal bests.”
Psenicska is frequently questioned in regards to her school when she travels to different competitions.
“I am asked if we (Albert Gallatin) have a swimming team pretty much everywhere we go,” Psenicska said. “The nice thing about it is the swimming community knows everybody, so I even converse with swimmers from other schools besides Laurel Highlands and Uniontown.”
Laurel Highlands brings a large contingent into today’s action, as senior Kasey Mahoney leads the way in the 100 breaststroke and 200 IM in Class 2A boys.
The PennWest Clarion commit is seeded second in both events, as Mahoney sports times of 59.08 in the 100 breaststroke and 1:59.75 in the 200 IM. West Allegheny senior Alex Aivalotis is the No. 1 seed in the 100 breaststroke at 57.01, and Northgate senior Sam Cavanaugh tops the 200 IM in 1:54.60.
Mahoney qualified for the state meet in both events last year. He placed fourth in the PIAA in the 100 breaststroke with a time of 56.86. Mahoney holds the school record in the event. He was 15th in the 200 IM.
Mahoney will most likely swim in more than his individual events, as the Mustangs have qualified in the 200 medley relay and 400 freestyle relay.
Teammate Lincoln Metheney will compete in the 200 and 500 freestyle with times of 1:53.97 and 5:06.62. Laurel Highlands freshman Drew Tupta also qualified in the 200 and 500 freestyle at 1:58.60 and 5:25.71. Aidan Swaney joins Mahoney in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.96).
Laurel Highlands senior Addie Ciez will represent the Lady Mustangs in the 200 IM (2:17.80) and 500 freestyle (5:06.62). Ciez, who has committed to Frostburg State University to continue her academic and swimming careers, qualified for the state meet last year.
Uniontown will have plenty of representatives at the district meet, as it qualified in five of six relay events, and has multiple individual entries.
The Red Raiders qualified in the 200 medley relay, and 200 and 400 freestyle relays, while the Lady Red Raiders will swim in the 200 medley and 400 freestyle relays.
Uniontown senior Hannah Foster will race in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.95) and 200 IM (2:27.48), as she looks to return to the state meet. Teammate and fellow senior Joss Rutter is entered in the 50 freestyle (25.42) and 100 backstroke (1:04.67).
Lady Raider ninth grader Addison Caruso has qualified in the 100 butterfly (1:07.35) and 200 IM (2:26.24).
Red Raider junior Donte Rugola will compete in the 100 and 200 freestyle with seed times of 52.50 and 1:57.54. Teammates Chase King (1:54.99) and Ivan Rutter (1:58.88) have also qualified in the 200 freestyle. King and Rutter will swim in the 500 freestyle with times of 5:20.14 and 5:27.86.
Uniontown freshman Patrick Foster has qualified in the 100 breaststroke with a seed time of 1:06.08.
Connellsville, who is the lone local team who competes in Class 3A, has one individual representative in sophomore Vincenzo Stader, who is entered in the 100 backstroke with a time of 58.72. The Falcons also qualified in the 200 and 400 freestyle relays.