Swimmers Talia Bugel, Ariana Pasquella, Sophie Shao, and Rei Sperry have their work cut out for them if they are to match or beat the 200-medley relay time of 1:45.16 that last year’s Fox Chapel Area team set at the WPIAL championships. They are not there yet, even though they already automatically qualified for the event, but none of the girls, nor their coach, Dan Taylor, seem to be concerned. He says, “The girls are highly motivated to repeat as WPIAL champions in this relay.”
Senior Talia swims backstroke for the relay, fellow senior Ariana does the breaststroke, junior Sophie is the group’s butterfly specialist, and senior Rei competes in the freestyle leg.
Rei, co-captain of the girls swim team, explains the mindset of the group. “I am confident in the girls that we will get that time and faster. We haven’t swum any of the relays fully suited up and tapered, so I’m sure when the time comes, we will blow it out of the water. Our goal is to beat our previous time and place high at WPIALs, and then hopefully at states again, but we don’t have a specific time in mind yet. We just want to place well.”
Ariana, also a co-captain for the girls, won the vacant spot in the group created by Vivian Shao’s graduation in 2021. Ariana acknowledges she will need to swim her part of the race in 29 seconds, a drop of more than a second from her best time. But it’s an exciting challenge for her.
“I have always wanted to be in the ‘A’ 200 medley relay; it’s what a competitive team is about – winning together,” Ariana says. “But training for it is not easy. It takes a lot of strength to drop time in a 50 (each leg of the race is 50 meters) but having my teammates there for me makes it a lot easier. I am really excited because it’s definitely a realistic goal that this relay will place at WPIALs, and there’s a good chance we will go to states!”
As Rei and Ariana’s final year of high school swimming draws toward its peak, Rei reflects on her team’s drive to succeed, not only in their section because they have already done that many times over, but in the WPIAL and at the state level as well.
“We have put so much hard work, effort, and dedication into this season,” Rei says. “Everyone is set to win, and we all work extremely hard in practice. I see it every day. We’ve been putting a lot of effort into underwaters and turns and technical things, which I think will make a huge difference when it’s time to race.”
In addition to the group’s automatic advancement to the WPIAL Class 3A championships in the 200-medley relay, Ariana also has qualified individually in the 100 breaststroke; Rei in the 50 free, 100 free, and as a member of 200 free relay; and Talia in the 100 back and as a member of the 200 free relay. Sophie, a two-time state champion in the 100 fly, has a direct bid to WPIALs in five events – the 100 fly, 100 breast, 200 IM, 100 free, and as a member of the 200 free relay. Sophie also broke her own pool record from last season in the 100 fly at the first meet of the 2021-2022 season.
In other swimming news, the following student-athletes have clocked in with WPIAL top-five times: junior Payton O’Toole, who broke a pool record in her first year with the team is third in the 200 and 500 free events. Talia is second in the 100 back; and Ariana ranks fourth in the 100 breaststroke. Sophie tops the charts with a first-place ranking in both the 100 fly and 200 IM. She is fourth in the breaststroke and fifth in the 100 free.
Additionally, in the girls relay events, the 200-free relay team is fifth, and the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay are both ranked fourth.
Freshman diver Jackson Hagler’s score places him in fifth place.