Girls’ Basketball
An energetic team known for its quickness won a back-to-back section title (last season they were co-champions) with an 11-1 conference record and went 20-6 overall – the school’s first ever 20-win season. The post season was highlighted by the girls’ WPIAL Class AAAA semifinalists finish and their trip to the PIAA Quad-AAAA championship where they earned their first state playoff win since 2009. A very young backcourt showed poise and solid performances this season and should be prepared to step into the limelight next year. Coach Meghan Meabon’s goal is to have the girls build more physical strength and improve their basketball IQ in the off–season. Senior Erin Mathias and sophomore Kayla Slovenic were named All-Section first team, while sophomore Taylor Cohen picked up All-Section second team honors. In a fitting end to a fabulous season, Coach Meabon was voted the Class AAAA Section-2 Coach of the Year and also was selected as head coach for the Cager Classic all-star West team. The squad will lose the most decorated girls’ basketball player in school history, Erin Mathias, and fellow senior Tricia Panos, but will return the rest of the team, including four starters and a number of experienced players.
Duke-bound Erin anchored the squad for the past few seasons and made her mark in school history. Her extraordinary performance earned her an abundance of honors again this season, including the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year award in girls’ basketball, which is based on academic and athletic performance, as well as the Pennsylvania Sports Writers’ award for the Class AAAA girls’ basketball player of the year. She is the first girls’ basketball player in Fox Chapel Area history to win these prestigious honors. Erin also was named an All-American honorable mention by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. Earlier in the season, Erin scored her 1,000th career point in only three years as a varsity starter (she sat out her sophomore year with an injury) and was invited to play on the Roundball Classic and Cager Classic all-star teams. For the second consecutive year, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Tribune Review named Erin as one of the WPIAL’s “Fab 5” girls’ basketball players.
Boys’ Basketball
When a season’s highlights include a back-to-back appearance at the WPIAL playoffs, breaking the long-time individual scoring record, and two players reaching more than 1,000 career points, you can categorically say it was a very good year for Fox Chapel Area boys’ basketball. The team got off to a fast start winning the North Hills Tournament and the champion’s title at the KSA Holiday Tournament at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. Senior Matt D’Amico had an incredible year. He scored his 1,000th career point and shortly thereafter broke a 25-year-old record to become the school’s new all-time leading scorer. Senior teammate Brian Papich made it a twosome by scoring his 1,000th career point in only three years of varsity play. Both players were among the top scorers in the WPIAL. Matt was near the top of the Class AAAA leader board all season and was selected as of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s “Fab 5” boys in WPIAL Class AAAA. Both Matt and Brian were chosen to play on the Class AAAA Roundball Classic and Cager Classic all-star teams and were voted All-Section first team. Brian was named Most Valuable Player at the Cager Classic. An additional honor came when head coach Zach Skrinjar and his staff were named to coach the Cager Classic East team. In addition to Matt and Brian, a solid core of fellow seniors – Connor Duquette, John Lazaro, and Quintin Wirginis – contributed to the team’s 17-6 record and will be missed next season.
Gymnastics
Consistent, hardworking, and ever positive, the gymnastics team showed good promise this season. Junior Sophie Roe took second place on the beam at the WPIAL championships and also earned a silver medal in the all-round event. The team will miss seniors Megan Hollingsworth, an all-around gymnast; Taylor Banas, who competes on the floor; vaulter and beam gymnast Shana Boden; and Mandy Bubas, whose specialties are the uneven bars and beam. Many freshmen gained a lot of experience this season and Coach Leah McDonough believes the team will be in good shape next year.
Swimming and Diving
Girls
A versatile girls’ team had an outstanding season with only one section loss. Quite a few swimmers qualified for the WPIAL Class AAA championships, including a slew of underclassmen. Advancing to the regional meet were seniors Sia Beasley (200 medley relay/200 IM/100 backstroke) and Adlai Nelson (200 medley relay/100 fly), and juniors Maura Clark (200 IM/400 freestyle relay/500 freestyle) and Franny Dean (200 medley relay/200 IM/400 freestyle relay/500 freestyle). Also advancing to the WPIAL championship were sophomores Kelly Arel (200 freestyle/500 freestyle/400 freestyle relay) and Kelsey Denny (200 medley relay/200 freestyle relay); and freshmen Madi Doerr (200 freestyle relay), Sada Lantgios (100 fly), Maia Pauley, (200 IM)/200 freestyle relay), and Megan Wiese (200 freestyle).
Franny qualified for the PIAA championships in the 200-yard IM and 500-yard freestyle events.
Boys
The boys had a number of personal bests this year and showed good improvement by consistently dropping their times. Those swimmers who qualified for the WPIAL championships included junior Noah Cagley, who broke two of his own varsity school records in the 100 and 200 freestyle events at the meet. He also qualified for the regional meet in the 200 freestyle, 400 freestyle relay and 500 freestyle events and advanced to the PIAA championships in the 500 freestyle. Also qualifying for the WPIAL swimming championships were senior Dante Cordaro (200 medley relay/100 fly/100 breast/400 freestyle relay), junior Andrew Siar (200 medley relay/400 freestyle medley), and freshmen Lochlainn Renfrow (200 medley relay) and Bohan Yao (200 medley relay/200 IM/100 breast/400 freestyle relay).
Diving
The diving team was strong once again this season. Senior Addison Lynch and juniors Emily Eames, Miranda Simon, and John Zottola all qualified for the WPIAL Class AAA diving championships. Miranda won the silver medal and Emily took fourth place, qualifying them for back-to-back appearances at the PIAA championships. Addison also qualified with a fifth place finish at the WPIAL meet. Fox Chapel Area was one of only two schools to send three divers to the PIAA championships. Miranda, Emily, and John and rising star freshman Dixon Veltri will return next year and Coach Vernon Yenick to believe the best is yet to come.
Wrestling
A young and hard-working team with much potential earned a 14-4 record this season and achieved quite a few team and individual highlights. As a squad, they advanced to the WPIAL Class AAA team playoffs, won the Hampton Dual Meet Tournament, and finished third at the Sharon Duals Tournament, with their only loss coming at the hands of PIAA champions Franklin Regional High School. Five wrestlers had outstanding seasons and advanced to the WPIAL regional championships: seniors Rich Giovanetti (220) and Corey Mahon (152); sophomores Darius Booker (132) and Austin Pisano (126); and freshman Mike Mahon (170). Rich won second place at the section championships, Darius placed third in the consolation round, Mike placed fourth, and both Austin and Corey earned fifth-place finishes. Also, Corey was selected to wrestle in the Allegheny County vs. Westmoreland County champions match. In addition to Rich and Corey, the team also will lose seniors Cameron Ferguson and Cody Springel; however, with so many young wrestlers already showing great promise and an infusion of good talent rising from the middle school, Coach Ron Frank says the team is in great shape for the future.