Marty Stewart | Sunday, Dec. 18, 2016, TRIB-LIVE
The Fox Chapel swimming team, under new coach Dan Taylor, is hoping for a section title as they get accustomed to a new pool.
The Foxes have been without a home pool for the last two seasons while construction was ongoing.
Last year, the boys finished 6-6-1 overall and 4-4 in the section while the girls compiled a 9-4 overall mark and were 6-2 in section meets. Though three girls and four boys graduated, Taylor is optimistic.
“I think both teams will improve on their section record and will have a chance to vie for the section title,” he said. “We have a lot of depth.”
On the girls side, senior captain Maia Pauley (200 free, 100 back), seniors Megan Wiese (100 free, 200 free) and Sadia Lantgios (100 fly), juniors Molly Wiese (100 back) and Morgann Green (100 breast) and sophomore Maria Luciana (50 free, 100 free) return.
Promising newcomers include freshmen Jackie Filo (100 breast, 100 fly and 100 IM) and Grace Gackenbach (100 back).
Returning starters for the boys are senior captain Alec Eckman (50 and 100 free), seniors Nathan Wecht (100 breast) and Bohan Yao (100 breast and 200 IM) and sophomores Colin Hackwelder (200 and 500 free), Nathaniel Roe (100 fly) and Jonah Cagley (50 free).
Taylor expects Franklin Regional, Plum, Oakland Catholic (girls) and Central Catholic (boys) to be the top competition in the section.
Diving coach Vernon Yenick also is optimistic as senior Dixon Veltri, who finished 10th at the WPIAL finals last year, returns, along with Jonah Cagley. Cagley finished second at WPIALs last year and 12th at the state meet. He also finished second at the AAU Diving Nationals in Orlando, Fla., this summer.
Sophomore Magnus Loeffler also returns with hopes of improving on his 10th-place finish at the WPIALs last season. Promising newcomers include sophomore Katie Eames, junior Ellie Mountz and freshman Nate Serkov.
The Foxes opened their season Dec. 13 with a pair of victories over Shady Side Academy. The girls won 98-85 while the boys posted a 113-70 win.
Seven Foxes earned WPIAL qualifying times — the girls 200 medley relay team (Grace Gackenbach, Jackie Filo, Jossie Filo, Maria Luciana), the boys 200 medley relay team (Lian Botos, Yao, Roe, Eckman), the girls 200 free relay team (Megan Wiese, Luciana, Jossie and Jackie Filo), the girls 400 free relay team (Pauley, Jossie Filo, Wiese, Luciana), Jackie Filo (200 IM, 100 breast) and Jossie Filo (100 fly). Cagley and Serkov also qualified for WPIALs in diving.
Individual winners were Jossie Filo (100 fly), Jackie Filo (200 IM, 100 breast), Colin Hackwelder (200 and 500 free), Yao (200 IM and 100 breast), Eckman (50 and 100 free), Maia Pauley (500 free), Liam Botos (100 back) and Veltri (diving).